Few people would argue with the statement that “piano lessons are good for you”.
A quick ChatGPT check confirms that
Piano lessons are good for you because they:
- Strengthen the brain – improve memory, focus, and problem-solving
- Build discipline – teach patience, goal-setting, and follow-through
- Improve coordination – hands, eyes, and ears work together
- Boost emotional health – music helps express feelings and reduce stress
- Support lifelong learning – benefits kids, adults, and aging brains alike
As I have often emphasized, I would edit that statement to say that GOOD piano lessons are good for you, and they CAN strengthen the brain, build discipline, improve coordination, boost emotional health, and support lifelong learning – provided they are done right.
Why then do so surprisingly many students give up, quit after a few years – if they even last that long?
Surely, the motivation is there – look at all the benefits of piano lessons!
I believe the missing piece lies in a misconception about what piano study entails.
Taking piano lessons is like undergoing elective surgery: success depends not only on an exceptional surgeon (the teacher) and top‑tier medical care (the instructional environment), but also on the patient’s commitment to pre‑operative preparation and post‑operative recovery.
Occasionally a student or their parent hesitates to invest in a quality instrument, questioning whether the expense is truly justified, dismissing the fact that it is the inferior instrument at home, not motivation, that is holding the student back.
Some students—or their parents—claim they cannot come to their lesson prepared because their schedules are already packed with soccer, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, ballet, martial arts, violin, orchestra rehearsals, after‑school clubs, art classes, and so on. I once worked with a family who was too busy during the week, but for religious reasons couldn’t practice on the weekend either.
Both piano lessons and surgery can be very expensive. I find it baffling when someone is willing to pay a lot of money for surgery / lessons but doesn’t understand that it takes more to reaping the full benefit of that investment than just showing up.
When I liken piano study to elective surgery, I speak from personal experience: my husband and I have undergone four major joint‑replacement procedures in the past three and a half years, giving us intimate familiarity with the rigors of postoperative therapy and the importance of diligent follow‑up.
The key distinction, of course, is that piano lessons rarely require narcotic pain medication …