Nojoqui Falls - for Solo Piano Piano Solo - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.918243

A modern, meditative original composition, suitable for students and advanced musicians alike.

Composer’s Note:

Nojoqui Falls (pronounced NAW-ho-wee) is a seasonal waterfall in Santa Barbara County, California, in the interior foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. It is the subject of stories from the Chumash, a Native American people who have lived along California’s central coast for thousands of years. When the area experiences extreme drought, sometimes the waterfall reduces to a trickle. But it is a beautiful, shady place with a magical quality, and the water always returns.

For interested students or teachers, here are a few pedagogical notes:

Pedal ad lib is appropriate for this piece. Unless a player has very large hands, the right hand will need to cover most of the top notes in the bass clef (the C ostinato). This can be a welcome challenge for students, as they will need to balance this with sustaining and shaping the top melody notes. Some of the middle C ostinato notes are indicated as optional, since they are already struck as melody notes during the same beat. (But they are still notated in case another instrument plays the melody.) It might feel awkward to strike some of the other C ostinato notes that are rhythmically nearby, but it can also be a good way to practice leaving that sustained melodic note ringing while striking the same note soon after with a much quieter dynamic, which requires both control and skilled use of the pedal.

About the Composer:

Emily Nafius is a pianist in Southern California with her musical roots in jazz. As a soloist or sideman, she has performed at numerous music venues around California in an eclectic mix of styles, and recorded with a variety of singer-songwriters and rock bands. Her work as an accompanist spans classical, jazz, and musical theatre, receiving praise for her theatre work as a pianist and ensemble leader. She has maintained a teaching studio for over fifteen years, instructing musicians of all ages.