14 January 2019 Playing The Piano May Help Curb Depression

Playing The Piano May Help Curb Depression

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Have you ever had a stressful day, retreated into your home, and put on your favorite tunes to relax? There’s a reason for that. 

From the dawn of humanity, music has been a part of the healing process. With nothing more than drums and simple instruments, people used songs to communicate and find ways to articulate and express all that was happening in their lives. 

Music therapy was first recognized after World War II when musicians began visiting veteran hospitals to help those suffering from both physical and emotional tolls of war. When nurses and physicians started seeing responses, they began to hire musicians to play. Playing The Piano May Help Curb Depression

Today, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) is the largest music therapy association, and serves communities around the world by promoting and educating people on the benefits of using music as a part of a therapeutic process. 

Music therapy has been proven to:

  • Decrease stress and anxiety
  • Increase motivation
  • Reduce muscle tension
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Provide emotional release
  • Enhance relationships

Music therapy works by using music to help with physical, emotional, and social needs of an individual. While listening has been proven to work, adding in physicality can help even more. By playing and participating, it has been found to stimulate the senses, help calm a person down, reduce heart rate, slow breathing, and reduce physical attributes of stress. Participation is everything. 

With many instruments, it takes a high level of skill to create a good tone. It takes even more skill to be able to play a song. With a piano, you press a key and the note is there. Even the most musically challenged can sit down and within minutes, be plunking out a simple tune. You can have fun from the moment you sit down. 

Want to feel better? Maybe it’s time to pick up a new habit this year. Why not choose to learn to play the piano and see how it helps you change your outlook on life. 

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7 December 2018 7-problems-youll-have-as-a-pianist

7-problems-youll-have-as-a-pianist

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Do you love playing the piano? We do too. But if you’ve been playing the piano for any length of time, there are a few problems you’ll have that only another piano player will understand. 

Trying to play when your fingers won’t cooperate

You sit down to play. You know the music very well. But somewhere between your brain and your fingers the message gets lost. Your fingers simply won’t cooperate and play what you want them to play. Sit back. Take a deep breath. Flex your fingers a bit, and try again. 

Playing with cold fingers7-problems-youll-have-as-a-pianist

Cold fingers aren’t as nimble as they are when they warm up. They seem to feel stiff and even a little numb. While you might prefer to practice in a cool room, warm up your fingers before you sit down to play at your optimum ability. 

When you forget a piece you’ve played for ages

Nothing can be more frustrating than knowing you can play a favorite piece of music well, then sitting down and forgetting where to start. Focus. You often forget because you’re in a new place or playing in front of people. Take a few extra minutes to calm, and focus on what notes you need to play. 

When you play perfectly by yourself, but mess up every time you’re with someone else

When you’ve practiced to perfection, it’s fun to sit down and play for your teacher, family, or friends. Yet no matter how many times you nailed it playing on your own, you mess up when you play for someone else. Nerves are a funny thing. Even if you aren’t nervous, your fingers can often seem like they have a mind of their own. Relax. Try it again. 

You want to play piano everywhere you go

Have you ever walked into a room with a beautiful baby grand front and center? Of course, you have to give it a whirl. How can you keep your hands off such a beautiful instrument? 

You know when you’re piano is out of tune

You sit down to practice and you hit “that note.” You know which one I’m talking about. It sounded perfect the day before, but suddenly it sounds … off. And you can’t help but notice again and again. That’s why true pianists have a professional tuner they can call in at any time. You can’t play if it’s out of tune, right?

You never want to stop

Playing the piano is something that gives you joy. You never want to stop. And the good thing about playing the piano, is you never have to. Piano is one of those activities you can do whether you’re 5 or 105. It’s a stress reliever. It’s a memory maker. No matter what your age, it’s an activity you’ll enjoy throughout your life. 

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29 November 2017 Is Listening To Mozart As Good As Playing The Piano

Is Listening To Mozart As Good As Playing The Piano

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When you have your first child, your life becomes a whirlwind of reading and educating yourself to be the best parent you can be. And at some point, you probably ran across an article or two that said how good listening to classical music is for your baby. 

It’s called the Mozart effect. And it’s been studied for a long time. 

Back in the 1990s, a group of researchers at the University of California Irvine performed a test in which they divided students into three groups. They played Mozart for one, self-hypnosis audio for another, and the third sat in silence. Then they were each asked to perform a series of tests. Those who listened to Mozart averaged higher performance than the other two groups, and the “Mozart theory” was born.  

