"Children who study a musical instrument for at least three years outperform children with no instrumental training on non-musical tests of vocabulary and non-verbal reasoning.”

— STUDY BY BETH ISRAEL OF HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL AND ELLEN WINNER OF BOSTON COLLEGE

SO WHY PIANO?

7 Ways Playing Piano Benefits Your Brain...

1. The analysis of musical passages and learning the theory behind them is a mental exercise. It's brain food at its finest - chords, melodies, and changes are rooted in complex thought.

2. Piano playing increases coordination. In order to play piano, your hands develop independent coordination, each often performs entirely different movements. By learning separate hand coordination, you stimulate several areas of the brain.

3. Piano playing increases listening skills. When you play piano you train yourself to listen carefully, which is a key part of communication.

4. Sight reading offers the brain a workout because the eyes must read music while the hands play it. The ability to sight read is similar to knowing a foreign language, while also requiring great hand-eye coordination.

5. Piano playing increases social participation. After all, who doesn't love going to a concert and talking about it afterward?

6. Proper piano playing teaches hand dexterity. It strengthens all the muscles of the hands and forearms.

7. It's learning a new, creative language in a fun way!