The Art of Piano Lessons – Why have a piano teacher?

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Become Motivated

A great reason to enroll is to become motivated. To spend time and money on what it takes to learn the instrument means commitment.

Commitment means the student is destined to work harder at learning than just dabbling around. The challenge to prepare for lessons every week to meet the expectations of the teacher. That is a big part in the Art of the instrument itself. It's about communicating and interacting.

Without that teacher encouragement and motivation, learning the piano may seem really difficult. In fact, learning on one's own may debilitate the fingers by creating physical muscular problems, which could become learned, hindering the process altogether.

Enrolling in lessons is like having a coach for a sports team. The coach sets the goals, sets the parameters and the results can be amazing!

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Get Inspired

Have you ever been inspired? Does this not happen by example? Watching performers on the piano inspire us to want to get better. The lessons are a continual source of inspiration in the drive to improve.

When we are inspired, we learn by example. We develop appreciation for the instrument and the players that have mastered it.

Just by watching, listening and learning one step at a time, big tasks become small tasks.

Not all things are complicated, although they may sound and look that way at first. The teacher is there to clear up the confusion and offer inspiring ideas to learn how to maneuver on the keys and read music with ease.

The teacher is the one who brings the new ideas forth, allowing the student to reach their fullest potential!

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It's Athletic

Playing the piano is an Art Form. It is similar to dance as a form of expression. It involves muscles that must be trained a certain way in order to express the instrument at it's best.

As a performer, the player and their physical ability is the main instrument. This means that learning to play the instrument correctly, according to one's own ability, physical characteristics, hand shape and size are all considerations.

To try to teach one's self without assistance is risky. Developing muscles incorrectly could potentially ruin all good intentions of becoming a pianist. Correct muscle development from the start, then throughout the stages of improving is extremely important over the long term. Learning the instrument the right way keeps the hands ready to play anytime.

There is a big difference between just 'playing the piano' and being a pianist. A good teacher helps show you the difference.

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It's Being Teachable

It's more than just a small commitment. Lessons bring awareness and make us teachable, open us to new ways of doing things on a regular basis. It is the opposite of being close-minded to new ideas and valuable concepts.

Getting the process started early with peak interest helps develop this mindset. Those who study piano with a teacher may benefit with being open to new concepts in other fields of study also. This leads toward success in any other setting where valuable information can be received, processed and geared into success.

As students we humble ourselves, realizing we don't know everything. This challenges us as a person to become able to accept new approaches to problem solving.

Although being inquisitive in finding out how to do things using various online tutorials and videos may appear to help quite a bit, there are many unknown learning stages that self-help videos cannot develop. That is the interpersonal communication part of learning the instrument.

Videos do not interact. Learning piano is a step-by-step process, one step building toward the next. Only a teacher, like a tutor, can provide a fully customized step-by-step process.

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It's Developmental

Starting the process early in life gives many advantages. Waiting on lessons only delays successes. "The early bird gets the worm" as they say. Starting piano early begins awareness of music concepts like rhythm and reading, which gives a huge head start to skills development.

Have you ever been amazed by a very young performer playing better than everyone else? Learning eye to hand and body coordination at an ideal young age is a huge advantage.

When to begin? That all depends on the person. Too early for some, sooner for others. That is what the initial piano lesson consultation is all about. The teacher can see whether the student is ready to take on the piano instrument.

For those starting later, enrolling in lessons allows less time to be wasted as a quick assessment can be made what level to start the process.

Muscles develop the same no matter what age we are. It's always a benefit to start lessons anytime you feel ready! Enrolling in lessons allows the process to become very efficient.

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Relax and Enjoy

Let the teacher take the wheel and enjoy the ride. You can know that skills will improve every step of the way.

One small step at a time is the process. Each skill builds upon the previous, so there is a methodology to the entire systematic learning process.

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It's Guiding

Guiding you through the maze of challenges is the process. Wouldn't it be nice to have that extra help to succeed? Interpersonal communicating is a growing experience.

Learning to share your music is important to success in the Arts. Having someone guide you in the process of peaks and valleys while learning and performing is extremely beneficial.

