For all of the pianists who enjoy late intermediate/early advanced level music, Path of the Sandpiper is available as a PDF sheet music download at my secure website here, or Sheet Music Plus here. Read the wonderful sheet music review, written by Kathy Parsons of Mainly Piano, here.
I hope this new music brings delight and brightens your summer!
Thank you for your support!
Musically Yours,
Suzanne Herman
Path of the Sandpiper is Suzanne Herman’s first single release in 2022. One of her favorite activities is walking the local, west coast of Florida, beaches. The powdery white sand and iconic sunsets are a perfect setting for sandpipers, one of Florida’s beautiful beach birds. This piece was inspired by these little birds gently scurrying around and moving together along the water’s edge.
Press release by Higher Level Media
Suzanne Herman has demonstrated a gift for piano music and composition since she was a teenager. Classified as a professional musician by the age of 14, her decades of experience inspire students and listeners alike. Many of Suzanne’s students have become award-winning pianists at local, state, and national levels under her tutelage. Lifeline, her debut album, and songbook released in 2018, was composed in honor of her brother, Raymond, who died suddenly in 2014; the works reflect Suzanne’s process of coping with grief and overcoming loss. Today, she is a composer, piano recording/performing artist, and owner of an independent piano and composition teaching studio near Florida’s Tampa Bay Area.
Suzanne went on to perform extensively throughout the United States and played a variety of genres and styles, including classical, sacred, jazz, and contemporary solo piano. She also served as the Director of Music and as an organist at numerous churches. A professional piano instructor since 1985, Suzanne endeavors to inspire her students in the same way her instructors inspired her. She released her second album and songbook, Horizons, in 2018 to remind her listeners and students of the wonderment that new experiences can add to our lives. For aspiring young students, her third release, Cheerful Explorations, highlights pianistic learning to develop a life-long appreciation for music. The piano stylings in Cascades of Time, Suzanne’s subsequent release after her travels through the mountains of Wyoming, portray the fleeting nature of both joyful moments and challenging times.
For more information and music samples, visit suzanneherman.com.
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Path of the Sandpiper
By
Suzanne Herman
Written by
Steve Sheppard
I listened to this new and quite beautiful single by Suzanne Herman for the first time, whilst gazing at the amazing art work for the single, bird life for me and the subject of birds has always been a big part of my life, and I can say with truth that this composition utterly portrays the mood found on the cover art.
Path Of The Sandpiper, a wonderful creature found usually on the banks or shores of tidal regions of many countries across the world is a sight that is sublimely mesmeric, and this performance by Herman is both fluent, stunningly graceful, charming, and a blissfully perfect rendition and reflection of the grace of this fine bird; her presentation is light and artistic too, and as such this new single should find a lot of favour with fans and listeners the world over, a chart hit could also be on the cards for the artist given the incredibly descriptive performance contained within.
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“Path of the Sandpiper” is a lovely solo piano single from pianist/composer Suzanne Herman. Suzanne describes the inspiration for the piece: “One of my favorite activities is walking the local, west coast of Florida beaches. The powdery white sand and iconic sunsets are a perfect setting for sandpipers, one of Florida’s beautiful beach birds. This piece, ‘Path of the Sandpiper,’ was inspired by these little birds gently scurrying and moving together along the water’s edge.” Also a common sight on Oregon Coast beaches, I find it very easy to picture our local sandpipers quickly moving around near the surf to this music! Warm and gentle with a subtle energy that propels it, this sweet piece is a real day brightener and mood elevator!
“Path of the Sandpiper” is available from Suzanne’s site as well as from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes and streaming sites including Spotify. Sheet music is available to download from Suzanne’s site and is also reviewed here on MainlyPiano.com.
Stories From Portugal is the companion sheet music book for Suzanne Herman’s 2021 album by the same name. All eleven of the piano solos from the recording are included and range in playing difficulty from late intermediate to early advanced. The music was inspired by a trip throughout Portugal in 2019 and celebrates the natural beauty of the area, the friendliness of the Portuguese people, and their rich cultural traditions. There is a very pleasant variety in the music where some of the pieces are very slow and peaceful and others are more spirited and lively. It’s a fun and beautifully expressive songbook to play and I’ve really enjoyed my time with it. 
Stories From Portugal
Suzanne Herman
2021 / Suzanne Herman Music
43 minutes
Review by Kathy Parsons
Stories From Portugal is the fifth album of original piano solos by pianist/composer/educator Suzanne Herman. She released her first album, Lifeline, in 2018, but has been classified as a “professional musician” since she was 14. As the title indicates, the eleven piano solos on Stories From Portugal were inspired by travels throughout that country, its rich cultural traditions, the friendly people they met, and the country’s natural beauty. There is a really nice variety in the music, but the album plays beautifully as a smooth, cohesive whole. With her extensive background and training, it’s no surprise that Suzanne’s music has a strong classical influence, and yet her music is very contemporary and accessible. The album was recorded and produced at Piano Haven in Sedona on Joe Bongiorno’s incredible Shigeru Kawai concert grand, and the piano sound is gorgeous. A companion sheet music book is also available and is reviewed here on MainlyPiano.com.
