01 Dec 2025
By Shelly Davis
PPP371: PIANOVEMBER Recap and Musical Mystery Replay “Down in History”

PPP371: PIANOVEMBER Recap and Musical Mystery Replay “Down in History”

Musical Mystery, Podcast
Welcome to Episode 371 of the Piano Parent Podcast!In today’s show, Shelly takes a joyful break from decorating her music studio for Christmas to share exciting updates and reflections from this year’s PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge. With students across the U.S. participating, we not only met our goal—we exceeded 51,000 practice tallies!!To round out the episode and get us into the holiday spirit, enjoy a special replay of “Down in History”, a Musical Mystery that originally aired in 2021. Listen to the full episode here Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/IdUR4twSyTY?si=sMYdfWMO8lVdNPlL PIANOVEMBER Highlights  PIANOVEMBER 2025 Wrap-Up:Final tally: 51,945 practices submittedHow one student beat their…
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14 Aug 2023
By Shelly Davis
PPP 346: ICYMI Replay Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 1 “Wishful Thinking”

PPP 346: ICYMI Replay Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 1 “Wishful Thinking”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, ,
200 episodes ago, I published my first musical mystery. I'm sharing it again today to prepare for the upcoming 200th anniversary of one of this composer's greatest hits! Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show Visit the original show notes for PPP 146 here. Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image isn't branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano Parent Podcast. Thank you! Thanks for listening!…
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27 Mar 2023
By Shelly Davis
PPP 326: Musical Mystery Opus 4, No. 2 “Turn out the lights, the party’s over!”

PPP 326: Musical Mystery Opus 4, No. 2 “Turn out the lights, the party’s over!”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s radio show “The Rest of the Story”, this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar.I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Where words fail, music speaks”- a quote by Hans Christian Andersen. Today’s musical mystery will tell you the story of an occasion where words could have gotten you fired so music was the only…
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11 Apr 2022
By Shelly Davis
PPP 286: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 4 “One Hit Wonder”

PPP 286: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 4 “One Hit Wonder”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , ,
 In the style of Mike Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s radio show “The Rest of the Story”, this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar; in this case, you will hear the story of a very famous "One Hit Wonder". Resources used to write this musical mystery Carnegie Hall            William Burnet Tuthill            Archives –William Burnet Tuthill Collection - surveys and…
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31 Jan 2022
By Shelly Davis
PPP276: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 3 “Arriving and Reviving”

PPP276: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 3 “Arriving and Reviving”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of how one young musician convinced his older and wiser teacher to try something new by singing something old. Listen to the full episode here Every January 1 my husband's family gathers, not only to bring in the new year but to celebrate my father-in-law on his birthday. It's always a nice post-Christmas, pre-back-to-normal celebration. This year, among the many various topics of conversation, my daughter and nieces were talking about the recent…
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08 Nov 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP266: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 2 “Down in History”

PPP266: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 2 “Down in History”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s radio show “The Rest of the Story”, this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar.In this case, I will tell you the story of a young author who never wrote the great American novel but still managed to go "Down in History". Here is his story: Listen to the full episode here First, a word…
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30 Aug 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP256: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 1 “The Original Piano Guy”

PPP256: Musical Mystery Opus 3, No. 1 “The Original Piano Guy”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar; in this case, I will tell you the story of the person I am calling "The Original Piano Guy". Listen to the full episode here Happy September!!! Did you know that September is National Piano Month? I tried to find out…
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21 Jun 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP246: Musical Mystery – Opus 2, No. 5 “Her Declaration of Independence”

PPP246: Musical Mystery – Opus 2, No. 5 “Her Declaration of Independence”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar; in this case, I will tell you the story of a young woman who had no choice but to declare her own independence. Listen to the full episode here Here, in America, we are approaching our annual birthday celebration. July 4th…
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12 Apr 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP236: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 4 “Live from the Poodle Dog Cafe”

PPP236: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 4 “Live from the Poodle Dog Cafe”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar.You may have heard the expression, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” It is attributed to the Roman philosopher, Seneca and my take on this quote is basically you make your own luck when you put in the work, the…
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01 Feb 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP226: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 3 “An Unsung Hero” (If you’ll pardon the pun)

PPP226: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 3 “An Unsung Hero” (If you’ll pardon the pun)

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , , , , , , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s radio show “The Rest of the Story”, this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar; in this case, I will tell you the story of a very well-known, yet unsung hero (if you'll pardon the pun). Listen to the full episode here An Unsung Hero Who doesn't love a hero? The kind of character…
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09 Nov 2020
By Shelly Davis
PPP216: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 2, “One Night at the Opera”

PPP216: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 2, “One Night at the Opera”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , , , , , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musical group who had an unexpected interruption during their performance at the Opera House in the oldest town in Texas. Listen to the full episode here This story is about a mother's desire to give her young sons something productive to do to keep them from getting mixed up with the wrong crowd on the streets of New York. While her plan worked, it didn't turn out exactly the way she might…
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08 Jun 2020
By Shelly Davis
PPP196: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 1 “Yeah, but will they fall for it?”

