The secret is out: you can now increase your brain power by learning to play a musical instrument!
Playing a musical instrument is proven to expand your brain power and increase your cognitive awareness.
Learning to play an instrument requires a tremendous amount of micro-skills that all need to be fine-tuned to perfection to allow you to play with fluency and excellence.
You learn so many aspects of life through music.
You will learn patience, perseverance, determination, continuing through difficulties, and the importance of improving daily.
You become a more rounded, peaceful, and intelligent person by learning to play a musical instrument!
Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.
Martin Luther
Music is mystical; it is part of the realm of the fourth dimension. It is part of the higher realm where things exist outside of knowable science. (For example - we cannot express in words what music sometimes makes us feel!)
According to the Florida National University, learning to play an instrument eases stress, reduces examination anxiety, improves performance and can even cure pain!
In addition, according to them "music moves the brain to pay attention" - see the full article here https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/
The University of Birmingham states that learning music improves your overall brain power and health and provides you with developing versatile strengths usefull for any industry.
To see what they have to say, please view: https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/
If you have time, you can even read what Anita Collins from the University of Canberra says in her document entitled: "Music Education and the Brain: What Does It Take to Make a Change?".
You can view her views and research here. Discover the benefits of Music Education to Brain Development and her conclusions in the document.
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the Glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Learning how to play music is an incredible gift!
It transforms us from mere mortals to the higher realms of the fourth dimension.... outside of time!
Learning how to play music is, however, incredibly frustrating at times!
That is actually good!
It builds character and great qualities that are hard to obtain in other areas of life.
Learning to play an instrument teaches us to be tenacious. Not to give up at the first signs of trouble.
It teaches patience and endurance. The ability NOT to give up or give in!
As human beings, we are experts when it comes to procrastination and delaying our endeavours.
We are hard-wired to avoid pain and take the road towards the comfortable.
It is only when we reach a point of I-need-to-start-this-right-now that we take action.
An overwhelming number of choices make it hard to select a teacher and get started.
That is exactly why we have created this outstanding music academy for you!
With LMT Music Academy, you can browse and look at our wonderful teachers who will help you develop and reach your musical goals!
If you are short of time and you want a 'concierge service', we can send one of our team of instructors out to your home if you live in central London.
We have world-class music teachers at LMT Music Academy - view our teachers here
Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.
Frédéric Chopin
Throughout my piano studies, I encountered both fantastic and terrible piano teachers. Some were incredibly motivating, while others were scathing and discouraging. One does not always realise the harm that destructive instructors can cause, and I would advise you to discontinue your piano lessons immediately if you do not feel inspired or motivated.
As a student at one of the world's most prestigious music academies, I couldn't simply walk away. I was forced to follow the curriculum and attend the lessons taught by these ungodly people. It is not uncommon for piano teachers who aspired to be well-known concert pianists but ended up in a classroom to exact their vengeance on their students. It's completely unacceptable, and I hope no one else has to go through it.
It is unhealthy to be afraid of your piano teacher and to leave each piano lesson with tears in your eyes. It is not constructive and will only cause students to lose confidence. Breaking someone down is not beneficial, and I believe that encouraging someone is far more beneficial. Why criticise someone whose playing isn't up to par? Isn't it the role of a piano teacher to demonstrate and assist in the resolution of problems?
I'm not going to name names or spend too much time talking about those who made my piano lessons unpleasant. As I previously stated, I believe they were dissatisfied individuals who should never have been hired as piano teachers at a prestigious music university.
I am, however, eager to share my most memorable experiences and how they have influenced my life.
I am, however, eager to share my most memorable experiences and how they have influenced my life.
As I write this, I am especially thinking of Mr Edson Elias, who was a fantastic piano teacher as well as an outstanding pianist. He was much more than that, though: he was a true piano master. He tragically died in 2008.
Edson was a remarkable man. Because of his Brazilian heritage, he was extremely friendly with all of us. We weren't just a group of students in our piano class at The Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris; we were a family. Edson had this amazing ability to make us love and support one another instead of competing with one another. I have some amazing memories from my time studying with him!
Our first meeting was also unforgettable. I called him one evening when I was 16 years old, on the advice of Mrs Francois, the widow of the famous French pianist Samson Francois. He immediately inquired as to whether I had received a press release or if I had won an international competition. I was speechless and terrified. I was still very young and had nothing to offer him. He probably thought I was a nice girl, so he invited me to a piano seminar a few weeks later. It was the start of an extraordinary relationship. On this day, my relationship with the piano also changed.
I understood what all my previous piano teachers were trying to explain to me about interpretation and sound production in just one lesson, on Liszt's Les Jeux d’Eau a la Villa d'Este. Edson didn't say anything; he was just singing next to me, lightly touching my shoulders and back as I played. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.
I am eternally grateful to Edson for teaching me everything I know about piano playing today. Thank you very much, Edson!
