Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3 is a 145-page book for the early intermediate student. This includes everything a student will need for their lesson and learning the skill and concepts of playing the piano. It starts with 2 assignment pages for the week?s assignments. Followed by note pages for the student or the instructor to make. The first chapter starts with a recap for books 1 and 2, so no important foundational steps are missed if the intermediate student starts with this book. Then starting with chapter 2, Drill & Excel On the Piano Book 3 introduces new rhythms, the 16th notes and rests, and triplets. The exercises get more challenging for the intermediate student, with lots of special exercises for skills needed. Special exercises include dynamic training, finger independence, finger pedaling, and more. For the scales, playing them in multiple octaves are introduced, along with the 2 new scales, A and F. What?s new in Drill & Excel On the Piano book 3 is TONS of new theory! Diatonic intervals were introduced in the 3rd chapter of book 2, so chromatic (altered) intervals are introduced in the 2nd chapter, along with triads and triad numbers in the 3rd chapter. It doesn?t stop there; it also includes plenty of assignment worksheets, so the student has a repetitive written assignment for deeper learning! And the best part, 60 original songs beautifully written to teach what is taught in each chapter. Songs are melodic and fun to play, introducing a new style of music with each song. The author gives commentary for each song. Most method books merely offer songs with little information, but the ?Drill & Excel On the Piano? book series offers not only plenty of songs, but everything the student needs for all concepts, information, and skill needed to take the early intermediate student to the next level.

The European Hymn is the hymn not only of the European Union but of Europe in a broader sense. The melody has been taken from the Ninth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1823.
In the last movement of this symphony Beethoven set music to the 'Ode to Joy' by Friedrich von Schiller from 1785. This poem sprang from Schiller's idealistic vision of men who become brothers - a vision Beethoven shared with him.

In 1972 the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' as its anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert von Karajan was commissioned to arrange three instrumental versions - for solo piano, wind orchestra and symphony orchestra. Without words, in the universal language of music, the anthem is an expression of the idealistic values of freedom, peace and solidarity which Europe stands for.
In 1985 the heads of state and government adopted the hymn as the EU's official anthem. It does not replace the national anthems of the member states, but rather celebrates common values as well as unity in diversity.

The score of this offical anthem is exclusively available from the Schott publishing house.