One of the trickiest things about learning to play the piano is mastering how to use your hands and fingers. We use our fingers independently and in all kinds of combinations. Coordinating that movement while simultaneously reading unfamiliar symbols and keeping a steady pulse is a lot! In today's teacher chat, Dawn Ivers and Shelly Davis discuss some of the obstacles piano students encounter when it comes to finger numbers and hand positions. We will share tips for piano parents to be on the lookout for potential problems and coping skills while offering suggestions for overcoming the tricky bits of piano playing. Click here to find other teacher chats. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show Click here to enjoy Dawn Ivers' previous appearances on the…
Up until now, I've been pretty quiet about the COVID-19 pandemic. I was being inundated with information and was feeling a bit overwhelmed and wondered if you might be feeling the same way. Now that we've had some time to adjust and get over the initial upheaval, I think it's a good time to come together to help each other through this tough situation. We have two piano parents on the podcast today to share how they are helping their children deal with uncertainty while helping them build a framework in order to continue their education and recreation while being quarantined at home. Listen to additional teacher chats here. Listen to the full episode here Learn more about our guests Sanette Brems - Mother of six beautiful and talented daughters. Sanette…
In our second teacher chat, Mallory Byers and Dawn Ivers and I discuss preschool music with all its advantages and fun challenges. Listen to additional teacher chats here. Mallory ByersMallory is a teacher in California who travels to her students' homes. About a third of her students are age six and under. She started lessons with her own father at the age of four. Dawn Ivers Dawn's first student was a three-year-old preschooler. She recently moved her home and studio to Kansas. In establishing her studio in her new hometown, she has branded herself as someone who teaches preschool lessons. How can parents know when their preschooler is ready for formal piano lessons? Mallory - If they're interested and able to take directions. They don't have to be counting or…
PPP107: The First 24 Hours - Teacher chat with Dawn Ivers and Becki Laurent Today's episode brings you not one, but two teachers! Today, Becki Laurent, Dawn Ivers and I chat about the topic of practice and the value students receive when they practice within 24 hours of their piano lesson.Becki and Dawn are not strangers to the podcast. You can hear their previous episodes here:Becki LaurentEpisode 037: Teacher Interview with Becki LaurentEpisode 046: Our Favorite Music Education Apps with Becki LaurentDawn IversEpisode 061: The Importance of a Good Practice Environment with Piano Teacher, Dawn IversEpisode 080: Ten Books to Read with Your Piano Kid Listen to the full episode here Today's topic idea came from Becki's session at TMTA Becki presented a session at the Texas Music Teachers Association…
Dawn Ivers is a teacher based in Pasadena, California. Dawn has been traveling to teach in her student's homes for the past 11 years. In my conversation with Dawn, I was struck by what an encourager she is, not only with her students but also with the piano parents in her studio. (more…)
My studio was recently gifted with a Baldwin Hamilton baby grand piano and I am thrilled! Going through this new experience taught me a few things that I think you might enjoy learning as well. Listen to the full episode here Hire a piano technicianLike you would ask a trusted auto mechanic to evaluate a used car before you buy it, it is a good idea to hire a trusted piano technician to inspect the piano before you make such a large purchase.They can 'check under the hood' and let you know about possible issues the piano might have. This information will help you make an informed choice.Make sure you have plenty of spaceMy baby grand piano is 5'4" long and about 5' wide. Five foot by five foot square…
This summer, I’m doing a special series called, “What would you do?” We’re taking a little break from the longer format episodes to focus on individual scenarios you might face as you and your piano kid navigate this musical journey. Just as your child puts their backpack by the door the night before school and you have your car keys in a bowl on a table in the entry hallway, this summer series will give you ideas about how to handle potential obstacles in your piano studies. Listen to the full episode here Listen to the whole WWYD series PPP 296: WWYD - Stopping Lessons PPP 297: WWYD - Practice Time PPP 298: WWYD - Letter Names PPP 299: WWYD - Practice Space PPP 301: WWYD - No Practice PPP…
Whether you are great at setting goals or stay up well past midnight on January 1 making New Year's Resolutions, it's a good idea to make plans and have things to aim for. Last January I made a list of 21 things I'd like to accomplish in the year 2021. Listen to hear which ones I finished, which ones I will move to my 22 for 2022 list, and which ones I decided weren't that important afterall. Listen to the full episode here A few years ago I was listening to Gretchen Rubin's "Happier" podcast. It was the close of 2018 and she and her sister, Elizabeth were reviewing their list of 18 things for 2018. I enjoyed hearing their lists - even the things they didn't quite accomplish. This…
