Piano Lessons Make Children Smarter!
A Valuable Investment
Learning to play the piano is a valuable investment that pays off in more ways than one. Piano is not only the classic gateway to all other instruments but also the foundation for a wide range of important life skills.
Accelerated Learning
Scientific research has shown that piano training significantly increases the rate at which people acquire new skills. Developing the musical part of the brain improves learning facility in many other fields besides music. This is why piano is not only a transferable skill, but a core skill.
Learning to play the piano is a valuable investment that pays off in more ways than one. Piano is not only the classic gateway to all other instruments but also the foundation for a wide range of important life skills.
Accelerated Learning
Scientific research has shown that piano training significantly increases the rate at which people acquire new skills. Developing the musical part of the brain improves learning facility in many other fields besides music. This is why piano is not only a transferable skill, but a core skill.
Research on Children and Piano
Preschoolers
Preschoolers who received formal piano lessons performed better at math than another group with computer training.
Elementary School Children
Children with two years of piano also showed significantly improved motor skills in comparison with another group that had received no formal musical training.
Older Children
Older children who received daily music training for seven months had higher reading scores at the end than a control group, and a year later their scores were still higher than the control groups.
Adolescence and Beyond
College students with a history of musical training outperformed a control group on verbal memory tests, indicating the long term benefits of learning musical skills.
Preschoolers who received formal piano lessons performed better at math than another group with computer training.
Elementary School Children
Children with two years of piano also showed significantly improved motor skills in comparison with another group that had received no formal musical training.
Older Children
Older children who received daily music training for seven months had higher reading scores at the end than a control group, and a year later their scores were still higher than the control groups.
Adolescence and Beyond
College students with a history of musical training outperformed a control group on verbal memory tests, indicating the long term benefits of learning musical skills.
Piano and Adults
Adults Can Also Learn
Even adults who had learned to play the piano later in life were found to perform better on IQ tests than a control group with no musical background.
Adults and Children
Evidence suggests that piano training makes both children and adults smarter. Though children benefit most due the plasticity of the developing brain, adults can still learn at a rapid pace because they bring more experience to the table. It is never too late to learn. After all, several of history's great pianists and composers were late bloomers.
Even adults who had learned to play the piano later in life were found to perform better on IQ tests than a control group with no musical background.
Adults and Children
Evidence suggests that piano training makes both children and adults smarter. Though children benefit most due the plasticity of the developing brain, adults can still learn at a rapid pace because they bring more experience to the table. It is never too late to learn. After all, several of history's great pianists and composers were late bloomers.
Choose a Good Piano Teacher
Two Qualities to Look For
The two most important qualities to look for in a piano teacher are great musical skill and an ability to work well with people, especially children.
Strong People Skills
While great musical skill may be the rarer of the two, many brilliant pianists make poor teachers because of their lack of inter-personal insight.
Strong Musical Skills
The reverse is equally true. Many inspirational teachers who possess great communicative skills unfortunately lack musical skill, and consequently teach their students to play poorly. Only a talented pianist can teach you how to play beautifully.
The two most important qualities to look for in a piano teacher are great musical skill and an ability to work well with people, especially children.
Strong People Skills
While great musical skill may be the rarer of the two, many brilliant pianists make poor teachers because of their lack of inter-personal insight.
Strong Musical Skills
The reverse is equally true. Many inspirational teachers who possess great communicative skills unfortunately lack musical skill, and consequently teach their students to play poorly. Only a talented pianist can teach you how to play beautifully.