Why Teach Young Children Piano?
Some parents sincerely want to give their young son or daughter the advantage of early musical training, especially piano lessons. They have read articles in newspapers and parenting magazines about research relating early musical training to improved ability in math and science. Giving their child this early advantage, plus developing a musical talent, is of great importance to them.
The part of the brain that enables us to think in mathematical terms is located in the right side. It is the part of the brain that also controls the left side of our bodies. The left side of the brain controls speech and related skills, as well as the functions of the right side of the body. For the right handled individual, the constant use of the right hand in daily activities and our speech keep the left side of the brain stimulated. The right side of the brain is not as fortunate as it is not used as frequently in daily activities.
Piano requires that both hands are used to master a song. Each hand plays independent of the other. All the fingers of each hand end up being involved as the difficulty of the pieces increase. Both sides of the brain become involved as the message is received from the eyes, calling on the brain to recognize the note, locating it on the keyboard, and sending the message to the correct finger to strike the correct note. The brain must also tell the fingers how long to hold the note down and whether it should be played with other notes. This wonderful exercise for the brain ends up creating the beautiful sounds of a song.
The involvement of not only the left side of the brain, but also the right stimulates it in such a way that patterns and logic in other facets of life become easier to recognize and work with, both important and essential parts of math and science. What a terrific gift; developing the brain for better math and science skills while learning to play a complex and beautiful musical instrument.
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