Piano lessons are indeed a great beginning to a lifelong pursuit of music performance and enjoyment. Piano is not difficult to play, even for a very young child. Learning to read the music and play what is on the page is more difficult, but making the piano produce beautiful sounds can be done by just about anyone who has fingers!

Therefore piano is the best place to start if you think you want to learn other instruments in the future. The basics of music-- the notes, the counting, and the other elements and notations -- will be most easily picked up while at the piano, because the playing part is not difficult. Once these basics are learned, a more difficult instrument that requires more finger dexterity or the ability to make a sound on a mouthpiece or a reed will be learned much more quickly. Band directors are always delighted to hear that their new student has had piano lessons, because they know that this student will be one of their leaders in band as a result of this "head start" they have.

Piano is also a good place to start if you wish to be a singer. A singer with the ability to play piano will be much more successful, because they will be able to learn their music on their own by playing their notes on the piano. Again, choir directors are always excited to hear that a new student has a background of piano lessons, even if it was only for a few years!

And piano lessons have many other benefits, as well. Learning the piano teaches students personal responsibility. It teaches them to work hard, even when the job is difficult. It gives them many successful experiences, which builds their confidence. It even gives them an identity that sets them apart from the crowd - they are a piano player!

Learning to play the piano well is not easy. But it is very worthwhile!