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Will Piano Lessons Make My Child Smarter?

The Answer is a definite Yes!

AND THAT IS NO EMPTY CLAIM. Studies have shown that playing music enhances learning, memory, logic, and general creativity. It also improves muscle development, coordination, timing, and concentration. As a matter of fact, piano lessons for your little ones now could help them tackle math and science when they’re in high school.

The path of research that led to these conclusions is fascinating. It began in 1990 when researchers discovered that the brain actually makes its own music. These researchers, Dr. Rauscher and Dr. Shaw, used a computer-generated model of electrical brain activity to feed various brain patterns through a synthesizer. The result was music that resembled Baroque music, Eastern music, and even Folk music. That means that when nerve cells communicate with each other, they actually play their own music. These results left the scientists wondering if playing music wouldn’t help these nerve cells to communicate even better.

They tested the theory by using four groups of preschoolers to determine if musical training might affect their brain development. They gave one group keyboard lessons, another group singing lessons, the third group computer lessons, and a final group no lessons other than the standard curriculum. After six months, the students who had learned the keyboard performed 34% higher on spatial temporal ability tests than any other group. As you can imagine, these results created quite a buzz.

The fact is, that after a baby is born, the environment and the child’s experiences build more and more mental circuits and patterns between neurons. Scientists have found that if the brain does not continue to form pathways between these neurons, the brain actually clips them out. That means that the richer the environment that you expose your child to, the richer his or her brain’s network. And when it comes to music, it’s not just about a bunch of notes. The key lies in its intricate patterns of notes. As you play, you see these patterns and relationships between notes, which is the key to strengthening spatial temporal abilities.

There is a period of brain development more important than any others with regard to both verbal and music abilities. It begins at birth and ends around the age of 10. While preschool age is a particularly excellent window of opportunity to reap great rewards from music lessons, no age is too late to benefit.

Researchers as the University of California San Francisco, for example, tested adults. After being taught to play the piano and charting the resulting brain changes, they found enormous changes in the brain’s size. Specifically, there were dramatic changes in the brain’s representation of hand muscles. The bottom line is that these lessons more than tripled the size of their brain’s motor maps.

But even without the studies, we all know how good music makes us feel. Research (as well as personal experience) tells us that music invigorates both the emotions and the body. It’s not a coincidence that Music Therapists have relied on it for over 50 years for its therapeutic benefits. It’s all very exciting, and what a wonderful way to enhance your whole family – from intelligence, to a sense of well being, to the simplicity of utter enjoyment. As you can see, piano classes come highly recommended all around. You can call PianoNation at (248) 596-1000 to get your kids enrolled today!