Little Lavender, from Shoukei - Naoko Ikeda

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Little Lavender, from Shoukei - Naoko Ikeda

Late Beginner 

I recently watched “The Boy and the Heron,” with music by Joe Hisaishi, which put me on a hunt to find more Japanese composers. I was so pleased to find Naoko Ikeda, who resides in the city of Sapporo in Japan. Her music is inspired by classical, jazz, and pop, as well as the well-known pedagogue and composer William Gillock. 

Her suite, Shoukei, is inspired by a perfect summer’s day (I could use a little summer around here!). “Little Lavender” is the first piece in the suite and is a gentle and innocent walk through a field of lavender. 

This is challenging (but doable) for late beginners. The most noteworthy hurdles are legato pedaling, the RH melody and LH accompaniment balance, hand independence in the B section, and some double notes. The remaining pieces in the suite are more challenging and better suited for early intermediate pianists.

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