Shelly welcomes listeners, sets the encouraging tone for parents, and introduces the focus on supporting families in their children's musica

Welcome to The Piano Parent Podcast

Shelly introduces Rowina Sidler, an app developer and non traditional musician from London, here to talk about her new app, Notology.

Introducing Rowina Sidler and Notology

Rowina shares her unique family history of playing piano by ear without reading music, and how this tradition shaped her early musical life.

Rowina's Musical Backstory

Rowina recalls how hearing Moonlight Sonata live at age 12 changed her life, inspiring her to compose and emphasizing the power of live conc

Experiencing Moonlight Sonata

Rowina describes her struggles with formal piano lessons at 11, finding them boring and frustrating due to the focus on tedious note reading

Challenges with Traditional Lessons

Rowina explains how her own frustrations and having children led her to develop Notology to overcome the 'triangle of doom' in music educati

The Inspiration for Notology

Rowina details the Notology app's method, using stories, characters, and micro steps for encoding, storage, and retrieval of music notes.

How Notology Teaches Notes

Rowina explains how the app connects notes on the staff to keys on the piano using 'cottages' and 'fortresses' to teach piano geography.

Piano Geography with Notology

The app brings together treble and bass notes on the grand staff, reinforced by a five minute warmup routine using spaced repetition for las

The Grand Staff and Deep Memory

Rowina shares her inspiration for the app's hand drawn, children's book like illustrations and the immense effort involved in their creation

Artistic Vision and Hand Drawn Illustrations

Rowina reveals how her husband suggested the name Notology, inspired by a previous project, and how the camel became the app's mascot.

The Story Behind the Name Notology

Rowina shares heartwarming stories of parents learning notes alongside their children using Notology, even those who previously could not re

Parents Learning with Their Children

Shelly and Rowina discuss the deeper purpose of music education: fostering lifelong joy in music making and preventing regrets about quittin

The Joy of Music Making

Shelly talks with Rowina Sidler, creator of the Notology app, about helping piano students and parents learn music notes in a fun, visual way. They discuss Rowina's personal story and how her app makes reading music easier and more enjoyabl

Good morning, Piano Parents! In this episode, I have a delightful conversation with Rowina Sidler, the creator of the Notology app. Rowina shares her unique background as a self taught musician who found traditional piano lessons challenging at age 11. Her experience led her to create an app that helps students learn to read music notes quickly and confidently, using memory champion techniques and engaging stories. We talk about how Notology uses visual cues, quirky characters, and interactive games to make learning all 29 notes a one step process. Rowina also shares how her app can help parents who do not read music themselves support their children's lessons and build stronger relationship

Overcoming Note Reading Challenges

The Music Learning Curve

Parental Role in Music

Creative App Development

Making Learning Memorable

Music As Human Joy

Rowina Sidler developed an app called Notology that uses memory champion techniques to help students learn music notes quickly. The app listens to the piano being played for feedback.

Notology

Rowina mentions her grandfather's book, Easy Peasy Classics, which he struggled to read himself. She found she could play from it after learning with Notology.

Easy Peasy Classics

Supporting Children's Musical Growth

Making Music Learning Enjoyable

And so that was, that was my thinking, and that's what ended up leading to this app Notology, using the methods of memory champions.

So this is my grandfather's Easy Peasy Classics, and this was the first time I realized, after I'd created the Notology system and started to

So I did my degree in computer science and artificial intelligence back, I think I started, well, I did my degree between 2001 and 2004.

Good morning, Piano Parents!

I have a special episode for you today featuring Rowina Sidler, the creator of the Notology app. Her story is truly inspiring, and bless her heart, it offers such a fresh perspective on a common challenge many piano students face: learning to read music notes. I agree!

Rowina played piano by ear for years but found traditional lessons, well, a bit frustrating. This led her to create an app that uses memory champion techniques to make note reading a one-step process for students. Imagine turning every note into a memorable character, how fun is that? This helps avoid that mental calculation that often slows students down and, honestly, just makes learning feel tedious.

What I particularly loved, and this really spoke to my heart, is how Notology helps us as parents, even those of us who don't read music ourselves, to learn alongside our children. This creates a wonderful shared experience and strengthens your connection through music. It's all about equipping you with practical tools to support your child's musical journey with confidence. That's my way of thinking, anyway.

We talk about the 'triangle of doom' in music education where many students start, but then, um, sadly fewer continue. Rowina's solution aims to make learning so much more enjoyable, helping kids stay engaged and develop a lifelong love for music. And yes, that's what we want!

Listen to the full episode to discover how to turn note reading struggles into musical success for your family. It's encouraging, practical, and full of great ideas.

Bless your heart, Shelly

P.S. Share this episode with a fellow piano parent who might find it helpful!

Hi Shelly,

I just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you again for having me on The Piano Parent Podcast. I truly enjoyed our conversation. It was such a delight to share the story behind Notology and discuss how we can help piano parents and students overcome note reading challenges. I hope your audience finds it helpful!

Could you please send over the link to the episode once it's live? I would love to share it with my network. 

Thank you for everything!

Warmly,
Rowina

Thank you for the wonderful conversation, Shelly!

Hi Shelly,

I'm so excited to see that our episode on The Piano Parent Podcast is now live! Thank you for letting me know. I've already started sharing it with my community.

I've drafted a little email that I plan to send to my audience, inviting them to listen. I've also prepared a short social media post for LinkedIn and X. Would you mind taking a quick look at them? I want to make sure they align with your show's message while sounding authentic to me.

I'm really looking forward to hearing the feedback from your listeners!

Warmly,
Rowina

My episode on The Piano Parent Podcast is live!

Hi Shelly,

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to follow up after our podcast episode went live. It has been great to see the initial response!

