Acoustic
& Digital
PIANO
BUYER
THE PRODIGIOUS POWER
OF PIANO PLAYING
BRIAN CHUNG
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. You’ve
probably heard that saying a hundred times, especially if you’ve ever
studied the piano. Mom said it, so it
must be true, right?
Well, hold on a minute—nothing against Mom, but let’s get real:
“Practice makes perfect” is a terrible motto for piano players. First of
all, it’s incorrect—how can anything
become “perfect” if, every time, you
practice it wrong? And second, it
can’t even come close to capturing
the prodigious power of playing the
piano. So, with all due respect to
that venerable axiom, trash it—and
make way for a motto that proclaims
the real benefits of piano playing:
Practice makes prosperous.
People usually associate the word
prosperous with wealth. While that’s
certainly part of its meaning, many
dictionaries suggest a broader definition: to be prosperous is to flourish,
to thrive . . . to be successful. Therefore, the phrase practice makes prosperous declares boldly that those
who play the piano are far more likely
to flourish, thrive, and experience
success in life than those who do not.
Quite a stretch, you say? Read on.
Thriving Children
Consider what happens when eightyear-old Bobby decides to embrace
serious piano practice. Not only does
he embark upon a wondrous musical adventure (possibly the greatest
benefit of all) but, perhaps unconsciously, he acquires a diversity of
skills far beyond the musical notes:
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He learns to work hard. Anyone
who excels at the piano has made
a commitment to practice with
vigor and determination.
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These are only some of the skills
Bobby will acquire as he devotes
himself to diligent piano practice.
He learns to focus. In a world
So, how will such practice make him
where iPods, MySpace, Facebook,
prosperous?
Twitter and mobile texting have
Ask employers what they look for
made multi-tasking the de facto
when interviewing young job candiway of life, young people are at
dates for their top positions. Most
risk of losing the art of concen­
are looking for a well-defined set of
tration. Piano practice reminds
character traits. Specifically, they
Bobby how to focus on one
want people who know how to work
thing—and do it well.
hard, can focus well and avoid disHe learns to be responsible.
tractions, are responsible, will pay
Serious pianists learn that faith­ful,
attention to details, are self-reliant
consistent practice—even when
and creative, and will persevere on
they don’t feel like doing it—will
a project from start to finish. Sound
bring great satisfaction over time.
familiar?
You see my point. The skills Bobby
He learns to pay attention to
learns by practicing the piano will be of
details. As his skills mature,
immeasurable value to him not only in
Bobby learns to observe the fine
job interviews, but in every area of his
points and use the most subtle
life. People who have these skills are
nuances to create art.
more likely to flourHe learns to be
ish in college, thrive
self-reliant. While
in the work world,
Those who play the
practicing, Bobby
advance in their cacan’t always rely
reers—and generally
piano are far more
on Mom and Dad
enjoy success in any
likely to flourish,
for help. To sucfield of endeavor.
thrive, and
Test scores support
ceed, he must
this
contention. Studlearn to work well
experience success
ies show that students
on his own.
in life than those
of music typically
He learns to be
score higher on SATs
who do not.
creative. Creativ­
than do non-music
ity is a musician’s lifeblood.
students—on average, 57 points
Pianists use it not only to express
higher on the verbal section and
musical ideas, but also to conquer
41 points higher in math.1 Further,
the physical and mental obstacles
a 1994 study showed that college
that arise when learning new music.
undergraduate students who maHe learns to persevere. There is
jored in music had the highest rate
little satisfaction in learning only
half of a piece of music. The deter­
1 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers.
mined pianist finds joy in follow­
The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001.
ing through to the very end.
Excerpted from Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer
Copyright © 2016 by Brookside Press LLC. All rights reserved. www.pianobuyer.com
1
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Thriving Adults
But how about you? Are you among
the 82% of adults who have always
wanted to learn how to play an in­
strument?3 Did you know that adults
can gain as much as younger people
from playing the piano?
Even if you’ve already achieved
career success and significant wealth,
there can be so much more to a prosperous life. Consider what happens
when Nancy, a baby boomer and
successful business owner, decides
to join a recreational group piano
class for adults:
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She immediately feels relief from
stress. After hours of intense daily
pressure at work, Nancy finds it
easy to unwind at the piano. The
class moves at a comfortable
pace and no one is ever required
to play solo—which means zero
stress. In her personal practice
and in class, Nancy can just relax
and have fun.
She’s making new friends.
Because recreational piano
classes are taught in groups,
Nancy enjoys getting to know
others who share a common
interest. Many of her classmates
are professional people like her
who, after raising a family, are
finally getting to try the things
they’ve always wanted to do. The
warm camaraderie among class
members is a wonderful surprise.
2 Peter H. Wood, “The Comparative Academic
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She enjoys playing her favorite
songs. Nancy always dreamed of
learning her two favorite Beatles
tunes. Now, she’s thrilled to play
these and many other classic hits
for friends and family.
Her mind and spirit are enlivened.
The process of learning some­thing
completely new has been
intellectually and emotionally
stimulating for Nancy. She enjoys
a sense of adventure when ex­
ploring new musical concepts
and genres with her classmates.
Playing the piano has made her
feel more fully alive.
Brian Chung is Senior Vice President
of Kawai America Corporation and a
leading proponent of the benefits of
making music. He is also a pianist, and
co-author (with Dennis Thurmond) of
Improvisation at the Piano: A Systematic Approach for the Classically
lishing,
Trained Pianist (Alfred Pub­
2007). Visit his website at www.brianchung.net.
Studies have shown that recrea­
tional group music-making can signi­
ficantly improve the quality of life and
personal well-being among those
who embrace it. So even when you’re
playing the piano just for fun, practice makes prosperous in meaningful
ways that far exceed the balance in
your 401(k).
To give the piano a whirl, contact
a local music store or independent
piano teacher to find out about recreational piano classes in your area.
Whether you’re young or old, striving for success or just playing for fun,
the prodigious power of playing the
piano can change your life.
How about you?
Are you among the
82% of adults who
have always wanted to
learn how to play
an instrument?
Abilities of Students in Education and in Other
Areas of a Multi-focus University,” ERIC
Document ED327480 (1990).
3 U.S. Gallup Poll. 2008 Music USA NAMM
Global Report (August, 2008): 139.
Excerpted from Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer
Copyright © 2016 by Brookside Press LLC. All rights reserved. Acoustic
& Digital
of acceptance to medical school
(66%).2 Practice makes prosperous.
Prepare your children for success in
life: Introduce them to the piano.
PIANO
BUYER
®
WWW.PIANOBUYER.COM
www.pianobuyer.com
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