06Nov 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP067: Piano Teacher, Marcia Vahl, Explains the Differences Between the Three Forms of Minor Scales

PPP067: Piano Teacher, Marcia Vahl, Explains the Differences Between the Three Forms of Minor Scales

Podcast
Marcia Vahl is a piano teacher in Minnesota. She is currently serving as President of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association. In addition to sharing her own piano insights, Marcia will also tell us a little history about the three forms of minor scales. Listen to the full episode here. Tell us your personal piano story as well as how you chose piano teaching as a career.My piano story didn’t start until I was in 6th grade when my grandmother gave us her old upright piano. Some of the cousins were jealous, but later said the right person got it! We had it in our basement, where I practiced, for years. My cousins and I took lessons from the same teacher, who simply took us through the John W. Schaum series.…
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30Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP066: Major and Minor – The Powerful Effect Music has on Our Emotions

PPP066: Major and Minor – The Powerful Effect Music has on Our Emotions

Music Theory, Podcast
Music is everywhere and it has a powerful affect on our emotions This time of year, unusual sounding music is all over shopping malls, television shows, and even commercials. Those sounds can be frightening for young children. While I am not a child psychologist, I do want to share, mom to mom, some of my experiences working with children and music. Parents are the filter for their children First of all, you must decide what types of music you allow your child to hear. Protect them from sounds and lyrics that will be too frightening for them. Even when you share music that you feel is safe for your child to hear, they may still shudder at eerie and unusual sounds. They will take their cues from you. If you…
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23Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP065: A Chat with Note Rush App Developer, Thomas Grayston

PPP065: A Chat with Note Rush App Developer, Thomas Grayston

Music Theory, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, Technology
[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…)
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16Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP064: Jacki Alexander shares how important grandparents are in piano lessons

PPP064: Jacki Alexander shares how important grandparents are in piano lessons

Podcast, Teacher Interviews
[caption id="attachment_947" align="alignleft" width="800"] Shelly took this photo of a roadside river in Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2017.Jacki Alexander is a piano teacher and composer from Indianapolis, Indiana. She has been teaching over thirteen years. Listen to the full episode here Tell us your personal piano story as well as how you chose piano teaching as a career.I began piano lessons at the age of four. My grandmother was my teacher. As well as teaching me, she taught a full studio of 40 students. At first, it was just “Grandma and me” in the living room. As my skills grew and I got older, I was a regular student in her dedicated basement studio for both private lessons as well as group and ensemble lessons. There were…
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09Oct 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP063: PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge

PPP063: PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge

Podcast, Practice Challenge, Practicing and Motivation
#3020 September Practice Challenge Recap Before I jump into our next piano practice challenge, I wanted to share the ups and downs of the September Practice Challenge. Ups: There was a lot of positive feedback from parents and teachers alike. I received wonderful videos and photos of students working toward their practice goals. 27% of my own students met the challenge with success! I even met the challenge myself!! (I wouldn't have if I hadn't taken time to plan my practices and put them on my schedule.) Downs: Several of my students not only missed the goal of 20 days practice, they hardly practiced 10 days for the whole month. No wonder they're not progressing like they could. Some students were traveling and had other family outings that made getting all their…
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11Sep 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP059: The One With My Piano Tuner

Communication, Podcast
Dan Kessinger has been tuning my piano since 2000. Dan, who is completely blind, learned the Piano Technician trade during his high school years at a school for the blind in Little Rock, Arkansas. Listen to the full episode here Dan places red relt between the strings to prepare to tune. In addition to the felt, Dan also uses two sizes of wedges to be able to reach between the multiple strings. Dan uses a tuner lever (tuning hammer) to tune each of the approximately 230 strings. For maintenance of your acoustic piano, Dan recommends the following: Find a good, qualified tuner. Check the Piano Technician's Guild website for a tuner near you. Hire a tuner to check over a piano you are interested in purchasing. Clean the surface of the…
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04Sep 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP058: Use Your Talent for the Good of Others (aka Hurricane Harvey Relief – How you can help)

PPP058: Use Your Talent for the Good of Others (aka Hurricane Harvey Relief – How you can help)

Podcast, Practice Challenge
Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on the coast of Texas Thursday, August 24 In less than four days, the storm dropped 40 inches of rain in south Texas, whose average amount of annual rainfall is 49.72 inches. The resulting flooding has caused massive damage to the homes and businesses in that area. I am a proud Texan, born and raised. Texas is a BIG place and my home is many miles away from the storm and flooding. My family is safe. (more…)
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31Jul 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP053: How to Choose Supplemental Music for Your Piano Kid