From there, a whirlwind of products were created touting the benefits music had on our lives. Things like Baby Einstein videos were developed, allowing parents to put educational toys and videos in front of their children, and allow a few moments of guilt-free parenting opportunities to help them get through their busy days. 

It became so ingrained in our society, that even the governor of Georgia recommended that every child born in his state get a free classical music CD. Is Listening To Mozart As Good As Playing The Piano

Studies continued. And slowly it was proved that listening to Mozart might not be as beneficial as everyone once thought. It won’t hurt; being cultured in music can only help a child’s development. And if it calms everyone in the family down and eliminates stress, all the better. 

The bottom line is products like Baby Einstein won’t “educate” your child, and simply listening to Mozart won’t create a stronger, more fine-tuned brain. That takes education. That takes work. It takes action; doing instead of merely listening. 

And that’s where playing the piano comes into play. 

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26 November 2017 Should Kids Do Sports or Music … Or Both?

Should Kids Do Sports or Music … Or Both?

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When a child takes an interest in an activity at a young age, a parent is faced with a dilemma. Do you encourage they spend a lot of time with one activity, which can lead to a high skill level as they age? Or do you push your kids to enroll in several activities across the spectrum, exposing them to many activities and interests? 

It’s a question many parents ask themselves, especially when we see how dedication can pay off. No one would doubt the ability of Michael Phelps who started swimming at the age of 11. Or Yo-Yo Ma who performed John F Kennedy and Dwight D Eisenhower at the age of 7. Even Mozart was composing by the age of four. Should Kids Do Sports or Music … Or Both?

But while dedication to a single activity works for some, in general, many more face burnout and injury when focusing in on only one activity, repeating the process over and over again throughout development. Sports, in particular, can be a problem. 

When a child specializes in one sport early on, certain body parts are subjected to large amounts of stress. A pitcher may throw the ball hundreds of time. The spine of a gymnast is tweaked and torqued again and again. Football injuries are finally coming to light. 

Burnout is also a problem. When a child is pushed into one activity, it loses its thrill over time. It can become a tedious process rather than one of pure enjoyment, one that is designed to eliminate stress. 

And in many cases, the goal rarely lies with what the child wants. Parents see the light at the end of the tunnel as scholarships or even professional status which brings along with it fortune and fame. Whether it’s a child’s dream or the dream of his or her parents, it can quickly wane over time. 

The solution is not to curb a child’s participation in either sports or music, but to encourage a variety of activities that develop different skills and body parts. For instance, swimming can be a great activity for a young baseball player that hopes to pitch. Playing the piano can also help develop patience and focus. And because they all work together, your child will develop in more rounded ways. 

Just like we as adults look for ways to use everything we have in different ways, for young children it should be encouraged even more. It isn’t about putting a child on a narrow path for possible success, but instead sharing with them the love of being able to do whatever they chose to do. 

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7 February 2017 All Children Are Musical

All Children Are Musical

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From the time we’re born, music is an important part of our lives. From birth, our parents rock us to sleep, hum or sing softly to us as we sleep. 

Then as we age, we become more attracted to the rhythm of the beat. If a small child hears a song, they can rock and sway to the beat, flex their legs and arms as if dancing. They can even start singing themselves, especially if mom or dad is clapping along. All Children Are Musical

We emphasize music right from the beginning because it’s important in our culture. We incorporate music into just about everything we do. We wake up to it. We sing in the shower. We use it during our happiest moments – a bride and grooming their first dance together. We use it to cheer us up when things go wrong. 

And that starts right from the beginning. All children are musical; it depends on how much they are pushed as to how far they will go. 

There are two ways we incorporate music into our lives – we think music, or we practice it. 

We all become great at thinking music as we age. Can you start singing a song from when you were growing up? From preschool on, we hear songs, and they become ingrained in our lives. They transport us back to prior time periods. They trigger memories almost instantly. 

Practicing means actively getting involved in the process. For some, that might mean dance. For others, it might mean developing your voice or picking up an instrument. 

For small children, it can be as simple as clapping their hands together, marching to a beat, or picking up a spoon and hitting it on a pan. They “feel” the rhythm, and the more they practice it, the better they become. 

This expressive behavior can be encouraged as they develop, and deepened through music lessons that give them more structure to the concepts of music. 

