Why should my child take piano lessons?

Q&A by Sam Holland

The following Q&A is a reprint of an article originally published in the July 2016 print edition of Clavier Companion.

Introduction by Sam Holland

A: Let's face it. Today's young people (at least in middle-class America) do have more choices than any generation in history. And, while some of those choices are questionable for a child's well-being (excessive gaming, social media, etc.), many of them are GOOD choices. I don't believe that ANY of the activities listed in the question are BAD choices. Each has the potential to be a positive experience, and advocates for each could honestly claim that the activity has the potential to enhance self-esteem, increase confidence, engender a sense of accomplishment, relieve stress, and/or improve physical, mental, or social capacities.

Faced with high-quality competition and a finite amount of time, energy, and attention, those of us who teach piano for a living need cogent and compelling reasons why studying piano should receive serious consideration on everyone's list. And fortunately, it's not a difficult case to make. If you Google the phrase "reasons to play piano," not surprisingly you will find more than fourteen million hits in less than a second. Your search will point to websites, social media, blogs, links to YouTube videos and more. Piano study is clearly a subject in which many people are interested. I encourage you to perform such a search and read as much as you can tolerate. You will find all kinds of reasons to study piano. Most of these contain elements of truth, are correct to some extent, sound very good, and provide catchy talking points, but they fail to zero in on the real point.

In the spirit of this search, here, in order of ascending importance, is my personal Top Five List of reasons why parents should choose piano over any of the activities listed in the question.

Reason #5. Piano is FUN and EASY.

With an expert teacher who understands how children (or adults) learn and can create a climate of discovery, creativity, and continuous musical growth, beginning lessons really are FUN—with a capital F. Compared to other instruments, it is relatively easy and fast to learn to make satisfying musical sounds at the piano and to perform music that is recognized and valued by students, peers, and families alike.

Reason #4. Piano study is SELF- CONTAINED.

All it takes is a student, a teacher, and a piano (or keyboard instrument). Unlike most other instruments, the piano stands alone— able to provide a complete musical experience without accompaniment or supporting cast. Thus, piano study can be pursued alone and does not require other people, teams, organized practice, special facilities, etc. Wise teachers will understand that it is important to create ensemble opportunities so that developing piano students do not feel isolated, but such opportunities are optional.

Reason #3. Piano Study is for LIFE.

Unlike most other extra-curricular activities, even those of high quality, piano study can literally become a lifelong activity. In the best cases, it does. Most other activities require teams or ensembles and special facilities. Music-making at the piano can be done privately at home or publicly anywhere there's any instrument. As a person ages, piano study can enrich leisure and social activity and provide intellectually and aesthetically engaging discoveries in all phases of life. Those who participate in artmaking are much more likely to enjoy a full spectrum of arts and cultural activities as audience members.

Reason #2. Piano music is the GREATEST.

The literature for the piano is so vast as to be inexhaustible. One could learn ten new pieces a day for life and still only scratch the surface of the piano repertoire. It encompasses the spectrum of human musical expression from the most sublime and abstract creations of Western man to the most popular and accessible songs of today. No one ever runs out of great music to explore and master (... or simply attempt).

Reason #1. Life is BETTER when you play piano.

Piano study makes a person more complete, more alive, and more aware. Piano study can build social connections. And it's in this category that I'd put all the important, but ancillary reasons people often cite in support of music study. These include increased intelligence (measured in some standardized tests), increased wellbeing (measured in some medical studies), increased self-confidence, increased emotional intelligence. Here, I would also observe that piano study can help develop tenacity, resilience, and the ability to solve complex problems over long spans of time.

But most of all, piano study at its best can immeasurably enrich the lives of individuals by bringing them into the presence of timeless beauty and allowing them to participate in a life-giving act of creation alongside the Master Architect of all things.

About Sam

Sam Holland holds the Algur H. Meadows Chair and serves as Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. He is the author of more than 70 critically acclaimed piano method and repertoire collections.

Editor's note: Permission is hereby granted to copy this article and share it with prospective students and parents.

Printed in Clavier Companion (July 2016)