Pianovember Archives - Piano Parent Podcast

20 Oct 2025

PPP 368: Three Questions I Ask (almost) Every Student At (almost) Every Lesson

Communication, PodcastPianovember, Practice Planner, sticky notes, three questions

On this episode, I share three open‑ended questions I ask my piano students during lessons—questions designed to give them a voice, encourage reflection, and increase their engagement with the music. Listen to the full episode here Highlights from today's show Question 1: “What do you think?”The #1 question I ask after a student plays a pieceTeaching students to be active listeners and self-evaluatorsGuiding them to notice dynamics, articulation, finger choices, and moreWhy “I don’t know” is just the starting point of a deeper conversationQuestion 2: "What can we do to help you practice this at home?There is a big difference…

02 Nov 2020

By Shelly Davis

PPP215: External Motivation to Practice – PIANOVEMBER

Podcast, Practice Challengemotivation, Pianovember, practice challenge

At the beginning of this semester, in August and September, our excitement and enthusiasm for the new school year were high. As October came and went, our school workload got heavier and our schedules got busier; and piano practice became less consistent. Now that November is here, we are full-on in a mid-semester slump. This is true not only for piano kids but also for piano parents. This is the perfect time for a world-wide piano practice challenge. Enter PIANOVEMBER!! Listen to the full episode here You might also enjoy these previous episodes PPP105: The Blessing of Routine PPP126: Building…

11 Nov 2019

By Shelly Davis

PPP168: You Cannot Learn to Play Piano in 30 Minutes Per Week

Podcast, Practicing and MotivationGordon Ramsey, Learn, Path of Least Resistance, Pianovember, practice, Sir Isaac Newton

I was reminded recently that parents need to be reminded to encourage their children to practice at home. I have the privilege of teaching music part-time at a charter school near me and my third graders are starting to play recorder. The kids and I meet only one day each week and that is only for 30 minutes. I told the students, "You cannot learn to play recorder in only 30 minutes per week. If you don't practice at home, you will be confused in class and will quickly fall behind." The same thing is true for piano students. They cannot…

29 Oct 2018

By Shelly Davis

PPP116: How to Change Major to Minor

Music Theory, Podcast, Practice ChallengeChase Holfelder, Major, minor, Mundt Music, Piano Adventures, Pianovember

Happy Halloween! No matter what you choose to do with this holiday, there is no denying that a lot of music we hear this time of year tends to have a more creepy, spooky spin on it and it seems like that’s what I enjoy talking about on the podcast. Last year I talked about how young children tend to respond to music in a minor key. Episode 066 was about the powerful effect music can have on our emotions.I also interviewed Marcia Vahl (like wall), president of the Minnesota Music Teachers Association, in episode 067. On the episode, Marcia…

22 Oct 2018

By Shelly Davis

PPP115: PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge 2018

Podcast, Practice Challenge, Practicing and MotivationPianovember, practice challenge, tallies

Many of you participated in our last Practice Challenge, Fall Into Music back in September. In fact, some of you are using the challenge for the remainder of the fall season. It’s been a lot of fun seeing your piano kid’s pictures on Instagram. Now that November is just around the corner, it’s time to start our next practice challenge. What do you get when you combine piano with November? PIANOVEMBER! Here’s how it works. Students, you will tally one point for every piece you play, every time you play it. You can play review pieces, old pieces, new pieces,…

09 Oct 2017

By Shelly Davis

PPP063: PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge

Podcast, Practice Challenge, Practicing and Motivationchallenge, incentives, piano, Pianovember, practice, tally marks, thanksgiving

#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,…

Tag: Pianovember