Podcast, Practicing and Motivation
If you do a search on Google for "Why to read piano sheet music" you will find lots of blog posts and websites telling you how to read music but not why reading lots of music is so important. On today's show, I will share my opinion of why reading music is so important for your child's musical development, what to look for when choosing supplemental music, and where to shop online for piano music. Listen to the full episode here Why reading sheet music is so important Build fluency - The more music your child encounters, the more opportunities they have to practice the musical skills they are learning. Become more independent - Students need to learn how to decipher and interpret music independently from their teacher. They need to learn to listen…
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24Jul 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP052: Advice for Piano Parents from Piano Parents

Parent Interviews, Podcast
  Over the last year of producing this podcast, one of my favorite things has become the parent interviews. I have really enjoyed chatting with parents from my studio and other studios to learn how they motivate their children and help them face the challenges that come with piano lessons. One of the last things I ask them is to share their experience and offer words of advice for parents of new piano students. This week I've put together a compilation of all the answers from parent interviews so far. (more…)
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17Jul 2017 by Shelly Davis

PPP051: Words of Wisdom from This Year’s Piano Teachers

Podcast, Teacher Interviews
Last summer when I first began producing the Piano Parent Podcast, I sent an invitation to the piano teachers in one of the Facebook groups I belong to asking teachers to do an interview with me. The men and women in this group are some of the best piano teachers in the world and their overwhelmingly positive response gave me the boost of confidence I needed to keep pursuing this online dream. (more…)
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10Jul 2017 by Shelly Davis
PPP050: What NOT to do as a Piano Parent

PPP050: What NOT to do as a Piano Parent

Podcast, Tenth Episode List
Sometimes parents just don't realize the piano mistakes they make. By listening to the Piano Parent Podcast, you can save yourself some embarrassment and save your teacher much anguish by avoiding these common problems. Listen to the full episode What NOT to do as a Piano Parent:1. Show up early - Try to arrive as close to your lesson time as possible, no more than five minutes early. Early arrival can catch your teacher unprepared or cause a distraction for the student before you.2. Show up late - Don't expect your piano teacher to babysit your piano kid. Manage your time wisely if you run errands during your child's lesson.3. Make yourself at home - Don't rummage through shelves or cabinets or wander around other parts of your teacher's home.4.…
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13Mar 2017 by Shelly Davis
Episode 033: Magic Wand Part 3

Episode 033: Magic Wand Part 3

Music Theory, Podcast
Part Three of the three-part series AKA "Linear Circle of 5ths" (Magic Wand is a much cooler name, don't you think?) My students take the annual theory exam offered by Texas Music Teachers Association. The information I describe in this podcast coincides with the concepts students need to know for the Level 7 through Level 12 theory exam. Listen to the full episode here: (more…)
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06Mar 2017 by Shelly Davis

Episode 032: Parent Interview with Shelly’s Mom and Dad, Patricia and Jerry Truett

Parent Interviews, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation
What a joy it was to talk to my own parents, Jerry and Patricia Truett, about my piano lessons growing up!   Listen to the full episode here Episode Highlights On this week's episode, I get to interview my two most favorite piano parents in the whole world: my parents, Jerry and Patricia Truett.  They were first introduced to the idea of piano lessons through a cardboard keyboard that was sent home from the Dallas Public School District. This was my very first piano lesson book. It was published by the Dallas Independent School District. Amazing! [caption id="attachment_506" align="alignnone" width="474"]  Music lets ME be someone. What a lovely quote, then and now. How did you find a new piano teacher after you moved from the Dallas area? Mostly word of…
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06Feb 2017 by Shelly Davis

Episode 028: Learn How to Prepare Your Child for Piano Exams with Parent/Teacher Dr. Mario Ajero

Parent Interviews, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, Teacher Interviews
Dr. Mario Ajero is internationally recognized as an authority in technology in piano pedagogy and music education. He has been invited as a presenter and performer at conferences such as the MTNA National Conference, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference, and the Royal Conservatory Summer Summit. Dr. Ajero is Professor of Piano at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where he serves as the Keyboard Area Coordinator, teaches applied piano, piano pedagogy, and group piano classes. (more…)
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16Jan 2017 by Shelly Davis

Episode 025: Parent Interview with Melissa Cornelison

Parent Interviews, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation
Melissa Cornelison is the mom of two boys who have been studying piano since they were very young children. Her family recently moved and had to transfer to a new piano teacher.  Learn about how they made a smooth transition for their boys in this episode. Listen to the full episode here How do you schedule practice at home? Treat home practice like homework, chores, or any other responsibility. Kyle, Melissa's older son, practices three hours each day.  He hopes to make music part of his profession some day.  While Kaden isn't as passionate about music as Kyle, he still practices piano 30-45 minutes daily. What struggles have your guys overcome through piano study? Kaden struggled with self confidence, especially with the shadow cast by his older brother's musical talent and…
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05Dec 2016 by Shelly Davis