PPP196: Musical Mystery Opus 2, No. 1 “Yeah, but will they fall for it?”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you a Musical Mystery; the lesser known story of someone or something you’ve likely heard about all your life. Listen to the full episode here Today's Musical Mystery started with a song. I only wanted to learn more about the history of a familiar tune but like most good mysteries, my research took me on a journey around the world and introduced me to some very interesting characters along the way. The result is less about the…
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30 Mar 2020
By Shelly Davis
PPP186: Musical Mystery, Opus 1, No. 5, “He Taught Her a Lesson”

PPP186: Musical Mystery, Opus 1, No. 5, “He Taught Her a Lesson”

Musical Mystery, Podcast, , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a simple little song that keeps finding its way to the top of international charts and in the hearts of multiple generations. Listen to the full episode here Have you ever found yourself in an embarrassing situation? Have you ever been caught in a lie? If so, then you can sympathize with one of the characters in today’s story. On the flip side, what would y ou do if you learned someone had…
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20 Jan 2020
By Shelly Davis
PPP176: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 4, Chris’ Sister

PPP176: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 4, Chris’ Sister

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you a Musical Mystery; the lesser known story of someone or something you’ve likely heard about all your life. Listen to the full episode here I have long said that younger siblings have a huge advantage when they hear their older siblings practice piano. They hear songs before they try to read them or play them. They learn that you have to make a few mistakes before you can master a piece. Because of this, music…
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28 Oct 2019
By Shelly Davis
PPP166: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 3 “A Simple Little Song”

PPP166: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 3 “A Simple Little Song”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , , , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a simple little song that keeps finding its way to the top of international charts and in the hearts of multiple generations. Listen to the full episode here This story is about a simple love song, but not the typical kind of love that you might be imaging. It doesn’t tell the story of romantic love that was doomed to fail, nor does it carry any of the harsh feelings that often accompany…
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19 Aug 2019
By Shelly Davis
PPP156: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 2 “What Frank Saw”

PPP156: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 2 “What Frank Saw”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , , ,
In the style of Mike Rowe's "The Way I Heard It" and Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of one of America's most well-known songs. Listen to the full episode here Resources for this Musical Mystery Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue by Ace Collins Sampler of American Songs by Maymie Krythe Details of the battle at Fort McHenry Lt. Col. Armistead's account of the battle See the Fort McHenry flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiVryYnzmdI Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below Ask…
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10 Jun 2019
By Shelly Davis
PPP146: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 1 “Wishful Thinking”

PPP146: Musical Mystery Opus 1, No. 1 “Wishful Thinking”

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , ,
If you are a regular listener to podcasts, chances are you have heard the popular “The Way I Heard It” written and produced by Mike Rowe. You may remember Mike Rowe as the host of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” program. In his podcast, “The Way I Heard It”, Mike weaves a story, dropping hints about a seemingly obscure event only to reveal, at last, that he is telling the backstory of a well known person or event. His show is similar to Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” if you listened to radio in the 1970’s.Please listen to…
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01 Apr 2019
By Shelly Davis
PPP136: No Foolin’! This performer had fans screaming and swooning in the aisle and it’s probably not who you think.

PPP136: No Foolin’! This performer had fans screaming and swooning in the aisle and it’s probably not who you think.

Music HIstory, Musical Mystery, Podcast, , , ,
Happy April Fool’s Day! You’re no fool though because you are listening to this wonderful podcast! :) I did try to fool you with the title of this episode. Do you have a guess? What if I told you his fans pulled and clawed at each other trying to be the first to grab something he had touched: a glass or a handkerchief or even a cigar? Are you thinking of Elvis Presley maybe? or Queen with the recent revival of their music (I had a third grader ask me if I’d heard of Bohemian Rhapsody yesterday!) Think of Beatlemania…
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10 Dec 2018
By Shelly Davis
PPP122: Handel’s “Messiah” the IMDB(ish) Story

PPP122: Handel’s “Messiah” the IMDB(ish) Story

Musical Mystery, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, , ,
George Frideric Handel was born in Germany in 1685 to Georg and Dorothea Handel. His father was a surgeon-barber who didn’t want Handel to study music. He wanted him to study law. Handel’s mother helped him smuggle a clavichord into the attic so he could practice in secret. Finally, his father was persuaded by a duke to enroll Handle in formal music training. He did begin the University of Halle, Germany studying law, out of respect for his father, but eventually devoted himself entirely to music. Handel moved to London in 1712, was paid a salary by Queen Anne and…
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