Every tenth episode of the podcast, I offer you a list of ten somethings. On today's show, I present to you a list of Ten Wintery Pieces. Maybe your piano kid doesn't enjoy playing holiday music. Maybe your piano kid has been playing Christmas since October and your whole house is ready to hear something different. This list of ten pieces and songs has something for everyone at every skill level. Listen to the full episode here 1. "I Hate to Wear a Coat" by Wendy Stevens late elementary 2. "Winter Winds" - Chriss Ricker early intermediate Chrissy joined me on the show in episode PPP264. 3. "Icy Winds" by Christopher Oill - elementary Chris was my podcast guest in episode PPP265. 4. Snowfall - Dawn Ivers a collection of…
In today's special Thanksgiving episode, piano teachers share stories of gratitude for the families in their studio. Listen to the full episode here A few weeks ago, in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, I invited several piano teacher friends to share a message of gratitude for their studio families. Here are their inspiring messages... Marti from Texas I’m Marti from Texas. I’m ever thankful for The Khurana Family who has hosted our Studio December Recital from 2007 until 2019 (until COVID). Their grand piano – and home/decorations – are GRAND! Many of my piano parents go the extra mile to encourage their kids in ALL musical endeavors – including the very time-consuming commitment to marching band in High School. I ALWAYS thank my parents for providing lessons and trusting me…
Welcome Vibrant Music Teachers and Nicola Cantan Fans! Hello friend,Thank you for visiting my website! It was a treat to visit with Nicola on her YouTube channel. Doing a live YouTube interview was a new experience for me and I was just a bit nervous! Nicola is a pro, however, and she put me right at ease. (And covered for me so well when I dropped off the call!! WOW!)She and I have a similar mission: we want to help students receive the most support in their musical studies by equipping teachers and parents. Thank you for joining us on this awe-inspiring journey.I'm glad you're here,ShellyP.S. I enjoyed interviewing Nicola for my show back in episode 071 (Nicola, that's been far too long! We need to bring you back on the show!)…
I learned a new word this summer. Here is a great definition from the University of Arizona, Academic Affairs "Interleaving is a process where students mix, or interleave, multiple subjects or topics while they study in order to improve their learning. Blocked practice, on the other hand, involves studying one topic very thoroughly before moving to another topic." Listen to the full episode here Interleaved in other academic studies Before we talk about how this works for piano lessons, here are a couple of examples related to school. One article http://pianopracticeassistant.com/interleaved-practice/ I read used learning the state capitals as an example. You could recite 10 times in a row, "Montgomery is the capital of Alabama. Montgomery is the capital of Alabama" and then "Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Juneau is the capital…
Welcomecaprockmusicteachers! Thank you, Becki Laurent and Beth Horton and Caprock MTA for inviting me to join you for your April meeting. You all are so innovative with your teacher workshops and I am honored to be included in the lineup of excellent presenters.Thanks to you, dear PiPaPod visitor, for checking out the CMTA page on my website. I hope the resources below will be a help to you and your piano families. If you have any questions please reach out to me at shelly@pianoparentpodcast.com. I look forward to hearing from you!~ Shelly I have three gifts for you. As you scroll down this page, please notice three categories of information. You are welcome to share any and all of it with your colleagues and your own piano parents.Podcast Top Hits - I've listed…
Welcome! Let's get started.... There is a ton of information on this site for piano parents, students, and teachers. Here are a few highlights to help you get started.Feel free to ask me a question anytime; that's why I'm here. It's my job. :)I'm glad you're here!~Shelly Listen to these episodes first: PPP107: The First 24 Hours - Teacher Chat with Dawn Ivers and Becki LaurentPPP110: Ten Ways to Genuinely Compliment Your Piano KidPPP126: Build Practice Habits If you need help motivating your child to practice, try these: CLICK HERE to check out the latest practice challenge. Sometimes a little friendly competition is all the motivation a child needs to get things done. Choose from the following categories for more great sessions! Tenth Episode ListsThese episodes are definitely a fan…
There are lots of discussions about the Nature vs Nurture comparison. The question comes up often when we consider an adult's choices or actions. Were they just born this way? Were they influenced by their parents, teachers, or classmates? I think that is an interesting topic but it is a much broader scope than what we will cover on today's show. Listen to the full episode here Today, I want to focus specifically on your piano kid's musical journey. Is it happening organically - just go with the flow or are you nurturing it and being intentional to help it grow and develop with your child? Definitions Nurture - the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something. This is an expected adjective for…
Our gift to you - highlights from some of the most downloaded episodes of 2019. We've taken some of the most interesting points from the top episodes and put them all in one place with links to the episodes if you want to dig deeper. Listen to the full episode here PPP133: What's Really Going on When Your Piano Kid Says, "This is too hard!" Doing new things can be challenging for all of us. Piano students are asked to do new things constantly. Once they master one concept, another is given to them without pause. Faced with something new, in this case a new musical concept to master or a new song to play, students have to exert a lot of conscious effort. They have to intentionally think about what…
