Every episode that ends with a 0 includes a list of ten somethings.
Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, this list gives you 10 things piano parents love about piano lessons.
Listen to other tenth-episode lists here.
What else would you add to the list?
Listen to the full episode here
Foster a love of music
Learning to play the piano fosters a love of music that they can have the rest of their lives because they were exposed to how it was put together and understand it.
Cognitive growth
Playing the piano and reading music aids in cognitive growth.
- Spatial reasoning
- Abstract concepts
- Hand-eye coordination
- Hand-hand coordination
A gateway to other instruments
One mom responded this way, “Learning piano is a gateway to other instruments. It helps them understand rhythm, and piano is the basis for all instruments [My daughter] will listen to a piece of music and then say, “Mom, that is piano (or guitar)” or whatever instrument, and occasionally, “Mom, what is that?” so she recognizes different instruments and would not if we were not taking and talking about her lessons and music.”
Express emotions in a non-verbal way
This piano parent said, “I notice that my daughter plays the piano as an outlet for many emotions that can best be expressed non-verbally.”
A sense of accomplishment
I love the sense of accomplishment when a piece is learned. I think it is also a way to show progress that sometimes they might not get in academics. You go from a piece that only uses 1 hand to 2 or from single notes to 2-3 notes and it sounds so much fuller and they easily see progress.
You get that a little with Math and multiplying and dividing by doing larger and larger numbers but it still just gives you an answer; with music you are creating a fuller piece of music that is richer and grabs our ears.
Sharing music with other people
This mom says, “Playing the piano helps with self-confidence, and playing for the enjoyment of others is an unselfish act.”
I particularly like the idea of using music to serve others.
Having another adult with a positive influence on your child
I believe it is vital to have other adults in your child’s life who will speak the same values to them that your family treasures. It is so good to have another adult listen to them – both their music and their thoughts – and to be a positive influence in their lives.
Improve focus and concentration
Practicing the piano requires focus and concentration, which can help children develop these skills and carry them over into other areas of their lives.
Encourage discipline and responsibility
Kids learn to do hard things.
Taking piano lessons requires discipline and commitment, which can help children learn the value of hard work and responsibility.
Therapy and calming activity
I was stunned and humbled when I read this mom’s response, “[My son] uses music to help him self-regulate. When we first started him in piano lessons, we were dealing with out-of-control behavior. He lacked the ability to self-regulate due to his trauma history. I think you know we adopted him through foster care, right?
We had learned through sensory integration therapy that auditory listening was helpful for him. After playing piano for a while, we soon started to see him going to the piano when he was struggling. It’s always been a calming activity for him.
We have done a lot of various therapy for him over the years, but I always say piano lessons have done more for him than any therapy ever did!”
What would you add to this list?
What do you see your children doing or thinking as a result of their time learning to play the piano?
Let me know in the comments below or share your story in our Piano Parent Facebook Group
Social Shareables
Click an image to share directly to your Pinterest account. Download an image to share in your social circles. If the image is not branded, please link back to this page and help us spread the word about all the great resources at Piano Parent Podcast. Thank you!
Thanks for listening!
To share your thoughts:
- Leave a note in the comment section below
- Ask a question at pianoparentpodcast@gmail.com
- Share this show on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest
To help out the show:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More
