Music and Early Childhood Development:
Maximizing the Benefits

A great number of studies have been conducted in recent years on the correlation between early childhood development (specifically brain activity) and piano lessons. Much of the research supports the idea of starting piano lessons for children as early as three and four years of age. The reason for this, as some researchers suggest, is that the "window of opportunity"¹ for learning and the development of spatial skills decreases as a child grows older. In fact, according to Harry Chugani of Wayne State University's Children's Hospital in Michigan, the "windows of opportunity last until about the age of 10 or 12".² Although we continue to learn throughout our lives, the opportunity to learn foreign languages and musical skills decreases with age.

As we move into a new millennium and we search for improvements in music education, these data are very encouraging. Many of my colleagues have been inundated with calls from excited parents who have read articles on these studies and want their children exposed to piano lessons as early as possible.

While this relatively new zeal for piano lessons is promising for new generations of pianists, it also presents three potential issues that need to be addressed. The first is the issue of educating the piano teacher to instruct these little ones since a younger child's ability to learn is quite different from an older child's.

Most of the research on early music development supports techniques involving experimenting with music first through sound and movement rather than through reading symbols. The Suzuki method would be a great example of this since the Suzuki philosophy is based on the "mother tongue approach"³ to music. Simply stated, children learn to speak their language by hearing their parents speak and thereby imitating the sounds. In the same way children can learn to play an instrument by listening to the music they are studying and by repetition and imitation of the teacher rather than reading the written symbols such as notes, rest, etc. This requires extensive study and a great sense of responsibility on the teacher's part.

It is crucial that the teacher understand the role that he/she plays as the youngster's first encounter with formal lessons. The groundwork for developing the necessary brain circuitry should be reinforced properly if the desired results are to be obtained. This can be accomplished by working diligently with the proper hand position and encouraging good posture and relaxation from the onset. Also, the teacher must remember that the child's brain is influenced by the sound he/she hears. Therefore, it is vital that the teacher's piano, as well as the student's, be tuned properly and all recordings of music are of good quality.

The second issue deals with educating the parent on what to expect out of the piano lesson and what his or her role will be. Since it is beyond a three or four year old's ability to assimilate all the information taught in a piano lesson, it is necessary that one or the other parent attend all lessons. In this way, the parent essentially becomes the "home teacher" reinforcing at home the information covered at the lesson. The progress of a youngster's musical development is directly proportional to the dedication and willingness of the parent to work with the child on a daily basis.

Many times I am told by a well-meaning parent that the expectation of lessons is for the child to have fun. The problem lies in the fact that very few accomplishments are reached without some degree of effort. For example, I'm sure that Big Mac (Mark McGuire) of the St. Louis Cardinals would agree that the breaking of the home run record during the 1998 baseball season was only possible due to his many repetitious hours of batting practice. This is not to say that lessons have to be pure tedium. A good teacher can motivate a student by showing his or her own enthusiasm and love for music. Excitement is contagious. If the teacher can demonstrate the excitement of the music by making it come alive chances are greater that the student will reciprocate. I have had students pretend that they are putting on a recital for the president of the United States. Most children love to use their imaginations in this way. I have also instructed parents to hold mini recitals at home and invite the child's friends and neighbors. With the very young child stuffed animals serve as great audiences. Many times older students will talk to discouraged younger students about what a mistake it would have been to quit lessons when the going got tough. The bottom line is the teacher and parent must communicate how special music can be in a child's life. The majority of my students stay inspired because they are constantly working toward goals such as recitals, festivals or competitions. I do not give them time to get bored!

Regardless of how creative the teacher is and how gifted the child is, some children will never by motivated to practice without the parent's insistence. Most of the teachers that I talk to would rather have a full studio of average ability students that practice on a regular basis than a studio of the most promising pianists that never touch the keyboard.

Thirdly, I am concerned that the pure aesthetics of music are threatened because the emphasis has shifted from a creative art form to a means of accomplishing other goals. In other words, what happened to "art for art's sake"? Until the 17th century music was mostly recognized as a means of worship and keyboard music was mostly an imitation of dance forms. With the evolution of J. S. Bach's purely keyboard styles such as the Invention, the Prelude and Fugue and the Toccata, and the advent of the pianoforte, keyboard music began to be appreciated as purely an art form. I rather doubt that Beethoven was thinking about the academic benefits of music when he wrote the beloved Moonlight Sonata.

Because of my great love for music, I hold it in the highest regard as an expression of the soul. While my job includes teaching the basic rudimentary skills along with music theory, I believe that my most important role as a teacher is helping every student discover and develop his or her own creative abilities and means of expression through music.

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