A nyone who has performed a song in front of an audience knows just how important a musical introduction to it can be. An intro sets the mood of a piece, establishes a key, and prepares the listener for what's to come. Most commonly, an intro will present an important piece of melodic material-the last part of the chorus of a song, for example-to establish a theme. While this can be a very effective technique, an intro can be any number of things. It can serve as a cue for other musicians or performers (see Hyman, p. 50); it can establish a characteristic "groove" (Scivales, p. 132); or it can suggest extra-musical clues, such as clock tower bells (Morris, p. 29). An intro can even be deceptive, beginning in one tonality and leading into another (Morris, p. 69). Indeed, there are as many ways to introduce a song as there are piano players in the world. (And at last count there was no shortage!) _ But the truth is, sometimes the greatest hurdle to creating a successful performance is starting out in the right way.