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It's Complicated

Learning piano is a challenge. To attempt to learn the instrument without guidance is like trying to fly an airplane without a navigation system. It can be done but is extremely difficult.

There are so many resources to learn independently, yet it all comes down to the physical part of playing. That is not something that can be just 'figured out' without oversight.

Many players, for example one who learns Jazz without a teacher, could easily wind up with muscular hand issues, physical strain limitations and ultimate carpal tunnel. Is it worth the risk? These issues are all avoided with proper oversight from a teacher from the get go.

There is no cheap way to do this, as like a dancer, muscles are not made of steel and can become stressed over time. Most of the complexity is the physical side of the process and becoming proficient is the rest.

On the other hand, trying new things to figure it out is the first step of the process. Enrolling is the next step in becoming a real pianist, or at least where you can begin to enjoy the instrument and all its possibilities!

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Zoom and In-person

Here at Baldwin Studios, students may have a bit of both. Most lessons are Zoom with the occasional lesson in person.

Some students find Zoom to be helpful enough, while others may prefer a combination of Zoom and In-person.

In-person lessons is up to the teacher to decide. This is based on preference on how well the learning process moves along!

Zoom works, it's proven, modern and fun! Your first lesson is free so give it a try?

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"Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is."

~ Malcom Arnold

Health Benefits of Learning Piano and Singing

Physical Benefits

Health benefits of playing piano and singing

  • Exercise - Playing piano and singing increases physical and mental activity.  One uses the entire body in the process including arms and back and everything else.  Singing is an energizing physical and cardiovascular activity! Pianists also work the arms and breathe with the music!
  • Posture - Good piano posture and healthy singing posture enhance strength throughout the body.  This builds good habits in other everyday environments.   Working on posture helps align the neck and back and prevents or relieves aches and pains in students of all ages. 
  • Stress Relief and Emotional Outlet - Playing piano and singing songs energizes the mind and body enabling more focus on positive activities and thoughts, which helps with stress relief! Music practice helps improve healthier heart rates toward feeling better!
  • Deeper Breathing - Most of the time our breathing is very shallow, where singing requires deep breathing from the diaphragm. This strengthens your lungs and respiratory system. 
  • Immune System Boost - When we learn to play piano or sing, we often become inspired! An article by Live Science,  states how music "enhances the immunological response, which enables us to fight viruses."
  • Finer Hearing - Learning music enhances hearing abilities by increasing tone and sound awareness. This includes isolating sounds and distinguishing tones and pitch.  Studies have also shown how musicians can pick out specific voices and isolate sounds in a noisy environment.

Benefits for the Mind

Playing piano and singing

  • Performance - Playing music is a workout for your entire brain and the muscles in the mind.  This process helps improve your memory skills and overall mental performance. In hospitals music can help the brain of patients recover from a stroke, as well as slow symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
  • Concentration - While playing music one exercises deeper levels of concentration for longer amounts of time. We utilize all of our mind's muscles in keeping focussed.  Doing this regularly allows us to become more adapt to concentrating on other tasks.
  • Coordination & Multi-tasking - Music is multitasking! Using our fingers, hands, and feet in rhythm continuously while singing,  or playing notes and chords can be a challenge for anyone.  Eye-to-hand motor skills become enhanced!
  • Reading Skills - Reading notes on a page helps strengthen our abilitiy to process information by making new connections of neurons in the brain. Reading and absorbing new information in other arenas becomes easier.
  • Listening Skills - Studying music enhances our ear muscles for hearing.  During practice in solo or in groups, one must listen for beats, expression of lines, and sing in tune with the group. This enhances hearing skills to be able to discern various sounds.
  • Time Management - Learning music requires practice and lots of repetitions! To become proficient it requires consistency and regularity of daily,  weekly, monthly and yearly routines. Figuring out how to put the time into music (along with all the other things going on in our world) and really sticking to it helps develop better organizational skills!
  • Mathematics - Music is very logical with numbers of beats in every measure, lengths of time for each note and other such calculation requirements. Being able to quickly recognize patterns and beats are all part of the mathematical framework of music.  Counting beats and rhythms means using math and logic skills continuously!