I was thinking about some of the points we discussed, especially around parents learning alongside their children. I've seen even more wonderful stories since our chat. Would you ever be interested in a follow-up discussion, perhaps a live Q&A, where we could delve deeper into how adults can successfully learn music notes later in life?

No pressure at all, but I thought it might be an interesting topic for your audience. Let me know what you think.

Warmly,
Rowina

Following up on our podcast chat!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some exciting news! I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Shelly Davis on The Piano Parent Podcast. It was a wonderful conversation where I got to talk about my journey as a non-traditional musician and how it led me to create the Notology app.

We discussed why so many students find learning music notes frustrating and how Notology uses memory champion techniques to make it a simple, one-step process. My hope is to help more children (and even parents!) learn to read music quickly and confidently, turning a common struggle into an enjoyable experience.

I also shared stories about parents learning notes alongside their children with the app, even if they couldn't read music before. It's all about empowering families to support their child's musical journey and foster a lifelong love for music.

If you're a parent, educator, or just someone interested in innovative ways to learn, I would love for you to give this episode a listen. I think you'll find our discussion encouraging and full of practical insights.

You can listen to the episode here: https://podglue.com/public/piano-parent-podcast/s01e397

Thank you for your support!

Warmly,
Rowina Sidler

I was just on The Piano Parent Podcast talking about making music notes easy!

Good morning, Piano Parents! Are you finding note reading a bit of a struggle for your piano kid? Or maybe you wish you could help more, but you don't read music yourself? Bless your heart, I get it!

Join Shelly Davis for a special LinkedIn Audio Event with Rowina Sidler, creator of the Notology app.

In this live Q&A, we'll explore:
• Why traditional note reading can be frustrating for many students.
• How memory champion techniques can make learning music notes a simple, one-step process.
• Practical ways parents, even non-musicians, can support their children's note reading at home.
• The impact of turning learning challenges into creative solutions.

Rowina, a non-traditional musician and app developer, will share her personal story and how it inspired her to create Notology. This is your chance to ask your questions and discover new tools to make your child's musical journey more joyful and less about struggle, and a whole lot more about joy!

RSVP now to learn how to transform note reading frustrations into musical confidence for your child and for you! Let's help your piano kid stay excited about music, okay?

Live Q&A: Making Note Reading Easy for Piano Parents with Rowina Sidler

Good morning, Piano Parents!

I had such a delightful conversation with Rowina Sidler, the creator of the Notology app, and you are just going to love her story! Rowina shares her unique background as a self-taught musician who, honestly, found traditional piano lessons a bit challenging at age 11.

Her experience, bless her heart, led her to create an app that helps students learn to read music notes quickly and confidently, using memory champion techniques and engaging stories that really stick! We talk about how Notology uses visual cues, quirky characters, and interactive games to make learning all 29 notes a simple, one-step process. Yes!

Rowina also shares how her app can help us as parents, even if we don't read music ourselves, to support our children's lessons and build stronger musical relationships. It's awesome.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to The Piano Parent Podcast
02:18:00 Introducing Rowina Sidler and Notology
03:19:00 Rowina's Musical Backstory
05:14:00 Experiencing Moonlight Sonata
06:55:00 Challenges with Traditional Lessons
09:27:00 The Inspiration for Notology
13:21:00 How Notology Teaches Notes
17:34:00 Piano Geography with Notology
20:54:00 The Grand Staff and Deep Memory
23:29:00 Artistic Vision and Hand-Drawn Illustrations
26:01:00 The Story Behind the Name Notology
28:50:00 Parents Learning with Their Children
30:37:00 The Joy of Music Making

Connect with Shelly Davis:
Website: www.PianoParentPodcast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pianoparentpodcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pianoparentpodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shellydavispianoparentpodcast
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/shellydavispiano

Find Rowina Sidler and Notology:

#PianoParentPodcast #MusicEducation #NoteReading #PianoLessons #MusicLearning #EdTech #ParentSupport #ShellyDavis #RowinaSidler #NotologyApp #MemoryTechniques #MusicForKids

Learn Music Notes FAST: How Notology Makes Piano Reading Easy

But that, that h bit that happens when you get lost Yeah is a two step process. Mm hmm. It's not one step.

I thought, let's try and make it look like a children's book and, and do the, all the illustrations by hand, which I'd never seen

The way I'd been taught to read the notes actually wasn't the best way, 'cause I'd been taught every good boy does fine.

You have loads of beginners, and then not so many intermediate, and then tiny amount of more advanced students.

And then I found in the literature that this is supported. You can look at the ABRSM grades, the number of people who do grade

Um, well definitely I still remember the first time I heard Moonlight Sonata. And my mom took me to a live concert with a, a

Most of the parents could not read music. Wow. Could not, did not know any notes. And our very first f family that tested using

Rowena Sidler grew up playing piano entirely by ear—and quit traditional lessons after only ten weeks because reading music was so frustrating. Years later, her background in education, computer science, and memory techniques inspired her to create Noteology, an app designed to make note reading more memorable and intuitive. Rowena and Shelly talk about memory palaces, intervallic reading, quirky characters (including a winged camel!), helping parents learn alongside their piano kids, and the ultimate goal: raising lifelong music makers. Learn more at www.PianoParentPodcast.com/382

Rowina Sidler

...helping parents support their piano kids and make the most of piano lessons.

The Piano Parent Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things related to parenting a piano student. From practice tips to piano geography in musical terms, common studio practices to teacher and parent interviews, this is THE best resource to help you and your piano kid make the most of piano lessons. Whether you are a knowledgeable musician or a complete novice, there is definitely something for you here. 

Shelly Davis

Piano Parent Podcast

Books & Resources

PPP382: Rowina Sidler and Noteology: A New Way to Learn to Read Music

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