Robert Miles: "Children"

Step into a world of pure tranquility as the iconic dream-trance anthem that defined a generation is stripped back to its most delicate, melodic heart. These extended piano solos transform the high-energy pulse of 'Children' into a hauntingly beautiful soundscape, perfect for moments of deep reflection or a peaceful escape into nostalgia.

This post is part forty two of the Mild & Mellow Sheet Music Series.
Robert Miles: "Children"

About Robert Miles:

Robert Miles, born Roberto Concina in 1969, was a visionary Swiss-Italian producer and DJ who fundamentally altered the landscape of electronic music in the mid-1990s. He is most celebrated as the pioneer of “dream trance,” a genre he essentially created with his 1995 global smash “Children.” Inspired by his father’s haunting photographs of child war victims and a desire to create “calming” music for clubbers after high-energy raves, Miles blended delicate, evocative piano melodies with a steady electronic pulse. This signature sound offered a melodic sanctuary that contrasted sharply with the aggressive techno of the era, earning him a Brit Award and propelling his debut album, Dreamland, to multi-platinum status worldwide.

Despite the massive commercial success of his early “dream house” hits, Miles spent much of his later career pushing into more experimental and sophisticated musical territories. He moved away from the mainstream spotlight to explore jazz, world music, and progressive rock influences on albums like Organik and Thirteen, collaborating with legendary artists such as Trilok Gurtu and Bill Laswell. His commitment to independent artistry led him to found his own label, S:alt Records, and later OpenLab, an innovative radio station in Ibiza dedicated to alternative arts and media. Though his life was cut short by cancer in 2017, his legacy remains a cornerstone of electronic music history, remembered for proving that a simple, beautiful piano melody could capture the heart of the entire world.


About “Children”:

Widely regarded as the masterpiece that birthed the “dream trance” genre, Robert Miles’s 1995 classic “Children” is a rare example of a dance track with a deeply humanitarian soul. The song’s iconic, cascading piano melody wasn’t just designed for the charts; Miles composed it as a sonic “cool-down” to help club-goers decompress after high-intensity sets, specifically aiming to reduce road accidents caused by post-rave exhaustion. Beyond its functional origins, the track was heavily influenced by the somber imagery of child refugees from the Yugoslav Wars, lending the melody a haunting, ethereal quality that feels both timeless and heartbreakingly beautiful. Its massive global success—reaching number one in twelve countries—proved that electronic music didn’t need aggressive synths to dominate a dance floor, only a simple, evocative hook that spoke to the heart.


🎶 “Children” Mild & Mellow Version

Key features of this version:

  • Added sections for longer run-time
  • Late-Intermediate/Early-Advanced
  • 10 total pages
  • Run time is approximately 7:00

🧐 Sheet music sneak peek:


🎶 “Children” Mild & Mellow: Abridged Version

Key features of this version:

  • Intermediate Level
  • 6 total pages
  • Run time is approximately 4:00

🧐 Sheet music sneak peek:


🎶 “Children” Early Intermediate Piano Solo

Key features of this version:

  • Early Intermediate Level
  • 4 total pages
  • Run time is approximately 3:30

🧐 Sheet music sneak peek:


🎶 “Children” Easy Piano Solo

Key features of this version:

  • 3 total pages
  • Run time is approximately 2:30

🧐 Sheet music sneak peek:


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Jennifer Eklund
Written by Jennifer Eklund
Jennifer Eklund holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music from California State University, Long Beach. She is an avid arranger, composer, and author of the Piano Pronto® method books series as well as a wide variety of supplemental songbooks. She is also a Signature Artist with Musicnotes.com with a large catalog of popular music titles for musicians of all levels.

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