09 Mar 2026
By Shelly Davis
PPP 377: Three Memorization Strategies for Piano Kids

PPP 377: Three Memorization Strategies for Piano Kids

Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, ,
Spring recital season is right around the corner, and many piano families are starting to think about one important question: Should my child memorize their music? While memorization isn’t always required, it’s a valuable skill that helps students feel confident at the piano and ready to perform anytime—even if they forget their music at Grandma’s house! In this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast, Shelly shares three practical and fun strategies she uses in her studio to help students memorize music effectively. These techniques move beyond simple repetition and help kids understand their music more deeply. If your piano kid…
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24 Apr 2023
By Shelly Davis
PPP 330: Ten Things for the Day of the Recital

PPP 330: Ten Things for the Day of the Recital

Podcast, Tenth Episode List, , , , ,
Keep this list handy for any time your piano kid participates in a studio recital or piano event. These are wonderful things you can do to make this important day as stress-free and calm for your piano kid (and your whole family) as possible. Listen to the full episode here Download your free Recital Checklist! Send me the Recital Checklist!Subscribe to get the checklist plus our latest content by email.SubmitWe respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.Built with ConvertKit Social Shareables Click an image to share directly to your Pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles.…
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20 Mar 2023
By Shelly Davis
PPP 325: “We need to leave early from the recital.”

PPP 325: “We need to leave early from the recital.”

Communication, Podcast, , , , ,
This is a busy time of the year. To avoid schedule conflicts and the urge to do all the things, parents need to be proactive, set priorities and make difficult decisions for their piano kids.Listen to today's show to learn how. Listen to the full episode here Resources mentioned in today's show FREE Spring 100 Practice Trackers are HERE.March 29th is the 88th day of the year - PIANO DAY!! Join me for a fun PIANO DAY Project. Check it out HERE. Social Sharables Click an image to share directly to your pinterest account. Download an image to share in…
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26 Apr 2021
By Shelly Davis
PPP238: Parkinson’s Law: Works expands so as to fill the time available for its completion

PPP238: Parkinson’s Law: Works expands so as to fill the time available for its completion

Podcast, Practicing and Motivation, , , , , ,
I often say, "I get more done, the busier I am."Cyril Northcote Parkinson said the same thing, much more elegantly. Here is the first paragraph of an article he wrote in 1955. "IT is a commonplace observation that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion. Thus, an elderly lady of leisure can spend the entire day in writing and despatching a postcard to her niece at Bognor Regis. An hour will be spent in finding the postcard, another in hunting for spectacles, half-an-hour in a search for the address, an hour and a quarter in composition,…
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09 Mar 2020
By Shelly Davis
PPP183: Spring 100 Practice Challenge

PPP183: Spring 100 Practice Challenge

Podcast, Practice Challenge, , , , , , ,
Spring is springing around here! Trees are budding. After lots of rain and gray skies, the clouds have parted and we're enjoying blue skies and sunshine. Just like changes in seasons, the practice needs of our piano kids change too. Fall - new school year, reestablish practice habitsWinter holidays - more family time, more opportunities to share the gift of music.Spring - semester winding down, preparing for the big finale Listen to the full episode here “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to…
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03 Jun 2019
By Shelly Davis
PPP145: Student Case Study, Ray – Chapter 2

PPP145: Student Case Study, Ray – Chapter 2

Practicing and Motivation,
I first told you about "Ray" a couple of months ago in Episode 135. In that episode, we learned three important lessons: 1. Don't burn bridges, 2. There is nothing wrong with easy, and 3. There is too much music out there to be stuck playing something you don't enjoy. Today I thought you might be interested in hearing how things are progressing for him. Listen to the full episode here Spring Semester We've gotten more comfortable with each other. One day he was a little too silly but I redirected him and made a note to see if this would become…
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