Piano Parent Podcast: Helping Teachers, Parents, And Students Get The Most Of Their Piano Lessons.

March 29 is the 88th day of the year - PIANO DAY!! To celebrate one of our favorite days of the year, we are going to do a fun Piano Day Project where we will encrypt a secret name in our special, one-of-a-kind melody. Learn how in today's show! Get your free Alpha-Numeric Code maker at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/323.

Once upon a time, I read or heard a story about the grand staff. I share it with my students and today I'll share it with you.

We first met Thomas Grayston, the genius developer behind the popular note identification app, Note Rush, back in 2017. (You can listen to that interview at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/065) Today, he is back to share some exciting updates to the app including new themes, customized decks of notes, and helpful hints while playing the app. Find links and other resources at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/321.  

Every episode that ends with a 0 includes a list of ten somethings. Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, this list gives you 10 things piano parents love about piano lessons. What else would you add to the list?   www.PianoParentPodcast.com/320

I really enjoyed talking with Winston Hall last week. One of the things he said really struck me and I've been thinking about it ever since. He said, "Reading music is the most analytical way to make music." and that wasn't how his brain was wired. My brain actually feels safer and more confident with the music, in fact, I feel frozen if I don't have music in front of me; I don't know what to play! Listen to this and more reflections at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/319  

Winston Hall is a self-proclaimed "below-average piano student" who was able to overcome obstacles that might have stopped most people - the inability to read music, his own self-doubt, and debilitating stage fright. Winston is now one of the most popular entertainers in the Northeast Louisiana area. This is an episode that you will bookmark and listen to again and again and share with your piano parent friends. Visit the show notes at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/318.

If you're waiting to start piano lessons, this is the episode for you! Potential students reach out to me for lessons but I often don't have a space available. Many times, they opt to wait for my short-term summer session and start the process of waiting for piano lessons to begin. In today's show, I'll share three things that piano parents can do to make good use of this interim time: think about your goals, build anticipation, and start a regular practice habit - NOW. Visit the full show notes at www.pianoparentpodcast.com/317

In last week's episode I quoted Art L. Williams Jr. “Remember, before you can be great, you’ve got to be good. Before you can be good, you’ve got to be bad. But before you can even be bad, you’ve got to try.”   Today, let's focus on the trying aspect of learning to play the piano.

My list of 22 for 2022 turned out to be a list of things I failed to do. When I look back on it, I don't celebrate the things I was able to finish, I just feel defeated by the areas where I missed the mark. Rather than aiming for perfection, I think it is good for our children to see us make mistakes and move on, gracefully. Our mistakes shouldn't devastate us and our kids need to learn to give themselves the same kind of mercy. In this P3 episode, we talk more about helping our piano kids to allow for mistakes in their piano practice.

Do you ever wonder what inspires composers and songwriters to create the music they do? Would you be surprised to learn that some of our favorite Christmas tunes were written in the heat of the summer? On today’s podcast, I’ll share some of the interesting things I discovered about some of the songs we enjoy throughout the holiday season. Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/072 Merry Christmas!!

Listen to the inspiring story behind one of the most iconic pieces of musical literature, Handel's "Messiah". I have to admit that I was not a fan of this oratorio until I learned the difficulties Handel faced before he came to write the music. Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/122. Thanks for listening and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

After dealing with everything we have over the last two years, our brains have gotten really good at facing problems and anxiety - maybe too good. We might have accidentally trained our brains to be hyperresponsive to uncomfortable circumstances. On today's show, Dr. Fernanda Nieto shares some wonderful ways to help our brains and our bodies to relax and breathe.

Inspired by a quote from Agatha Christie, this episode reminds us all to enjoy the journey and allow ourselves to be a little ridiculous.

Everything your piano kid has to do with music: reading music, finding the correct piano keys, eventually building scales and chords, and putting chords together in a sequence, all of that stems from understanding the basic seven notes of the music alphabet.

So much of the time, we focus on dealing with anxiety and performance jitters with the assumption that everyone has them. It was so refreshing to have this conversation with someone who actually enjoys facing challenges and learning how to overcome obstacles. Kelley Yuan is a software developer by day but she is also a pianist and enjoys a very interesting and challenging hobby: rock climbing. Listen to her inspiring outlook on life and how she views challenges with interest and curiosity.

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.

Returning to the show from her previous appearance in PPP209, author, and counselor, Cher Kretz is back to share more helpful insight for parents. On today's show you will hear about her latest book release, "30 Days to Higher Hopes" and her GPS Life System. www.pianoparentpodcast.com/309

Why would a world-class athlete, someone who is at the top of their physical abilities, need a coach? Find out on today's show. www.pianoparentpodcast.com/308

On today's show, we will share how to disrupt and reprogram the negative cycle of communication with your piano kid.

I am excited to share the next Musical Mystery with you! The story is still in the works. Please check back soon. In the meantime, follow this link to download the Podbean Podcast Player and listen to previous Piano Parent Podcast episodes.