Would your child benefit from learning the piano?

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23 December 2016 Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

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What stops a lot of people from continuing with the piano? Bad habits.

Bad habits can make creating music a difficult task. And when the joy begins to fade, piano playing follows suit.Playing The Piano: Moving Beyond Bad Habits

From early on in a beginning piano players routine, stuttering can be a problem. Stuttering is caused by stop and go practice in which a student stops playing when they reach a section they don’t play well, replaying it again and again when there is a mistake. If you make a mistake, always continue through to the end. Don’t stop and correct it. Instead, make a mental note of where the mistake was, and when you are through, go back and work on the troubled section. Stopping in the middle cuts out the rhythm of the tune. It stops your focus and concentration, putting it on the mistake rather than on the melody. It puts too much emphasis on the problem rather than the joy of the music.

Poor tone quality is another common problem. During practice, no one is listening so tone doesn’t matter. Tone can quickly degrade without having to correct it for those around them. And if they ignore it in practice, it’s more difficult to correct down the road. Good tone cannot be produced by a poor or untuned piano; the first step is to have a high quality piano in which to practice on. If they learn to practice with high quality sound, they will quickly recognize when a piano performance isn’t up to par. It’s also important to record proper piano tone from time to time, so that the player can get a good feel for problem areas, sound quality, and the difference between the two.

Still another bad habit is playing at the wrong speed. Music is created with a certain tempo in mind. The right speed is determined by many factors, including the difficulty of the piece, the condition of the piano, technical ability, what the audience is expecting, etc. If a person tries to play a piece that is too difficult for their ability, they may end up with many mistakes, or be timid and play it too slow for enjoyment. Perform a piece too quickly and it removes the performance factor of the music. The key is in practicing to perfection, and understanding your connection to the music. If you learn to think of presentation first, you’ll have a better performance overall.

The worst thing about bad playing habits is the time they take for correction. Nothing accelerates your learning curve more than developing good habits over bad. If you give yourself every advantage from the beginning, you’re more likely to enjoy the process every step of the way. Get the best equipment, ask for help, and have fun making music.

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13 March 2016 How Do You Feel About Playing The Piano?

How Do You Feel About Playing The Piano?

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We all have different reasons for wanting to play the piano.

A child may be playing simply because a parent signed them up for lessons.

An adult may be fulfilling a lifelong dream.How Do You Feel About Playing The Piano?

Even a piano teacher may have the desire to play for enjoyment while sharing that passion with those around them.

But no matter the reason you started playing in the first place, playing the piano today has to come with a love for the art of playing. If you don’t know why you’re playing, its hard to enjoy it and strive always to do better.

Asking a few questions can set the stage for helping you strive for more.

How did playing that piece (section, measure, etc) feel? 

Sometimes playing music feels fine. Sometimes the hand movements feel awkward. Sometimes it’s flat out frustrating. Getting down to the feelings can help you move forward and fix things that may not be going correctly. Maybe you’re holding your hands in the wrong position. Maybe you’re holding back from learning a new pattern. It’s easy to gloss over a situation if you don’t dig down to how you handle it.

What did I do well? What can I do better?

We’re all creatures of habit. We all enjoy being the best we can be. Which means we enjoy playing well and hate it when we haven’t picked up a new skill easily. Recognize what you do well. Acknowledge what still needs work. Then spend the time bringing undeveloped skills up to par. It can empower you while helping you focus in on things that still need work.

How can I approach this struggle?

Sometimes it takes work to overcome a problem. It might not be solved in one practice session. Or two. Or three. Address the struggles and search for helpful suggestions. It may come from a teacher, a book, or even a quick search online. Don’t expect to solve the problem in one day. Instead, look at it as a journey that will help you become better all-around.

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13 February 2016 Playing The Piano Will Make You Smarter

Playing The Piano Will Make You Smarter

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It sounds like a claim almost too good to be true. And yet study after study shows that’s not the case.Playing The Piano Will Make You Smarter

If you play the piano on a regular basis, it will make you healthier and smarter. Here’s how.

Music keeps you young

The longer a person plays the piano, the longer they are involved in creating music, the less likely they are to experience aging symptoms. Piano lessons and playing regularly keeps the auditory cortex healthy, and prevents age related changes.

It alters your brain

Studies show that people that take music lessons and play the piano add neural connections in the brain differently than those that don’t. This is prime for developing human communication at different levels, helping with speech, languages, memory and paying attention.