In our wonderful age of technology, entertainment and information are at the tips of our fingers 24/7. Technology can be a powerful education tool but too much technology can have harmful effects on our children's developing brains. That is the topic of today's chat with Judy Wilkins and Dawn Ivers. Listen to additional teacher chats here. Listen to the full episode here Judy Wilkins Judy Wilkins, NCTM, featured in Episode 144, is a dear friend of mine and a passionate proponent of all things that would build up a child's well-being, including the limitation of screen time. Dawn Ivers Dawn Ivers, featured in Episode 061 and previous teacher chats, utilizes technology in her studio with a specific goal in mind. Growing up in the technology age, Dawn uses technology as…
On this week's show, Dawn Ivers and I discuss Dr. Daniel J. Levitin's book, This is Your Brain on Music. Music activates the oldest and newest parts of our brain together The old brain and new brain work together when playing an instrument. (pg 57)Listening to music activates brain regions in a particular order. (pg 191)You may have heard that music is good for the brain, and it’s true. The research shows that both playing & listening to music create more & stronger neural pathways between different brain regions. Melodic Memory is a combination of both abstract and specific. We store both abstract and specific memory of melodies. We pay attention to absolute pitch/tempo, as well as relative pitch/tempo. (pg 165)When we hear a familiar piece that has undergone a…
This week’s show is my answer to a recent question from a piano parent. Beth writes, “What is the best way to help a kindergarten student practice?” Thank you for the great question, Beth!Kindergarten is a wonderful time for students be begin learning to play piano. They are excellent learners, eager to soak up any information we give them. This is a great blessing and a great responsibility for parents.Young children have not yet learned responsibility and discipline or time management and self control. Unless you are actively involved in their home practice, they will not make progress and both of you will become frustrated.Today I’d like to share some things to consider when practicing with your young piano kids. Notice, I said WITH your piano kid. Just like personal hygiene, household…
MARCH 2021 Practice Incentive A brand new P3 practice incentive is here for Mach 2021!Listen to episode 229 on February 22 to hear all the details. Stay tuned!For our March Practice Incentive, I've created a few BINGO cards with practice prompts on them. One square says, "Perform with your eyes closed", another says, "Perform for someone online". Keeping with the times, there are squares to remind piano kids to clean their piano keys and sanitize their hands. Or course there is a square to take a piano selfie on our special day, March 29th (the 88th day of the year)!Grab your FREE March Pianogram BINGO cards below. Right click each image to copy it to your computer. March BINGO FlyerUse this in your studio or share in your stories to…
Listen to the full episode here Definitions Manipulation - handle or control (a tool, mechanism, etc.), typically in a skillful manner. control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously.Causing the child to believe that he or she will only be loved by complying with the parent’s wishesCausing the child to feel excessive guilt for failing to live up to the parent’s expectations/demandsWhat does this look like with piano lessons or practice? Shouting at your child to practice or punishing them for not practicingCoaxing them to practice with false praise or excessive “If you loved me you would play that song for me.” “If you practice you can buy…. Or eat…”Comparing your child to others in a way that makes them feel less about…
March Photo Challenge - but first, an introduction Being a podcaster, I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that I enjoy listening to lots of podcasts. Lately, I've been bingeing on James Clear. Although James is not a podcaster, (he's a blogger and you can find him at JamesClear.com AFTER you finish listening to my podcast!) he is invited to guest on many podcasts, especially those about productivity, habits, fitness, and entrepreneuring. One podcast I listened to the other day focused on one of James' blog articles, "The Difference Between Professionals and Amateurs." You can read the whole article here. He starts the article with this paragraph: I've started to notice (partially because of my own failures), that there is one skill that is so valuable that it…
Ten Books to Read with Your Piano Kid Welcome to the Piano Parent Podcast show notes for Episode 080. Every tenth episode features a list of ten things to help you in your musical journey. Today's episode is one of my favorites: Ten Books to Read with Your Piano Kid! (more…)
[caption id="attachment_951" align="alignleft" width="660"] Graphic created by Dawn Ivers[/caption] Thomas Grayston is a software developer from Tasmania, Australia. He has produced an excellent app to help piano students learn to associate notes on the staff with specific keys on the piano. Tell us a bit about your background. Are you a musician or a teacher? Thomas plays piano and was a music director for church. His wife, Kylie, teaches piano and Thomas helps in her studio from time to time. (more…)
