The study of music opens up a wonderful world for any child, and research suggests it can help your child in many more ways:
“Carol Cook has made a huge difference in my musical life. After many years as a languishing musician, she has encouraged and inspired me in her gentle but professional way, to attain a level of musicianship I never imagined. ”
Improved reasoning, problem-solving, and time management
Improved math and language performance
Better memory and concentration
Development of neural pathways related to spatial reasoning tasks
Greater social and team skills
Key provisions of my piano program:
Avoid common beginner mistakes—Understanding the key elements of fundamental music skills will cultivate a higher level of piano proficiency faster than a typical approach focused solely on learning how to reproduce songs.
Effective practice routines—If there is a “secret” to progress with piano, it is this: practice! An effective practice routine involves a goal-oriented approach to efficiently covering multiple areas of musicianship. Students are coached in various techniques for achieving piano goals through practice.
Proper physical technique—Technique refers to all aspects of the way the body interacts with the piano. Proper physical technique delivers maximum efficiency with minimal effort. With a good technique, the fingers can become a powerful musical tool rather than a frustrating barrier to self-expression.
Accountability—Many piano students attempt to pick out the easiest or most satisfying parts of a given learning resource and concentrate on those things to the neglect of other critical elements. Regular lessons encourage students to embrace challenges in order to build up a comprehensive set of skills.
Encouragement—All musicians, even the very gifted ones, go through struggles as they develop their skills. The key to musical success is persistent effort. Weekly lessons provide the encouragement through the more challenging times.
Structure—An organized and logical path through the fundamentals yields greater results in less time.
what are the benefits to piano lessons?
Piano lessons may help your child develop thinking skills.
A study on six-year-old children showed that children with nine months of piano training scored an average of three points higher on IQ tests than those without training. Learning to play the piano involves many functions of the brain, including spatial reasoning skills, emotion, creativity, and motor skills. For a child, piano lessons may ultimately translate into more effective cognitive skills in school.
Piano lessons help with focus and concentration.
Playing the piano well involves reading music and translating the notes on the page into hand movements that express the musical passage. These activities require a great deal of focused concentration for any pianist. Developing the ability to focus can aid in achieving success in other areas of life.
Piano lessons help to build confidence.
Studying the piano and mastering the skills for playing music can translate into greater self-esteem and confidence. For children, this confidence can help weather the school years and make them more successful students. This is one reason piano lessons are so often recommended at a young age.
Piano lessons help overcome shyness.
By participating in piano recitals, students gain greater comfort performing before a group. These experiences can be instrumental for those who struggle with shyness. For children, recital experience provides a skill they can use at school events such as talent shows.
Piano lessons can be a lifelong asset.
Unlike gymnastics and some sports where the opportunity to play and be successful is limited to those who are young, piano lessons provide a skill that students can enjoy into adulthood and even old age. An eighty-year-old can derive just as much pleasure as a six-year-old from playing a beautiful song on the piano.
Parents who want to give their children a head start in life should recognize the considerable advantages of piano lessons. You’ll be rewarded when your child fills your home with beautiful music! If you’re an adult who wishes to begin learning piano – or you want to pick up where you left off years ago – you can benefit from these advantages, too. It’s never too late!