It helps with language skills

Musicians are also better in learning to incorporate sound patterns for new languages into words. They process speech in noisy conditions easier, and often do better with developmental issues such as dyslexia or ADHD.

It keeps your brain fit

In order to keep your body fit, you exercise every day. And in order to keep your mind fit, its important to have musical training regularly as well. Music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness, one that can begin helping with learning in school, and continue into old age by helping prevent and lessen the damage from cognitive disorders.

It is a stress reliever

Sitting down to the piano regularly can allow the stress to melt away. It can also reverse stress damage at the molecular level, according to studies performed in various medical schools.

It breeds success

Playing the piano helps develop strong discipline skills, patience, coordination, dedication, as well as the ability to memorize things in detail. Piano playing also reduces the incidence of depression and anxiety, and can help anyone of any age put more focus into their daily life.

Is it time for you to begin taking piano lessons?

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1 October 2015 The Life Lessons You’ll Learn From Piano Lessons

The Life Lessons You’ll Learn From Piano Lessons

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I was watching an interview from a man who was approaching his 100th birthday. When someone lives that long, the most logical questions to ask are things like:

What is the secret to living so long?The Life Lessons You’ll Learn From Piano Lessons
What have you learned along the way?

And while his answers were inspirational, they were also very simple. Living a good life doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact it’s usually just the opposite. There are a lot of things you can learn just by being an active participant. But then again, its like that with many things.

I’ve played the piano for decades, and along the way I’ve discovered that learning the piano can teach you a lot about living life. If you play the piano, chances are you have had many years of piano lessons, even if you are simply learning on your own. That’s the beauty of playing the piano, there’s always something more to learn. And you can do so whether you are 10 or 100, and it will all help you grow and become just a little bit more.

Wishing doesn’t make it so

Remember all those New Year’s resolutions you’ve made over the years, promising yourself you’ll accomplish more and do new things? How well did that work for you? Wishing doesn’t make it so. The only way to make it so is to put action behind it. If you’ve had a lifelong desire to play the piano, to become better at creating music, the only way to get there is to do it. Buy a piano. Invest in piano lessons. Put in regular practice. No matter what your ability, no matter what your age.

We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thoughts

How many people have sat down to play the piano and have thought, “I’m not very good”. Yep, and you’ll never be any good as long as you continue to think that way. Who defines what good is? Good can mean many things. You don’t have to play at Carnegie Hall to prove your playability. Playing for your enjoyment can be good enough.

Sometimes your instincts tell you to do something, something that may seem crazy and unbelievable. Follow your instincts.

If a small child wants to learn to play the piano, it’s our jobs to give them the chance. And when they dream big, it’s our job to give them more of a fighting chance to turn it into a reality. That’s where the greatest piano players of our time are created. It doesn’t matter that only a select few will ever be at the top of the business. There are many ways to develop a talent into a lifelong love. What is important is to follow through on the things that bring us the greatest joy.

What are your favorite life lessons?

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23 April 2015 Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

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The very first time you sit down in front of a piano, it can be a little intimidating. With that many keys, how will you ever learn them all?

Chances are you’ve heard of middle C. Middle C is the C closest to the center of the piano. This is the key that keeps you anchored when you play. It’s usually about where you sit, and it will be an active part of the majority of your songs.Quick Tips For Learning The Piano Keys

Middle C is usually found under the brand of the piano located above the keys.

  • On a 61 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
  • On a 76 key piano, it’s the 3rd C.
  • On a 88 key piano, it’s the 4th C.

The music alphabet runs from the letters A through G. A always comes after G, and begins the alphabet over again. And every letter to letter of the alphabet is an octave – A through G is one octave.

When you sit down and play an octave – A through G – the tone will never change. The range will sound different, and be lower or higher depending on the range of notes you play. But overall, you will hear the same tonal quality from octave to octave.

A piano’s black keys always form the pattern of a set of 2 followed by a set of 3. Find any set of 2 black keys; the white key in the middle will always be a D. From the D, you can move up and down the alphabet, filling in the letters.

The black keys from the sharps and the flats. They are a half way point between the tonal quality of a note. If you move to the black key to the right of the G, for instance, you will press the G sharp key. The black key to the left will give you a G flat.

Now that you understand what each piano key represents, learn to recognize them quickly by reviewing often, and applying it to the way you play every day.

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