The Future Of Piano

The Future Of Piano

“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents” ~ Ludwig van Beethoven

There was never a time when music wasn’t a part of the human condition. We clapped. We hummed. We sang. We swayed to the rhythm long before the invention of modern day instruments.The Future Of Piano

Yet no matter what instrument we play or genre we prefer, music changes us. It comforts us like a best friend. It teaches us. It sets our world on fire.

“Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words” ~ Robert G. Ingersoll

Like everything, music changes. Instruments change. The piano changes. Many distractions get in the way. So how does the piano adapt?

Through technology? We’re raising technology literate children for a new world. Of course, they don’t want to go back to days of old. They have an open slate, and it can challenge them in many ways. Why fight it? Why not adopt it into our everyday lives?

“Every child in our country should learn how to sing, and how to play upon at least on a musical instrument.  Among these the piano is perhaps the most practical for musical cultural purposes.  Nothing should crowd out the opportunity for self-expression which can come to those who can play the piano with some degree of mastery”  ~ Walter Damrosch

Music is the language of the world for many reasons. No matter what language you speak, music is there. And all music is created through one of seven notes. There may be different names, but all tones remain the same. And in every language, music is there at the deepest level of heart and soul.

“I had never before thought of how awful the relationship must be between the musician and his instrument. He has to fill it, this instrument, with the breath of life, his own. He has to make it do what he wants it to do. And a piano is just a piano. It’s made out of so much wood and wires and little hammers and big ones, and ivory. While there’s only so much you can do with it, the only way to find this out is to try; to try and make it do everything.” ~ James Baldwin

Music is there to guide you every step of your life. What else has that power? It can improve your performance in school, provide stress relief during every period of your life, provide recovery from major health conditions. You can stand on the sidelines and listen, or you can jump in and participate in a big way.

“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” ~ Tom Lehrer

Is the piano a part of your lifestyle?

The Future Of Piano

The Future Of Piano

Every industry changes. As we invent new, old things disappear. As technological advances are made, out of date technology goes away.

To expect anything different isn’t realistic.The Future Of Piano

What is the present and future of the piano as an instrument?

Since no major changes have been made to the overall construction of the piano in decades, it’s safe to say that the structure of the piano has stopped evolving.

But what hasn’t stopped is technology. That’s where the most growth and the most opportunity lie. It’s where electronic keyboards are pushing forward, offering more opportunity to an ever-changing field.

Does this mean digital will eventually replace acoustic pianos? Not at all. The television didn’t replace radio when it swept in; instead, it simply changed our perception of what is possible.

When it comes to training, a keyboard is a keyboard. You’ll learn in a similar manner on both an electronic piano as well as an acoustic. Up to a point. Electronic keyboards serve composers, pop musicians, and other artists in musical fields. Classical pianists will never reach their true potential without having access to the best acoustical pianos in the industry. The touch is different. The sound is different. And nothing will ever be able to connect the two in any way.

But clearly there is change in playing the piano, in the music industry as a whole. It stems from the way our current school system is structured.

When schools morphed and changed, cut arts programs due to budget cuts and beliefs that STEM subjects were more beneficial to our population than the arts, music programs began to disappear. And if children weren’t encouraged to choose a musical instrument in school and find joy in anything but what can be found on the radio or their iPod, the interest wanes.

But again, our society is in a constant ebb and flow. Already a movement is beginning to change the future course of education, realizing potential problems that are just beginning to appear. The concept of STEM schools – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – is being changed to STEAM. Which of course adds back in the arts.

Adding back in liberal arts, which includes language arts, physical arts, fine arts, and music, sets the framework for teaching that is based on natural ways of learning. It creates interest and FUN for all.

How will piano morph and change in our future? Only time will tell. But it’s a safe bet that music was and will continue to be an important part of our lives. The only question is how involved you and your family choose to be.