RED SPT JAN 19

Page 4
January Edition
Learn How To Play
I always wanted to learn the piano
but never had the time until now
that I have the time. I always
wanted to play he Summer Of 42
and other memories.
Children very often have to be
persuaded to practice and attend
piano lessons. Adults, on the
other hand, don’t need to be
dragged, kicking and screaming,
to their piano teachers. Adult piano
lessons are thus almost invariably
a pleasure for both student and
teacher.
Adults have highly developed
logical and critical thinking skills. It
is often thought that playing music
is a purely creative, right-brained
act, but this is by no means the
case. As the most emotional of
the arts, music indeed favors the
Dionysian right brain compared to
the Apollonian left.
Adults can learn complex concepts
much more easily and understand
technical explanations. This makes
it possible for adults to learn music
theory and analysis far more easily
than do children.
The importance of being able to
analyze and understand a piece of
music from the beginning of study
cannot be overstated. Nothing
is more common than students
who attain skill on an instrument
but who have only a rudimentary
understanding of the music, which
severely limits their playing in ways
they cannot imagine.
Adults have developed attention
spans. Children’s attention spans,
by contrast, are often limited to
only a few minutes at a time. It
takes careful concentration to
learn the piano, and adults have
a considerable advantage in this
regard.
developed. Music, after all, is the
most directly emotional of the
arts, and its wide spectrum of
emotions can only be expressed
and comprehended by those who
have experienced those emotions
themselves.
Adults are able to read fluently. By
contrast, very young children can’t
yet read letters or numbers, which
necessitates more basic teaching
methods. Note names, musical
instructions and fingering numbers
are not the only things that require
the ability to read letters and
numbers: the fascinating areas of
music history and theory, so critical
to playing music competently, do as
well.
By definition, adults are fully
grown, whereas children have asyet
undeveloped muscles. While
the hands themselves can and
should gain flexibility and strength
from practicing piano (and the
hand span can even increase), the
fingers and palms of adults are fully
grown.
This simple advantage should
not be overlooked in music
education. Children who play string
instruments, for instance, are
forced to adapt to instruments of
different sizes as they grow. The
violin, for instance, comes in fully
eight different sizes! The piano
keyboard, by contrast, is only
available in one size.
Remember, it is never too late
to learn music! If you’re an adult
wishing to commence or resume
piano playing,
There are several teachers in the
Sandhills that can help you out.
Check out Deanna‘s Piano Studio
in Southern Pines.
Adults are emotionally
By: Millie Jameson SLN Reporter