07Mar 2022 by Shelly Davis
PPP281: Setting Up Your Space for Online Lessons with Stephen Hughes

PPP281: Setting Up Your Space for Online Lessons with Stephen Hughes

Podcast, Teacher Interviews, Technology
Stephen Hughes, NCTM is a professional pianist, online piano teaching specialist, and music technology trainer. His vast musical training & experience ranges from classical, composition, church, jazz, to pop music. His unique approach to teaching is a hybrid blend of various pedagogies, with an emphasis on creativity & strategic practice. His online teaching studio, Virtual Piano Studio, is a growing community of students & music teachers of all ages & skill level, who take private instruction via Live Online Lessons. He teaches students in the U.S., China, UK, & Australia. Stephen was teaching online long before it became a necessity in 2020. Today, he shares how parents can help their piano kids set up their home practice space for optimal online piano lessons. Listen to the full episode here A picture…
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21Sep 2020 by Shelly Davis
PPP210: Ten Things You Should Know About Copyright

PPP210: Ten Things You Should Know About Copyright

Podcast, Technology, Tenth Episode List
I am not an attorney. Any comments made on the podcast or in the following show notes are my attempt to offer you guidelines for the proper use and purchase of someone else's copyrighted material.It is my utmost desire that we respect and value those people who have the skills and knowledge to produce printed music for our piano kids from which to learn, play, and enjoy. Listen to the full episode here 5 Things you CAN do with copyrighted music 1. Make a copy of a page to eliminate page turns.2. Make a full copy of the entire song that you own to place in a binder (ie for church or weddings). You are also allowed to make copies as a personal backup.3. Upload the score to a tablet…
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18Feb 2019 by Shelly Davis
PPP130: Ten Songs that are Perfect for a YouTube Play Along

PPP130: Ten Songs that are Perfect for a YouTube Play Along

Podcast, Technology, Tenth Episode List
The last few shows have mentioned playing chords or pop songs or getting creative at the piano in some way. Talking about it is great and your piano kid might really be interested in playing some pop tunes but getting started can feel a little overwhelming. That’s why I put together this list of 10 songs that are perfect to play along with a YouTube video and I have the videos embedded on the show notes for this episode. I chose these songs because most of them use only a few chords (most of them five chords or less) and those chords occur in a repeating pattern throughout the entire song or through a large portion of the song. The basic formula for playing each chord is to have the…
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04Feb 2019 by Shelly Davis
PPP128: Keep a Video/Audio Journal of Your Child’s Musical Journey

PPP128: Keep a Video/Audio Journal of Your Child’s Musical Journey

Podcast, Technology
[podcast src="https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/8495213/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/187dba/" height="90" width="100%" placement="top" theme="custom"]Click here to download this episode. In recent episodes, I've alluded to the idea of keeping a video or audio journal of your piano kid's musical progress. This is a way for them to see their growth as a musician. In today's show, we will talk in more detail about the advantage of keep a video journal as well as  the practical details like equipment and storage. Great Learning Tool The primary reason to video your child is for them to learn from the experience. When we are playing or reading music, our minds are so focused on that activity that we can stop listening to the music we're making. Having a separate recording gives students a chance to hear themselves as the audience or…
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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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