There are many reasons that people pursue piano lessons, and everyone finds their own 
motivation for cultivating their musical talent. Of course, there are common reasons, like wanting to play in a band, wanting to be able to be able to play one’s favorite songs, and so on. There is nothing wrong at all with any of those reasons for undertaking piano lessons, but I find that there are also some amazing benefits that people don’t necessarily think of when consider music lessons. Here are a few of my favorite benefits of and reasons for getting into piano lessons for both children and adults:
For Children
- Better Brain Use – Studies have shown that musicians are more likely to use both sides of their brain in critical thinking, leading to an increase in critical thinking and reasoning abilities. Taking piano lessons is very often helpful to students as they continue to pursue their early years of education.
- Self-Discipline – Music education is an excellent way to teach children valuable self-discipline and time management skills, which will serve them will in all walks of life. It is also a method of teaching more likely to reach a child than some other forms of education, as the child gets the opportunity to both learn and have fun at the same time.
- Higher Self-Esteem – Children who learn music are less likely to suffer from self-esteem problems than other children. Piano lessons give children a sense of purpose and meaning, as well as a talent that they can share with others. Higher self-esteem leads to generally better performance in other areas of life, and a child will get a little boost with every lesson successfully accomplished.
- Mathematics Proficiency – Music and mathematics are closely related in many ways. Studies show that children who learn to play music at a young age are more likely to develop strong math skills as their education progresses.
- Open-Mindedness – Learning music opens up a whole new world to children, and anyone else, really. Music is a peaceful, globally understood language, and it comes from all people in all places. Music education will broaden a child’s horizons, as they learn of all the influences that go into any given genre.
For Young Adults
- College Admissions Bump – All of the benefits listed above apply to young adults as well, which can help catch the eye of college admissions officers. Due to the time management, self-discipline, creative and abstract thinking skills that music education like piano lessons provide to students, admissions officers are more partial to projecting them as successful college students.
- Stress Release – Learning, playing and listening to music are all great ways to relieve
stress, which can be very helpful during the turbulent teenage years, and beyond. Music provides a coping skill which can help divert people from choosing other, unhealthy methods of dealing with stress. - Career Opportunities – Piano lessons can lead to many career opportunities down the line, both directly and indirectly. Many top physicists, engineers, mathematicians and scientists report being adept at playing music. Beyond that, a student with a strong background in music can always choose to go into music education on their own.
stressFor Adults
- Mood Improvement – Since learning music is both a stress release and an accomplishment, it can provide an excellent boost in mood for any adult with a busy, stressful life. Piano lessons can provide a happy, fun diversion from everyday rigors.
- Passing it on – When an adult learns to play piano, they have the opportunity to pass their skills along to their children, which can be a valuable and beneficial bonding experience.
These are just a few of the many added benefits that people of all ages report from taking piano lessons. There are always more to be found, and I find that most of those listed apply to all age groups in some way.