Emotional Benefits of Music

Benefits of playing piano and singing

  • Self Expression & Emotional Healing - Like other forms of expression such as painting, dance, theater and writing, music enables us to express our inner most ideas.  While playing and singing we can express ourselves with our own unique personalities. We can also write something of our own to express ourselves somehow.
  • Self Identity - Everyone has a style of music they like,  so learning the art of piano and voice allows expression for any genre! Pop, Rock, Country, Jazz, R & B or anything else, it is all a form of expression. And with that expression comes a sense of identity!
  • Therapy - Playing piano music and singing can help with stress, insomnia, and depression because it is an outlet for how we feel.  Anytime we can let it all out helps us with just about every part of our lives.  It is healthy and soothing to sort through our problems and tough times through expression of music.  Playing music is like a vacation for the mind and emotions!
  • Achievement - When we finish a piece of music or when it is good enough to be performed, this brings a sense of satisfaction! Feelings of finality and accomplishment are healthy!  Setting goals is important in the process,  doing the work on the pieces brings a great sense of accomplishment!  This improves confidence in other areas of our world!
  • New Friends - Singing in a group, theater, band or choir and performing with others who are into music is a great way to make new lasting friendships! 

by Richard Baldwin

 


 


 

Articles and Blogs:

(Note: Articles are from linked sources and content is not affiliated with Baldwin Studios.)

 

Does Playing a Musical Instrument Make You Smarter?

Neuroscientists identify a link between musical training and executive function.

A new study from Boston Children's Hospital found a correlation between musical training and improved executive function in both children and adults. Previous studies have identified a link between musical training and cognitive abilities, but few have looked specifically at the effects of early musical training on executive function.

Executive functions (EF) are described as high-level cognitive processes that enable people to quickly process and retain information, regulate their behaviors, make good choices, solve problems, plan and adjust to changing mental demands. Another component of EF is having cognitive flexibility as represented by the ability to adjust to novel or changing tasks on demand.

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Musical Training Optimizes Brain Function

Musical Training Optimizes Brain Function" I write about previous research that found musical training can cause fundamental changes in both the structure and function of a young person's brain.

Three Brain Benefits of Musical Training:

  1. Musicians have an enhanced ability to integrate sensory information from hearing, touch, and sight.

  2. Beginning training before the age of seven has been shown to have the greatest impact. The age at which musical training begins affects brain anatomy as an adult.

  3. Brain circuits involved in musical improvisation are shaped by systematic training, leading to less reliance on working memory and more extensive connectivity within the brain.

Adult musicians and musically trained children in the new Boston study showed enhanced performance on several aspects of executive functioning. On MRI, the children with musical training showed enhanced activation of specific areas of the prefrontal cortex during a test that made them switch between mental tasks.

More specifically these brain areas included: the supplementary motor area, the pre-supplementary area and the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. All of these brain regions have been linked to executive function. Interestingly, enhanced brain activation was also apparent within other brain regions that are not traditionally directly linked to executive function including the insula and cerebellum.

A May 2014 study from the University of Liverpool found that musical training can increase the blood flow in the left hemisphere of the brain. This suggests that the areas responsible for music and language might share common brain pathways.

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Musical Training Might Improve Academic Achievement

The researchers at Boston Children's Hospital conclude that children and adults with extensive musical training show enhanced executive function when compared to non-musicians, especially for cognitive flexibility, working memory, and processing speed.

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Music and health

Harvard Health Publications - Harvard Medical School

Music is a fundamental attribute of the human species. Virtually all cultures, from the most primitive to the most advanced, make music. It's been true through history, and it's true throughout an individual's lifespan. In tune or not, we humans sing and hum; in time or not, we clap and sway; in step or not, we dance and bounce.

The human brain and nervous system are hard-wired to distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and repetition, tones and tunes. Is this a biologic accident, or does it serve a purpose? It's not possible to say. Still, a varied group of studies suggests that music may enhance human health and performance.

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