Stories From Portugal begins with “Coimbra’s Legacy,” a light and breezy piece that celebrates the riverfront city that was once Portugal’s capital. “Ancient Tapestries of Lamego” is much darker and more mysterious. It’s also one of my favorites. What a wonder it must be to be in the presence of centuries-old tapestries, knowing that every stitch was made by hand. The music beautifully captures those feelings. “The Canyons of The Douro River” paints a lovely picture of quiet serenity and peaceful landscapes. “A Conversation Under the Stars” has a bright and lively right hand that I interpret to be the sparkling stars in the night sky, and a left hand melody in the lower half of the piano that feels more conversational. “Raymond’s Theme” tells the story of someone who must be a very colorful character and fun to be around; he apparently has a more serious side, too! “Journeys, Encounters, and Unanswered Questions” is my favorite piece on the album. A fascinating variety of themes are woven together to express thoughts and emotional responses to people, scenery and events experienced on the trip. “Sparkling Iberian Sun” is sooooo peaceful and serene, bringing images of sunlight dancing hypnotically on the surface of a body of water – bliss! “Evening Lights and Daytime Shadows” continues with feelings of tranquility and pure contentment. “Calcada Portuguesa” refers to mosaic walkways made from small flat pieces of stone that are arranged in patterns or images and found in many pedestrian areas of Portugal. Played at a relaxed walking tempo, there are quite a few places where the piece slows – undoubtedly to stop and look around! Another favorite is “Approaching Sea Fog.” Living on the Oregon Coast, fog is something very familiar in its many forms and densities as well as the easy way it moves. This piece describes all of that perfectly! “Bread Maker’s Dance” ends the album much as it began – with a lighthearted musical snapshot of one of the highlights of the trip. After listening to this album, I hope to have the chance to visit Portugal myself sometime!
Stories From Portugal has been a wonderful introduction to Suzanne Herman’s music as well as a colorful musical journey to another country. It is available from www.SuzanneHerman.com, Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, and several streaming sites including Spotify. Beautifully done!
April 13, 2022
REVIEW BY Janet Mawdesley June 12, 2021, 5:13 pm
Every place is filled with stories, everyone has their own story to tell which adds to the rich tapestry of life surrounding the many places we all love and enjoy as a part of our life journey. Stories from Portugal from Suzanne Herman are a rather interesting collection of stories delivered in solo piano narrative.
Commencing the tale with Coimbra’s Legacy she weaves a tale around the often overlooked city of Coimbra, a place that was once the capitol of Portugal, to be discovered on the banks of the Mondego River, its medieval architecture a well-kept secret, found only by those who choose to take a pathway less traveled.
Dancing across the keyboard the notes of A Conversation Under the Stars will take you to places only you can discover as you have your own conversation with the magic of the night skies; Herman’s music moves from dancing, twinkling stars to a the more sombre spaces that act as a majestic backdrop for the twinkling enchantment of the night skies.
Another interesting composition is Journeys, Encounters and Unanswered Questions something we all have in our backstory of life, but perhaps never more so than when traveling in different worlds, cultures and histories when there is always much to be pondered. Deep and almost melancholy, the song is lifted with a light melody running through the piece. Calçada Portuguesa is an intriguing title for a piece as it refers to the wonderfully tiled pavement seen throughout Portugal made from small, flat pieces of stone in a technique first bought to Portugal by the Mesopotamians.
The final song the Breadmakers Dance, something that is a tradition through Portugal, as it is to do with the making of bread, the kneading of the dough; when the dough is slammed onto the boards then pushed, folded and repeated again and again creates a type of ‘dance’, the rhythm of which is captured in this delightful song.
As do all journeys, so too does this one end with a flourish and the suggestion of bread baking in the oven to round out a tapestry story book, journeying through Portugal, enjoying the stories told along the way.
See the review on Blue Wolf reviews site
As summer quickly approaches, I’m excited to share my new solo piano album, Stories from Portugal. While traveling throughout Portugal in 2019, I was inspired by the country’s rich traditions, welcoming people, and natural beauty. Exploring the landscape and mingling with the locals served as a reminder that everyone has a unique story. We carry our personal stories with us wherever we go. Likewise, wherever we venture in this world becomes part of our personal stories. Stories from Portugal will be released worldwide on all major listening platforms, including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and YouTube, on May 24, 2021. I hope you find comfort and enjoyment in this music!
If you are a pianist or piano teacher, Stories from Portugal songbooks (printed books or PDF downloads) are now available at my website www.SuzanneHerman.com . These enchanting piano solos are perfect for late-intermediate and early-advanced pianists. The alluring harmonies, delightful rhythms, and captivating melodies create an engaging musical adventure! Happy learning!
Have you ever wondered what it’s like in a recording studio? The latest video on my YouTube channel is titled Live Piano Solo Studio Recording Session. It’s a live, un-edited video showing part of my studio recording session; the name of the piece is A Conversation Under the Stars from the new album Stories from Portugal. If you enjoy this video, thank you in advance for a thumbs-up
Spring is definitely in the air, and exciting things are happening.
First, it’s an honor to join renowned composer, pianist, and producer Joe Bongiorno in presenting a Facebook concert. This live online concert will be filled with beautiful original solo piano music and the stories that describe the inspiration behind the music. Please join us this Sunday, March 14 at 8:00 PM, ET (the first day of daylight savings time). We’ll be streaming from the Piano Haven Recording Studio in Sedona, Arizona. Join the concert at Facebook.com/pianohaven
The individual sheet music downloads for my soon to be released album, Stories From Portugal, are now available at Suzanneherman.com. These pieces hold a special place in my heart. You can read about the inspiration behind the music on my homepage Suzanneherman.com.
“Music evokes and creates emotions. It calms, excites, and helps us push through. Music celebrates our joys and triumphs; it helps us during our greatest sadness and grief. Music inspires and heals.”
