Why piano?

Or perhaps the first question to answer is, why should my child learn a musical instrument?

Well, some answers to this question are obvious. Children and adults alike derive a great deal of pleasure from playing instruments, from making their own music, and from performing for others. However, to play well takes skill and practice. The younger a child starts to learn an instrument, the more they will learn by the time they've grown up. Also, the younger a child starts, the more the learning becomes an accepted part of their lives. They may simply not remember a time when they didn't play.

Also, playing a musical instrument is considered in many circles to be an accomplishment of a well-rounded individual, along with being able to speak another language and play a sport. While the ability to play an instrument may not be needed for that job or university place you're applying for, it certainly won't look bad on your resume. It's generally accepted that learning an instrument takes dedication and hard work, traits that any employer would be happy to see evidence of. At the same time, it tells others something interesting about you.

However, there are less obvious reasons for encouraging your child to do this. There have been several studies that have shown a correlation between musical study and enhanced performance in other areas. In this study for example, children were given either keyboard or voice lessons and their test scores improved more than those of children who had received no musical tuition. These findings have been replicated in other studies. There does seem to be something about learning an instrument that's good for developing brains.

Of all the musical instruments, though, the piano requires the left and right hands to operate most differently. Were you ever any good at rubbing a circle on your tummy and patting your head at the same time? I was terrible at it and probably still am! I marvel at the way my son plays one thing with one hand and something different with the other. Our tendency is for both our hands to do the same thing at the same time, usually whatever the dominant hand is doing. Requiring different actions from different hands is stimulating to the brain.

From a musical perspective, the piano can form the basic study for any other instrument. A child will learn about rhythms and harmony, and any style of music can be played on the piano. It can also be used to produce a huge variety of sounds. Children tend to find it appealing because they can produce recognisable music from an early stage just by pressing the right notes in the right order, unlike some other instruments that are perhaps more trying to the parent's ear. Probably its only disadvantage is that it isn't as portable as many other instruments, but then you can't have everything!