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There is a lot of research that claims to prove that learning an instrument, the piano in particular can be beneficial in the cognitive development of children. Research has shown that those who play an instrument markedly differ in their developmental of specific cognitive abilities when compared to those who do not play an instrument. The areas that the differences are apparent were for one, spatial abilities which concerns how one mentally pictures and makes sense of the world around them. There are different areas of spatial ability which ranges from tracking objects in an open space to the ability to mentally envision and manipulate 2D and 3D images. In the case of playing the piano and increasing or having increased spatial abilities if you are reading a piece of music, comprehending it and translating that information into the correct hand and foot movements; you will have good spatial abilities. If a person or child from a young age is doing this repeatedly under tuition you can see where the improvement in spatial abilities in musicians stems from. Another illustration of the differences between musicians and non-musicians being, several studies have shown that those children who receive formal tuition in a musical instrument actually rank higher on official intelligence scales than those who have had no tuition. In a nut shell these studies have stated that those who have tuition in and play a musical instrument are more intelligent that those who haven't. Some other areas that have been studied with regards to cognition and music centres around the debate; does it help you to work or study when you listen to music? This seems to be a personal preference some find it helpful where others prefer to work in silence. Research carried out in 1997 studied participants while they listened to music and were asked to carry out a spatial task. The results showed that the music had a positive effect on the mental processes required by the participants to successfully carry out the task set to them. It has also been argued that playing and learning to play an instrument can increase self esteem within a child. Learning a new instrument, especially the piano is a complex and time consuming process which involves a certain level of commitment. The process and eventual outcome of learning and being in possession of such a skill is a great confidence boost, it also enables children to believe that they are capable of learning and attaining new skills. This article draws to the conclusion that learning an instrument can be extremely advantageous to a child in terms of; cognitive development, intelligence or ability to take in and process information and also perhaps more importantly in increasing their self esteem.
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