Everyone is aware there are benefits both healthwise and mentally in learning a musical instrument. It has been said the piano is a gateway to all music, so what are some of the benefits in learning to play the piano?
Reduces stress – Something that plagues not just adults nowadays! Playing the piano allows you to get away from daily stress where you can focus on the music. Some of the most beautiful musical pieces have been written for the piano and it is believed piano lessons can help decrease depression, and subsequently induce positive mind states.
Calm the mind – Hand in hand with the previous benefit, reducing stress calms the mind, this subsequently improves mental health. Research has shown people who create and play music experience less depression, anxiety and loneliness and also experience improved self-esteem.
Piano playing promotes better performance at school - Research has also shown students who studied piano for 3 years or longer scored higher in general and spatial cognitive tests and children who studied the piano for a few years could remember twenty percent more vocabulary words than other students. Piano lessons have also been shown to improve a child’s ability to listen, focus, and learn and can help children finish projects quicker and more efficiently.
Develops hand/eye coordination – With having to both read the music and play at the same time this trains your eyes and hands to work effectively together. Also in playing each hand performs different movements and needs to learn to work independently but together thus stimulating multiple parts of the brain.
Aids in language development – As mentioned above learning the piano can increase the vocabulary range of a child which in turn aids language development and also in learning foreign languages. Also the brain activity acquired when young through music will continue to benefit into adulthood.
It is easy to play - When a student starts to learn an instrument like the guitar or trumpet, there’s a huge learning curve in the early stages which are not present when learning the piano. When learning a wind or brass instrument the use of facial muscles and shaping of the lips can take time to master, or learning how to build calluses on fingers for playing guitar takes time. Piano is also intuitive to learn.
Inspires creativity - Playing the piano requires you to be creative and thus use both sides of your brain. By having to use both hand and eye helps in the development of creative thinking. This will also aid in being able to think outside the box and have clearer problem solving skills.
Playing the Piano Brings Joy - The piano can be hauntingly beautiful. Whether you are playing it yourself or just listening piano music can bring great joy.
Thinking about having a guinea pig as a pet? For many guinea pigs are ideal pets for kids and families as they are cute, cuddly, tolerant of boisterous kiddies and are relatively low maintenance. Here are six good reasons to own a Guinea Pig:
However, guinea pigs can be messy!
Guinea pigs are herbivores and require a high-fibre diet. They should have grass or grass hay available at all times. Lucernce or clover hay can be offered but not as the sole source of fibre as they are high in calcium and protein. Suitable grasses include clover, buffalo grass and oat grass. Guinea pigs also enjoy dandelion, milk thistle and a variety of fresh herbs.
If you are a clean freak you might want to think twice about a guinea pig. They are slobs. They poo in their food, water and bedding. They scatter their bed into their water and their water into their food. So because they can't do it, you need to check, clean and restock their food and water containers daily.
Enjoy!
Has your child ever asked you this question? And what was your answer? Here are a few facts and arguments you can use in the future.
When learning many can't understand the benefits of maths beyond the basic calculation of daily things. However maths is important in all aspects of our lives.
Maths equips us with many tools including -
· Logical reasoning
· Ability to think in abstract ways
· Problem solving skills
Maths develops the imagination and trains us to be able to think clearly. Maths is also important in the development of language. You would be amazed at how often the language of maths crops up in your daily conversations; talking about time, money, temperature, technology, planning trips, shopping, cooking, designing plans ...
Mathematics is important in many everyday employment situations, science and technology, medicine, the economy, the environment and development, and in public decision-making. Think of the jobs that require maths these include doctors, teachers, scientists, engineers, technology services, lawyers, marketing, building, designers just to name a few.
Maths is invariably used, and often without realisation, to find the right concepts and methods to make difficult things easy, to explaining why a situation is how it is. By using maths skills you develop language and insights into our understanding and appreciation of the world.
Maths isn't just numbers and is all about patterns too. Imagine a fashion designer trying to develop a concept without maths abilities!
Increasingly, employers are looking for graduates with strong skills in reasoning and problem solving.
Finally of course everyone nowadays has a computer. The computer itself is a machine built upon the principles of mathematics.
So whilst you may think you don't use maths or hate the subject, just imagine how you would get on calculating your change at the shop, working out if you can afford that much anticipated trip, reading your bank statement or baking that cake if you had no, or very limited, concept and knowledge of that often dreaded subject - mathematics!