Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!
What’s on your resolution list this year?
For most, people list out wishes and dreams. They want to lose weight, get healthier, destress, and pick up a hobby. While playing the piano might not help you with your weight loss goals, it can help you with the other three.
People often add learning to play the piano to their wish lists. And with good reason. Making music is a part of our culture. It’s a universal language that every human on earth has, no matter what country you’re from. And once you learn to “speak” it, it stays with you forever. Ever sat in an audience of a choir or a band from half a world away? It doesn’t matter if you speak English or French, Russian, or German, the beat of the music is there within you, speaking to you. 
If you want to learn an instrument as an adult, the piano is one of the most logical choices. It’s the only instrument that plays both harmony and accompaniment, and can play every range. Solo or with a band, you can fully enjoy playing the piano any time.
Not only does learning to play the piano expand your brain power, but it also helps you relax and unwind too. If you fully concentrate on your practice, you don’t have time to worry about what’s happening at work or a family issue keeping you up at night. You breathe deeper. You roll your shoulders to destress. You flex your fingers to help relax. And you listen … And feel the music vibrate through you.
Playing the piano has also been proven to help keep your brain active. It takes a lot of thought process to work both hands together to play a song, while reading the music set up before you. Add in pedals, and you have your entire body active in the process. Music therapy is now growing in popularity to help all kinds of conditions, from depression, ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s. Listening may work, but taking an active role is even better. Why not take an active role in keeping your brain healthy and start learning now?
So what’s on your resolution list this year? Is it learning to play the piano?
