When is a good age to start piano lessons?
This is a question that many parents wonder and there are so many answers out there. They generally range from: music should start from infancy all the way to waiting until they are between 6-8 years old for private lessons. It has been suggested that waiting until a child is older for private piano lessons was primarily due to the lack of age appropriate materials. As more research is done and the developmental levels of pre-schoolers are taken into consideration, there is an increasing amount of music material and programming for young children.
I firmly believe that music should start at infancy through parents singing songs to their child, saying rhymes, and tapping/clapping/bouncing along to music whether in their parents arms or the child themselves as they become capable of those movements. In the first year of life the brain is sorting out sounds that are later used for language development. The more sounds from language and music they are exposed to the more neural pathways are developed and ready for future use.
Another reason, unrelated to the cognitive benefits is that when a child starts music they don't remember a time when they haven't spent time learning and practicing. Playing music becomes an ingrained part of their life.
I have included links to some articles and videos talking about the brain and music.
This is a question that many parents wonder and there are so many answers out there. They generally range from: music should start from infancy all the way to waiting until they are between 6-8 years old for private lessons. It has been suggested that waiting until a child is older for private piano lessons was primarily due to the lack of age appropriate materials. As more research is done and the developmental levels of pre-schoolers are taken into consideration, there is an increasing amount of music material and programming for young children.
I firmly believe that music should start at infancy through parents singing songs to their child, saying rhymes, and tapping/clapping/bouncing along to music whether in their parents arms or the child themselves as they become capable of those movements. In the first year of life the brain is sorting out sounds that are later used for language development. The more sounds from language and music they are exposed to the more neural pathways are developed and ready for future use.
Another reason, unrelated to the cognitive benefits is that when a child starts music they don't remember a time when they haven't spent time learning and practicing. Playing music becomes an ingrained part of their life.
I have included links to some articles and videos talking about the brain and music.
First Steps in Music For Infants and Toddlers - John M. Feierabend, Ph.D
Podcast: Exploring the Cognitive Benefits of Piano Instruction - Frances Rauscher