30 June 2016 Is Music Therapy The Answer?

Is Music Therapy The Answer?

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The more we use music in a variety of daily activities, the more value we are discovering it has in our lives.

A project out of the University of Cambridge is looking at the impact music has on a variety of things in our lives.Is Music Therapy The Answer?

Can music control your empathy and learning styles? Can the type of music you listen to and prefer be an indicator of how your brain thinks? Can your musical engagement show how you prefer to interact with those around you?

Yes.

Have you always seen yourself as an empathizer? Someone who has a good ability to tap into the feelings and thoughts of others? Chances are you prefer romantic, relaxing, unaggressive and slow music such as soft rock.

Are you a systems person? Have you always leaned towards sciences and math? You probably listen to music for the structural qualities of it. You prefer sophisticated music with a flair of a rhythmic beat, classical compositions, or traditional. Jazz.

These traits carry on throughout our lives.

More importantly, they can help us through the good times … and the bad.

Ever played or listened to music to relax after a long day of work? Or to help you study for a big test? Or to help you adjust to tragic news?

Music may be the key.

Have a child with autism? A spouse with depression? A mother with Alzheimer’s?

Music may be an answer.

We’re on the cutting edge of finding out the answer music has in our lives. The best way to benefit from all that is left to discover is to bring the joy of music to your life right now.

Has playing the piano been a lifelong dream? Why not make it a reality today.

Filed Under: Piano Music Tagged With:
27 April 2016 Why Digital Piano Is Perfect For Music Therapy

Why Digital Piano Is Perfect For Music Therapy

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Imagine sitting in a world where nothing is familiar. You don’t know the people around you, are unfamiliar with your surroundings. You’re nervous, not sure where you are or what to do.

Then you hear a familiar tune. One you hummed and sang once upon a time. It calms you down. Makes you smile. Helps you feel more comfortable with your surroundings.Why Digital Piano Is Perfect For Music Therapy

That’s reality for many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other cognitive disorders. Therapy can take place in many ways, from singing and dancing, to listening from an iPod, to playing an instrument.

While any kind of music can be helpful to the cause, studies show that participating makes more of a difference. Even patients with degenerative diseases and have reduced motor skills who are unable to do much else can participate when they have a digital piano in their presence.

They can respond when a simple tap produces a note. And with little effort, can tap out enough notes to create music, even a song. And if they are able, they can continue the process and learn piano to continue to make music every day.

Music therapy:

Improves memory – practicing piano requires repetition. It challenges a person to learn a little bit more each time they sit down to play.

Improves hand-eye coordination – these fine motor skills are often the first to go. Because a person easily connects that a note makes a sound, they quickly pick up the desire to progress and do more.

Relieves anxiety and stress – listening to music helps you relax. When you are part of the production, it can reduce stress, relieve signs of anxiety and depression.

Increase interaction – while Alzheimer’s patients often withdraw, patients who use music therapy often begin interacting with others, including family members, caregivers, and others in their lives.

Starting up a music therapy business? The perfect addition is a digital piano, one that will allow you to travel to your patients and incorporate all kinds of playing skills into their lives. We can help you select the right digital piano for your needs. Stop by today.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing Tagged With: ,
10 February 2016 Piano Therapy For ADHD

Piano Therapy For ADHD

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It doesn’t take more than a few minutes of research to determine music is one of the best forms of therapy for all kinds of issues. And studies show that adding piano playing routines to a person’s lifestyle can provide a variety of benefits, everything from reducing stress to improving focus on everyday activities.Piano Therapy For ADHD

So it’s easy to believe studies that say piano playing provides specific benefits in all kinds of ways, including helping kids with ADHD.

Music adds strength to the areas of the brain where a child with ADHD is weakest. Music builds and strengthens auditory, visual, spatial and motor skills, which are tied to making improvements in speech, language, reading, comprehension, concentration, organization, focusing and attention issues.

Studies show that when children with ADHD begin taking music lessons, their attention, concentration, social functioning, self-esteem, self-expression, and memory all improve. Additionally, if a child has difficulty focusing when there is background noise, music lessons have helped. Which means by adding music lessons to a child’s daily routine, you may quickly begin noticing an improvement in school work, where noises and commotion occur all around them every day of the week.

No matter how old your child is today, if they’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, adding piano to their routine can make a world of difference. Where to start?

Start with group music lessons. Children as young as 18 months old can benefit from being a part of a music program.

Introduce private lessons between five and seven. This is when children become better at focusing, and private lessons make the biggest impact in a daily routine.

Listen to music. Music is all around us, but it’s important to point it out to your child and listen in a variety of ways. Play classic music as they are studying. Sing together in the car. Visit your local symphony for concerts. Point out the music in their favorite movies.

Orchestrate homework. Ever wonder why we sing the ABCs as children? It’s because it allows us to better absorb, retain and retrieve the information over and over again. You can apply this to many lessons a child must memorize in their youth, such as math and science facts. Play music while they focus in on homework, and not only can it help reduce stress and put them in a better frame of mind to finish the work, it can also improve their school abilities over time.

Filed Under: Piano Playing Tagged With: , ,