Importance of a Music Education

Playing music develops the mind, emotions, and social skills, allowing students to do better in math, science, language, and working with others. These skills benefit them throughout their education, life, and career. Accomplishment in music and performing for others builds self esteem, desire for continued learning, and future success in life.

1. Piano Lessons Help Children in School.  Studies show children who play an instrument, score higher on both standard and spatial cognitive development tests. Kids who play piano, scored higher in math, especially on problems dealing with ratios and fractions. In one study, preschoolers who received piano instruction scored 34% higher than their nonmusical counterparts in tests measuring spatial-temporal reasoning, which is the brain function used to understand math, science and engineering.

2. Music Lessons Raise Self Esteem.  Learning to play musical instruments is hard work and takes dedication. Each success experience from mastering a song and showcasing newly learned abilities at recitals boost their self esteem much like winning in sports competition. Lessons teach children how to approach challenges and keep a positive outlook when facing difficult tasks. The understanding that mastering a new skill is a process that requires patience helps children to approach new things with confidence.

3. Piano Lessons Increase Coordination.  Hand-eye coordination is practiced by children learning to play piano. Piano students have improved fine motor skills and, unlike other instruments, the piano requires both hands to work independently of each other, one moving fast while the other may be moving slower, sometimes each playing different melodies. All of these things help to increase a child's overall dexterity and complex thought processes.

4. Music Lessons Help Children Concentrate.  Reading a piece of music takes great focus, causing a child to interpret a note and a rhythm, translate it into hand movements on the instrument and then proceed to the next one. Reading and playing music allows students to think both critically and creatively, a valuable life skill.

5. Piano Lessons Help Children to be Cultured.  Regardless of whether a child plays the piano for a short time or for a lifetime, the long-term effects of their piano pursuance are many. Through playing the piano, children are exposed to classical music that they may otherwise have never heard. Children may develop an appreciation for composers like Bach or Mozart that stay with them for life. In addition, the skills and knowledge they learn in piano may help them easily pick up another musical instrument later.