Work Hard, Play Splendidly – Chapter 32

Chapter 32 told of a retired gentleman who pursued a life-long dream of learning to play the piano, and of his experience playing in a student recital where he was the only adult.

I included this story in Piano Dance, because I have met numerous adults who wished to learn to play the piano. I wanted people to know the patience and effort it might take, if they did not study piano as a child. The other side of that is that I wanted parents to know how important it is for their children to have the opportunity to study piano as a child. If they do not have those early connections in their brain, it is very difficult to establish them as an adult.

It is well established that studying piano helps children in numerous other pursuits. Playing piano requires complicated connections in the brain that no other activity has been found to create. Children who study piano have been found have improved accomplishment in math and language skills, and greater accomplishments in their adult lives. Also, there are now studies on senior citizens showing that piano study delays the onset of mental decline. Here is a link to one study: LINK

Ultimately, though, I wanted to tell the touching story of Bill, who accomplished a life-long dream to be able to play beautiful music on the piano. I hope you enjoyed it. It was a privilege for me to be part of such an endeavor. Also, I wanted to point out the importance of a skilled and enthusiastic teacher. Bill’s teacher, Kelly, has had students rank in international competitions, but his students love him for allowing them to study in the way they wish, not pushing them to take part in competitions. He encourages them to play at the level they wish, without judgement, so they can bring their personal joy to their playing. The importance is not to play better than someone else, but simply to play for personal enjoyment and self-expression.