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

Merry Christmas! In this BONUS episode of the Piano Parent Podcast, you will hear my reading of Luke 2:1-20. I will also share some personal thoughts on that passage and this special time of year.

Whether you are great at setting goals or stay up well past midnight on January 1 making New Year's Resolutions, it's a good idea to make plans and have things to aim for.

In early 2020 when the pandemic first happened, Anna Fagan and her husband used the opportunity to fulfill a marriage-long dream; RVing around the country. Listen to today's show to hear how Anna has taken travel teaching to a whole new level.

Every tenth episode of the Piano Parent Podcast offers you a list of ten somethings. On today's show, I present to you a list of Ten Wintery Pieces.

A textbook definition of sight-reading would be the ability to read a piece of sheet music on the spot and to be able to play it as you're reading it. Another aspect of sight-reading is the ability to use your eyes to track the music on the page while your hands find the notes without having to look at them. On today's show, Christopher Oill talks about sight-reading - it's value and how to improve this skill.

In today's special Thanksgiving episode, piano teachers share stories of gratitude for the families in their studio.

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, I will tell you the story of a young author who never wrote the great American novel but still managed to go "Down in History". Here is his story:

Christopher Oill is a concert pianist, composer, and teacher, who leads performance and pedagogy into the future, perfecting “what is” and experimenting with “what could be.” Through his teaching business, the Oill Piano Universe, he helps open up the minds of creative musicians around the world, and he gives them the tools to succeed in their own niche way.

Chrissy Ricker, NCTM, is a pianist, teacher, and composer from North Carolina. Chrissy holds a Master’s degree in piano performance and pedagogy and has been teaching piano for 23 years. Chrissy specializes in creating exciting original music and arrangements for pianists of all ages and skill levels. She has published over 30 collections of piano solo and duet music for students, and her piano music is featured regularly on the contest lists of teaching associations across the United States and Canada. A prolific arranger, Chrissy has also arranged hundreds of pop, classical, video game, and anime titles and is a Signature Artist for the digital music retailer Musicnotes. You can learn more about Chrissy at her website, chrissyricker.com.  

Many thanks to fellow piano teacher, Christina, who submitted this topic suggestion. "... about how parents often mistake chattiness as being “off-topic” and “wasting time” when it’s actually mega-important bonding time for teacher/student relationships."

Your secret mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Make Grandma Cry…in a good way by performing a meaningful song for them at the next family gathering.

What a delightful teacher and composer is Stacy Fahrion! I love her outlook on life and how she embraces her unique self. I especially love how she encourages her students and those of us listening to her interview to own our unique selves as well.

Listen to PPP260 to learn TEN SOUND EFFECTS YOU CAN CREATE ON THE PIANO.

Continuing the Music Maker series which started with intervals (ppp239), then expanded to scales (PPP249), we are now talking about adding harmony to our melodies. Check out the show notes and get your free music maker worksheet at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/259