I have played the piano all my life and have always felt so much more relaxed whilst doing so and afterwards have had a greater clarity of thought.I was not always aware of this fact until one day I realised that during any stressful period in my life, I would always look for a piece of music that made me happy . I would then sit down and play it on the Piano and afterwards I felt so much better.
The truth is that listening to music that you enjoy does in fact do that. Furthermore, playing a piece of music can also lower your heart rate and blood pressure .Studies have also shown that playing an instrument can improve your immunity and improve your Cognitive Performance ( memory) too. Infact my own father who sadly developed Alzeimers in his later life still could play the Piano beautifully and in his final years it was one of the activities that helped him reconnect with his past.As a Piano Teacher , I am so aware of the many pressures that people have in their lives. Whether that be family issues, financial issues or health issues. However, when my students sit at the piano and begin to learn to play a piece of music they become ” lost in the moment”. Their eyes light up and they feel such a sense of accomplishment. ” I didn’t know I could play that” is music to my ears and theirs!I have been told that learning to play the piano has helped people in so many ways……I certainly know that for myself and many others like me , it has helped me deal with the many ups and downs in my life and has been a gift that my wonderful parents gave me that I love to share with others.