Selecting repertoire that adult piano students find motivating and musically satisfying is more complex than simply finding pieces that are aurally pleasing. Drawing on theories of motivation, adult learning and transformative pedagogy, this practitioner-based study describes how the author learned to involve her students in the selection process, to align repertoire with their tastes and goals, and to understand the impact of students’ values, expectations and perceptions of learning on their engagement with repertoire learned. It is hoped that the experiences and theories shared herein inspire teachers to reflect on their own pedagogical choices regarding repertoire selection.