Book excerpt: The Portraits series fills one of the longtime gaps in student-level piano repertoire by presenting colorful, fun-to-play pieces in jazz, blues, rock and other popular styles. Portraits invites you on a guided tour through the music of various artists in these styles, exploring what gives each artist his or her own special sound, while the progressively arranged original pieces allow you to try out these styles on your own. Each piece is accompanied by a biography and photo of the artist who inspired it, listening suggestions and specially tailored preparatory exercises. While the Portraits books are recommended for students age 12 and older, younger musicians will certainly enjoy playing the pieces under the guidance of a teacher. A CD that demonstrates all the examples and allows you to play along (with solo keyboard or full band) is also available. The Portraits series is designed to complement all popular piano methods, including adult methods.