PPP 350: 10 Ways to Scare Your Piano Teacher
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Release Date: 09/11/2023
PPP 372: Joy to the World - Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
We all know and love Joy to the World as a classic Christmas carol — but did you know it wasn’t originally written for Christmas? And it’s not in Handel’s Messiah either! In this episode, I share the fascinating history behind one of our most familiar hymns, how it’s connected (and not connected) to Handel, and how its message points forward to something in the future, not just back to the past.
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PPP 371: PIANOVEMBER 2025 Wrap-Up & a Holiday Music Mystery Replay, "Down in History"
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
We did it! The PIANOVEMBER 2025 Practice Challenge is complete with over 51,000 practice tallies! 🏆🎉 In this week’s episode, Shelly celebrates the top participants, gives shoutouts to amazing teachers, and wraps things up with a fun holiday music mystery replay: Down in History. Learn more at www.
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PPP370: 10 Finger Activities for Young Pianists
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Episode 370: 10 Finger Activities for Young Pianists – Shelly Davis brings you ten creative, screen‑free, fun activities to build fine motor strength and coordination in young piano students. Perfect for preschoolers or beginners, these ideas support your child’s readiness and growth at the piano. Visit for links, downloads, and bonus resources.
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PPP 369: Hey Mom, Can We Talk? (a reminder to parents to monitor your own screen time)
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Teens and tweens may act like they don’t need us—but deep down, they do. In this episode, we talk about why big kids still crave attention, how to reconnect through meaningful conversation, and why monitoring our own screen time is just as important as managing theirs. 🎧 Full episode at:
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PPP 368: Three Questions I Ask (almost) Every Student At (almost) Every Lesson
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
In this episode, Shelly discusses three open-ended questions she regularly asks her piano students to enhance their learning experience. These questions are designed to empower students to analyze their performances, take ownership of their practice strategies, and decide the progression of their pieces. Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/368
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PPP 367: I Don't Know What to Practice!
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Getting your kid to the piano to practice and them knowing what to practice are two very different things. On today's show we'll talk about.... • How to build a strong habit of practice • The “practice sandwich” technique: fun → challenge → fun • Interleaved / goal‑oriented practice strategies • Why ugly practice is still practice • Motivation tools: incentives, “eat the frog,” and more • The PIANOVEMBER Practice Challenge (join us!) Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/367
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PPP 366: Human Nature Delays
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Human Nature Delays (and How Piano Parents & Students Can Overcome Them) Join me as I explore why we often intend to practice or start something important—but delay instead. We’ll talk about the intention‑action gap, share stories of what that feels like, and give you concrete, doable strategies for piano students and their parents. Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/366
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PPP 365: Mr. Michael's Music Maker Manual, an interview with author, Michael Hemsworth
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
In this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast, host Shelly Davis chats with Michael Hemsworth, author, educator, and founder of New Songs Music School in California. Michael shares his journey from piano kid to leading a music school with over 1,300 students, and reveals the heart behind his new book, "Mr. Michael’s Music Maker Manual: A Guide for Growing Creative Children." They discuss the power of nurturing creativity, why every child’s musical path is unique, and how parents can be strong advocates in their child’s artistic journey. Learn more about Michael's book at Visit P
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PPP 364: Why Playing Games with Your Piano Kid Matters More Than You Might Think
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Screens are convenient, but they don’t build relationships. In this episode, we explore the overlooked value of playing physical games with your piano kid—games that boost memory, spark laughter, and strengthen your connection (without feeling like practice). In this episode, Shelly explores the power of playing physical games with your piano kid—and why face-to-face interaction beats screen time every time. Learn how simple card games help your child develop memory, strategy, confidence, and communication. Plus, hear about her new music theory card game, Music Alphabet GARBAGE,...
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Your Music Conference Reporter Day 5 of 7
Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons.
Today, I spent some time in the TMTA exhibit hall where I got to meet Liz Boyd with and bought some music stickers and piano manipulatives to use in my lessons. I also won an item in the silent auction, which raises funds for the Texas Music Teachers Education Foundation. I won a box of wooden cutouts from . Last night, we heard a wonderful concert form the lovely Dr. Artina McCain . If you aren't familiar with her, please check her out. It's been a wonderful, exhausting conference!!
info_outline'Tis the season for all things orange, yellow, brown, and a little scary. Today's list offers ten things that are likely to scare your piano teacher. Some are silly and some are serious, but all are things you might encounter with your piano kid.
Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/350.