Although many parental figures seek to expose their children to multiple different activities and experiences while they are young, traditional piano lessons truly teach students skills that may not be acquired through other activities. This is not going to be yet another one of those opinion editorials that are constantly reinforcing the need of getting children involved in the arts and how it makes them smarter; more so on the investment, the parents are making for their children and how worthwhile the investment is even though it is not taken seriously enough.
According to LindeBlad: Piano Restoration, piano lessons seek multiple cognitive benefits. These benefits include teaching students how to multi-task by having the player think about and incorporate multiple musical features at once, discipline by following the rules of music constantly, and organization by balancing the rules of music and musical features in which one needs to be prioritized at different parts of a piece. Let alone learning the language of the world of music theory, the structure of music and how music came to be. Along with cognitive benefits, comes with physical benefits, such as improving tactile learning through hands-on learning. However, there are downsides to the activity, such as the financial investment, or the minor wrist pains when playing too much, or the frustration that accompanies a difficult piece. Even though there are downsides present, they are temporary and situational, that is also outweighed by the benefits of the long-term possibilities piano lessons provide.
As a piano teacher of five years, I’ve seen my fair share of students who grew with piano, those who have stopped piano and those who are deciding still or are on and off with the activity overall. Regardless of the reason why some students discontinue piano, not one student have I encountered that did not learn anything beyond the music itself. As it is a process of how to learn music, piano. A student is first introduced to the music on the page; what notes are, and the logistics of music. Which is then followed by the actual hands-on application of the notes on the page. Those notes are then played many ways by the player which then incorporates the artistic touch and ability of the student; showing them their own style. Depending on the history of the piece, some styles of playing are more acceptable than others, which then branches off into music history. It is a constant domino effect of learning.
Piano lessons cultivate the minds of children, which allows them to be creative all while learning many basic principles that can be applied to their own life at many different stages. With a hefty investment, comes a life-long experience. Many start piano lessons young, yet there is no defined age as to when an individual can and cannot start and is an activity they can carry and play until they die.
Even though piano lessons may not be a match for everyone, it is worth the attempt in a fifty-fifty chance of being a lifelong investment and hobby.
~ Written by Linz Rynders