2 July 2018 Music: We’re Losing An Important Part Of Our Culture

Music: We’re Losing An Important Part Of Our Culture

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Having a child today comes with a lot of responsibility. What will you teach her? What activities will you guide her into? What will fill her time?

Parenting used to be a hands-off approach. With lots of kids around, kids simply did what kids do. They played together and went to school. Parents provided a firm hand as necessary. 

But with fewer children per family, many have become integral parts of their children’s lives. They drive here and there. They sign up for lessons. They set up playdates and events. They keep busy morning, noon, and night. Music: We’re Losing An Important Part Of Our Culture

That means there are more choice than ever for a child’s attention. And peer pressure may also have a guiding hand. Join the soccer team? Yes. Practice the piano? No. 

It’s easier to provide group instruction. It’s also more lucrative. Why teach one child when you can teach multiple at the same time? 

And besides, teams give kids important skills about communication and being together with others in your peer group. That’s the best way to go, right?

Well…

There are two sides to the coin. Of course, kids can learn a lot when joining a team. There’s nothing wrong with physical activity. Whether it’s soccer, or swimming, or gymnastics, it offers many different characterizations for a growing child. 

However, it’s important to remember your child needs work from the inside out too. 

That’s where many parents are overlooking one of the most successful ways of helping to develop a young brain – learning an instrument. 

A piano specifically is one of the best instruments to learn on, offering the player the chance to play both the melody and the accompaniment. 

And it’s more than learning how to play an instrument or making music. It’s also about improving your brain. 

Studies show musically inclined individuals are better students, do better on tests, and perform better at learning multiple languages. You’ll find some of the most successful students in med school majored in music. 

And those characteristics last a lifetime. Playing the piano improves cognitive abilities. It’s been shown to lessen the effects of memory-related diseases.  

When you need to destress and decompress, nothing can satisfy like sitting down at the piano.

So why aren’t we pressing more for piano lessons for young kids? Maybe it’s time to make it a priority. 

Filed Under: Piano Music, Piano Playing Tagged With:
26 March 2015 How Music Can Impact Your Health

How Music Can Impact Your Health

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Music can have a profound impact on your life in many ways.

But study after study shows that music can go way beyond, and actually make an impact on your health as well.How Music Can Impact Your Health

Take, for instance, what some have called the Kenny Rogers Effect.

When people suffer brain injuries, such as strokes, when they listen to music while undergoing standard therapy, they fare better in their progress towards recovery.

Listening to favorite songs helped people perform better, and thus activated more therapeutic effects that lasted for the long term, helping them improve at a faster rate. While scientists tried a variety of music in a variety of genres, they found the songs that provided the greatest benefits were performed by artist Kenny Rogers, thus the Kenny Rogers Effect was born.

While studies continue to determine the long-lasting effects music has on the brain, other studies continue as well.

Music May Help Prevent Seizures
Seizures can be very damaging to the body. It has been shown that music by Mozart played on the piano has seizure reducing effect in the brain when played within five minutes of exposure. In some cases, it has also worked with patients in comas. While experimentation with other forms of music is still at a minimal level, it may be a reason to bring out the classical music the next time you sit down to play.

Helping Combat Parkinson’s Symptoms
Music is good for the brain, its been shown to be true over and over again. But what about the body?

Victims of Parkinson’s suffer from muscle spasms, locking muscles and problems with balancing. By using music therapy, it has been shown to resolve many of the physical issues faced by many victims currently suffering with Parkinson’s.

Have you ever listened to music – even music you don’t enjoy – and found your foot keeping beat to the music? Its because portions of your brain that deal with rhythm and movement are so automated, we require little thought to feel the beat. This movement isn’t handled by the same process we use to make other moves, such as walking up the stairs. Instead, the brain associates music with movement, and sends the movement signal to your legs. In some cases, music can trick a broken, unresponsive body into movement and action, and bring balance back into the lives of people that may have lost it.

Do you have any stories on how music has helped with the health of someone important in your life? With so much growing evidence showing the benefits of music, why not make it a regular part of your routine.

Filed Under: Piano Music Tagged With: ,
5 April 2014 The Sound Of Your Piano

The Sound Of Your Piano

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When it comes to playing piano, sound is everything. With the help of sound, you can feel the music and understand what the composer was trying to get across when he composed each note. Music expresses thoughts, feelings, ideas, harmony, beauty, happiness and emotions. Within a few seconds, you instantly understand what each song is trying to convey.

Likewise you can tell the era each song comes from. Can you pick out a Chopin or Mozart piece? How about a Rachmaninoff?

The more you come to understand music, the more you’ll understand it comes down to the control of the sound being made through the piano itself. If a piano is old and out of tune, you can still play the appropriate notes to a song. But without the musicality, it won’t be as enjoyable for the people around you. (Yourself included.)The Sound Of Your Piano

Piano playing is not a sport. Your goal isn’t to give yourself a vigorous workout over the course of a practice session. You won’t develop the muscles in your fingers over time, nor will you work up endurance in your hands and wrists.

The purpose isn’t velocity and technical results. Instead, playing the piano should always be about expression, meaning and the art of making music in the first place.

Your piano isn’t a percussion instrument. It isn’t made to pound out the notes to get the loudest sound. Instead, its all about quality. Work on the sound and the technique will come.

Mastering piano is about training yourself to influence the sound, depth, openness and softness of the sounds you are producing. Its how you position your hands to get the most expression from every note you touch.

When you touch each key, keep your wrists relaxed and your fingertips controlled. Use the entire weight of your hand to put soft pressure on each note you touch. Focus in on the sound you create – does it match the music you are trying to produce? Does it convey your message?

And while your technique is what you learn and grow over time, always remember that you have to start with the best tool in the first place.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying a “starter” piano without thought as to the purpose. If you want to develop a love for music, you can’t do it with an out of tune piano that won’t allow you to play a full range of notes. If cost is of concern, don’t buy at the lowest price from someone on Craigslist. Instead, start with a reputable dealer that can fit you into a quality piano at your budgeted price.

Investing in the right piano now will help you achieve a love for music overall as you learn to play and get better every day. And isn’t that the true goal anyway?

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Playing Tagged With: , ,