PPP019: Parent Interview with Sanette Brems

Parent Interviews, Podcast, Practicing and Motivation
  Sanette Brems is the mom of six daughters, five of whom I get to work with every week. The Brems family realized the importance of piano study as a basic, foundation instrument. Kids need a hobby, something to do that gets them excited, and piano is something they could do year-round. They invested in a quality piano their girls could practice on rather than trying to arrange practice at a friend's house. (more…)
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28Nov 2016 by Shelly Davis
Top 10 Most Popular Episodes

Top 10 Most Popular Episodes

Podcast
Wow!  What an amazing response you all have given me with this new venture!  As a 'thank you' for listening to any of my podcast episodes, I'd like to send you a compilation list of the TEN most popular episodes to date. Simply complete the form below and I'll send the list straight to your inbox, completely free! I really appreciate your support and encouragement!
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24Oct 2016 by Shelly Davis
PPP013: Magic Wand Part 1 (a much better name than “Linear Circle of 5ths”)

PPP013: Magic Wand Part 1 (a much better name than “Linear Circle of 5ths”)

Music Theory, Podcast
AKA "Linear Circle of 5ths" (Magic Wand is a much cooler name, don't you think?) My students take the annual theory exam offered by Texas Music Teachers Association. The information I describe in this podcast coincides with the concepts students need to know for the Level 3 and Level 4 theory exam. One of the primary concepts students need to know for this test, and musicians need to be familiar with in general, is key signatures.  Listen to the full episode here: It all starts with a goofy sentence about a Fat Cat: Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bacon Third Graders taking the TMTA theory test only need to know the first three letters: F, C, G. Students can remember: "F uses the Flat" meaning the F major scale uses a black…
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05Sep 2016 by Shelly Davis

Episode 006: Progress is Not Always a Straight Line

Podcast, Practicing and Motivation
[caption id="attachment_96" align="alignnone" width="652"] Listen to the full episode here Episode Highlights: Sometimes it seems like no progress is being made in lessons. Keep an audio record of your child's piano playing to compare musical maturity Let them listen: to critique their own performance and to realize how they have improved over the course of time Intermingle easier pieces Students face a new challenging piece as soon as they complete the current one.  This can be frustrating. Allow students to play an easier piece before jumping to the next challenge if they are feeling pressured or frustrated. In my studio, students are assigned a "for sure" piece and a "bonus" piece. This gives them a second piece of equal difficulty to the assigned piece they may choose to study or not.…
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22Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

PPP004: Understanding the Grand Staff

Music Theory, Podcast
Links mentioned in this episode: Purchase Roth's Book: Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D'Arezzo Grand Staff Information Sheet from Susan Paradis Listen to the full episode here Episode Highlights: Historically, until Guido d'Arezzo devised a form of written notation, music was passed orally from generation to generation. If a song was forgotten, it was lost forever. Today, part of a student's piano lesson is teaching them to read music notation. Music is a type of language and piano students truly learn to READ music.  Every music symbol has meaning that must decoded to create beautiful music. Piano students in particular learn to read multiple notes on multiple staves. This makes piano an excellent beginning instrument because piano students are able to transition to band, orchestra, and choir…
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15Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

Episode 002: Parent – Teacher Relationship

Communication, Podcast
Listen to the full episode here Episode Highlights: Communication Read your teacher's studio policy.  Make sure you adhere to the terms of the policy. Find out the best way your teacher receives communication.  Text? Email? Telephone? Respect your teacher's office hours. Your child's teacher has the gift of 30-60 minutes of dedicated time with them.  Be sure you have hired a teacher who will speak positive encouragement to you son or daughter during that personal time. Listen to your teacher when they recommend additional vision, hearing, or learning tests for the benefit of your child.  They are able to observe their students more closely then even classroom teachers and might pick up on potential problems that can be addressed early. NEVER discuss problems in front of your child!  Don't let…
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15Aug 2016 by Shelly Davis

Episode 003: Piano Geography (aka Do not, under any circumstances, buy those cheesy music alphabet stickers!)

Music Theory, Podcast
Listen to the full episode here DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUY THOSE CHEESY MUSIC ALPHABET STICKERS!! You, as a Piano Parent Podcast listener, are too smart to fall for that retail trap! Helping your child learn the names of the piano keys is too easy and too essential for their piano proficiency to depend on stickers or any other external aid. (more…)
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