I was eight when I started formal lessons.....
those first few years I wasn’t all that great at practicing. Flash forward two years and piano became my main passion. Now I teach students all over the world with piano lessons being my main source of income for my family.
I regularly tell my parents I’m grateful they stuck it out. Not only because it became my career, but because piano helped in many areas of my life. Get ready to see how it can be beneficial to your kids’ lives as well. Here are seven reasons why you should get your child into piano lessons.
BOOSTS CONFIDENCE
Take a look at your child the next time they do something REALLY well. That smile, that posture, that excitement of “wow, I did that by myself”. There is a pride that comes when kids are able to play songs they know. Or they are able to play songs their teacher just showed them. This healthy type of pride encourages them to keep going and continue to try new things with confidence.
INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY
Just about every parenting expert out there is going to share how beneficial it is for kids to have a solid routine. Kids thrive off o routines that are predictable, but they also will become more productive as they set time boundaries and expectations for their daily tasks. Adding an instrument like the piano to their daily accomplishments encourages the idea that discipline and routine are healthy additions to one’s life.
INCREASE IN OTHER LEARNING SKILLS.
I once heard a former piano teacher say: “Every proficient piano-playing child that has come across my bench, is exceptional at either Math or Language Arts, or both.” As someone who has been teaching for over a decade, I 100% agree with this statement. Many of my students that are showing progress through consistent practice time and discipline are seeing that seep into other subjects of study.
VERBAL AND AUDITORY ENHANCEMENT.
Learning how to read music is learning another language. This is why it’s so easy to get a little caught off guard by the learning curve. (Especially if an adult is learning it for the first time.)
When languages are introduced at a young age studies show time and time again how it is not only beneficial but it’s easier for the brain to make those connections.
A study done in 2012 shows that learning the language of musical influences linguistic abilities in a positive way.
“Musical training has been shown to positively influence linguistic abilities. To follow the developmental dynamics of this transfer effect at the preattentive level.”*
Chobert J., François C., Velay J.-L., Besson M. (2012). Twelve months of active musical training in 8- to 10-year-old children enhances the preattentive processing of syllabic duration and voice onset time. Cereb. Cortex 23, 3874–3887 10.1093/cercor/bhs377 [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
ENCOURAGES POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a spotlight on mental health. It is becoming increasingly talked about, especially in adolescents.
Not only has playing the piano shown great progress in patients with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Dementia. But music has been known to have a positive release of dopamine hormones in the brain. With anxiety and depression hitting lower ages every decade, an increase in children’s music education can help fight that on the front.*
Beck A. T., Ward C. H., Mendelson M., Mock J., Erbaugh J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 4, 561 10.1001/archpsyc.1961.01710120031004 [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
INCREASES BRAIN ACTIVITY.
One incredible fact that I love to tell my students is that scientists have found that when you play piano your brain shows strong activity in both hemispheres.
The bridge that connects the left and right hemispheres is known as the Corpus Callosum. This bridge allows messages to cross both sides of the brain.
Essentially, the piano opens up an overpass and allows a lot of fun neurons to speed through. They take faster and more diverse routes, opening up new pathways and engaging with new areas. Cool right?
Brown S, Martinez MJ, Parsons LM. Music and language side by side in the brain: a PET study of the generation of melodies and sentences, 2006, vol. 23 10(pg. 2791-2803)
IMPROVES LISTENING SKILLS
Okay, what parent doesn’t want their child to be or become a good listener? My kids are in the toddler stage. ( I currently have three toddlers and not enough coffee) Listening skills are not at their finest in my home, however… When I started teaching toddler music classes in our area, I began to see an improvement in listening skills in my oldest. I also had parents share how well their kids were listening especially when it came to learning music. In my classes, the kids got into a routine, and I was able to get 6-8 toddlers listening to my quick lessons even when the fire department showed up at my home out of the blue. (Yes, this happened in the middle of a toddler music class.) Fire trucks outside, and I still had preschoolers hanging on to my every word? I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t there.
It’s true, not only will kids start to recognize tones and melodies a lot quicker, but that listening skills will start to cross over into other areas of their lives. Pretty much a parent’s dream. Am I right?
Of COURSE...
There are MANY other benefits and ways that piano can be a positive influence on your child’s life, but you won't see that impact until they start. It also doesn’t take long for beautiful melodies to start pouring out. Not sure how to get started? Well, check out the easy go-at-your-own-pace lessons we have click below!
We are happy to help your kid build their passion for learning.
