Pretty Piano Pieces grew out of a lifelong relationship with the piano — not as performance, but as presence.
For me, playing and composing piano music has always been a way to slow down, to breathe, and to return to something quieter. Many of these pieces began as late-night improvisations, played simply to soothe myself — often on pianos tucked into hotel corners while traveling as a working musician. In a time before smartphones, I wouldn’t record or notate these sessions, so the music lived only in memory, repeated until it felt settled.
For many years, only my closest family had ever heard this music when I'd played it on my piano at home — and even then, only a small fraction of it. Eventually, I realized that much of what I had written existed nowhere in a fixed form. Creating this project became a way to give those pieces a home, even if no one ever listened.
When I began sharing the music publicly, people from around the world occasionally found it — using it for reflection, focus, rest, or quiet companionship. That response revealed something simple and meaningful: calm, expressive piano music still has a place in a noisy world.
Pretty Piano Pieces exists to offer reflective piano music that supports breathing, stillness, and emotional presence. These are not performances meant to impress, but pieces meant to accompany moments of rest, meditation, and gentle attention.
If this music helps you slow down — even briefly — it is doing what it was created to do.
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Matthew P. Selby
Composer & Pianist
Contact Me for more info.