Piano Parent Podcast: helping teachers, parents, and students get the most of their piano lessons. – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, piano teacher and curriculum creator Dorla Aparicio joins the podcast to share her passion for group piano teaching and the Piano Pyramid method. We discuss how parents and teachers can help students thrive in a musical environment that's doable, structured, and encouraging, no matter the age or level. Whether you're curious about group lessons, struggling with practice battles at home, or wanting fresh ways to support your young pianist — this conversation will inspire and equip you!

Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/374.

As part of my New Year's goal to read more classic literature, I've been listening to Black Beauty by Anna Sewell—and I was surprised by how much this 19th-century horse story teaches us about 21st-century parenting.

Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/373

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, launching on Kickstarter July 1st!

You'll learn:

• Why physical play matters in personal development

• How games build trust and family connection

• Ways to use games in restaurants, home practice, and family time

🎉 Plus, I introduce Music Alphabet GARBAGE, my brand-new card game launching July 1st on Kickstarter! Learn how to turn music theory into your next favorite family game.

🔍 Learn More Here: www.PianoParentPodcast.com/364
🔔 Follow the game here: Music Alphabet GARBAGE Kickstarter Campaign

You may have heard about perfect pitch and learned that if you don't have it, there is a small likelihood that you will develop it at this stage in your life.

Fortunately, you can develop your relative pitch at any time. The sooner you can help your piano kid hone their skill of listening and hearing relative pitch, the better.

Learn how in this week's episode.

Stephen Hughes, NCTM is a professional pianist, online piano teaching specialist, and music technology trainer. His online teaching studio, Virtual Piano Studio, is a growing community of students & music teachers of all ages and skill levels, 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.

Sometimes it's hard to notice improvements in your piano kid's skill and musicality. Today's episode gives you ten small things to look for to know your child is growing as a musician.

Look for these signs to reassure yourself of the investment you're making for your child.

Use them as a source of encouragement for them.

Recently, my husband and I took his parents to a concert. Though I was glad to spend time with them, I was not looking forward to seeing another Elvis Presley impersonator. What I experienced at the concert was something completely unexpected so I thought I'd share it with you on today's show.

I heard a new term the other day, "Learned Helplessness".

According to Psychology Today, "Learned helplessness occurs when an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances, even when they have the ability to do so. For example, a smoker may repeatedly try and fail to quit. He may grow frustrated and come to believe that nothing he does will help, and therefore he stops trying altogether. The perception that one cannot control the situation essentially elicits a passive response to the harm that is occurring."

In the style of Mike Rowe's podcast "The Way I Heard It" and Paul Harvey's radio show "The Rest of the Story", this episode of the Piano Parent Podcast brings you the backstory of a musician or song or a moment in music history. I use these musical mysteries to tell you something you might not know about someone or something that is somewhat familiar; in this case, we will learn how one young musician convinced his older and wiser teacher to try something new by singing something old.