Last week it was reported that a 15 year old piano prodigy is performing quite well in international competitions. It's amazing because he's been playing piano for less than a year. Even with all his talent, effort must be made to secure him scholarships for his training. As the article states, "Plane tickets and music schools are expensive."
A few days later, a leading music teacher in the UK lamented that her country is not producing enough star pianists. She thinks that electronic keyboards and the older age at which children in the UK learn to play piano are to blame.
Learning how to play any instrument can be expensive. First there's the cost of the musical intrument. If you buy an acoustic piano, there's also the cost of regularly tuning it. Then there are the lessons. You can find lessons on the web or you can teach yourself. Famous self-taught guitarists include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Prince. Most of the time, however, it helps to hire a teacher.
While learning how to play an instrument can be thought of as being expensive, maybe we're just spending our money elsewhere like on internet connectivity or computers or smartphones. Maybe the emphasis or importance of learning how to play a musical instrument has receded.
After all, learning how to play an instrument takes time, discipline, and patience. Is it worth it?
Studies show that playing an instrument activates many areas of the brain. It's like a "full body workout" for the brain. It helps memory and left to right brain messaging which helps the logical side connect with the creative one. A study published in July 2013 recommends further study of music learning as part of a healthy aging plan in adults. Preliminary results of this study indicate an increased sense in well-being as measured by the following:
- subjective experiences of pleasure;
- enhanced social interactions;
- musically-nuanced engagement in day-to-day life;
- fulfilment of musical ambition;
- ability to make music; and
- self-satisfaction through musical progress
So the next time you're listening to a piece of music, ask yourself, "Would I be better off listening to this or playing it?"