Please accept my apologies for being overly enthusiastic, but studying and being so close to Edson was fantastic!
I've shared my personal experience because I want people to understand that picking a piano teacher isn't like picking a ready-made meal. Your piano teacher can either transport you to a magical world or turn you off from piano playing entirely.
With all of my students, I have always tried to be the mentor that Edson was for us, and I hope that I have always inspired them as much as I intended.
Years later, when I met Thierry Lang, I had a similar experience. After finishing my studies in Paris, I met this wonderful man in Switzerland. He got me into jazz music. My sessions with him were not your typical piano lessons; it was my favourite hour of the week, and I used to miss him terribly during school holidays.
I have mentioned two pianists, but I am confident that you can also meet this incredible piano teacher who will change your life and transport you to a world you didn't know existed. If your piano teacher is enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge and assisting you in becoming the best pianist you can be, you will undoubtedly make much faster progress. When you face obstacles and difficulties, you will discover your inner strength. Even if you are exhausted from a long day at work, you will find the courage to practice and improve your skills. Whatever piece you are playing, the music will flow through your fingers. You will gradually grasp the inner meaning of each composition, and your enthusiasm for piano playing will skyrocket.
Taking piano lessons with a piano teacher with whom you have no connection, on the other hand, will have the opposite effect. It may cause you to lose motivation and interest in playing the piano. You've probably decided to learn how to play because of a particular composition that inspired you to dream, and you don't want to lose your enthusiasm and love for the piano.
Make sure to do your homework before enrolling in a piano lesson because I can assure you that studying with a good or bad piano teacher can make a huge difference in your piano education. You have the option of flying to the moon or digging in the ground!
It is best as a piano teacher to adjust to each of your students rather than expecting them to conform to you. You can approach teaching anyway you feel appropriate, but teachers who adapt to their students rather than the other way around are usually much more successful and keep their students for much longer.
During my piano lessons, I had a teacher that acted like a tyrant, and the experience was awful. Attending his lessons was so scary that I dropped out after only a few weeks. It was forbidden to ask any questions. I couldn't pick the repertoire, and each piece of advice was an order. To be honest, it was horrifying.
I believe in allowing my students to express themselves, and I am continuously on the lookout for attributes in each individual. I believe that assisting people in improving based on their strengths is far more beneficial than focusing on their weaknesses.
Each student is unique, and I find it fascinating to try to figure out who is in front of me in order to educate this individual in the most appropriate manner based on his abilities and personality.
However, after many years of teaching and despite the fact that each student is unique, I have discovered that they may be classified into a few groups. With more than twenty years of piano teaching experience, I can now evaluate a new piano student in an instant. After a few minutes of talking and listening to his playing, I instantly know who is seated on the piano stool. If you teach for a long enough period of time, you will undoubtedly have the same experience. There are occasional outliers, but history appears to repeat itself in a piano studio.
For example, I have met three types of absolute beginners:
People that fit into one of the aforementioned categories tend to behave in the same way, say the same things, and make the same mistakes. They all make the same comment about their piano experience.
Intermediate players have several characteristics as well. They either want to skip ahead without taking things slow and adopting the work that will help them progress, or they tend to limit themselves. The majority of them will have the same weaknesses in their playing. Their sense of interpretation would be non-existent, their technical skills would be mediocre, and their ability to sight-read would be poor. I have rarely met intermediate pianists who had it all, but it's always been a pleasure for me to identify and correct their flaws so they can progress to the next level.
Advanced amateur pianists are probably those who have developed the most originality in their approach. They have usually played for so long that they have fixed the majority of the problems that a pianist can confront. It still is fascinating to observe how people approach the compositions they are interested in.
Some people seem to bring the same piece to a lesson over and over until perfection is reached, whereas others appear to be content with a few suggestions. These are extreme cases, yet they should be mentioned. I had an advanced student who would come to each lesson with four or five new pieces. The speed with which he learned new pieces was astounding, but there was no continuity. Hence, it was difficult for me to help him improve.
As you can see, teaching is incredibly rewarding because you will meet numerous inspiring pianists, each with their own set of flaws and strengths. Your responsibility is to determine what needs to be improved and approach your pupils without patronising or judging them. Your students must feel comfortable with you in order to express themselves and improve. They should feel free to be themselves and interact in a safe environment free of negative criticism.
I've primarily described people I could comprehend, but I've also had students I couldn't read. For some reason, I couldn't 'click' with them, and I never found out whether they were enjoying their piano lessons during their studies!
It is critical to me that my pupils are happy and that they leave each lesson with a grin on their faces. I want them to be inspired, no matter what level they are at. I, too, want them to make improvements on a regular basis, but I believe it should come spontaneously and without pressure.
The majority of amateur pianists are fantastic people with whom I have always had a wonderful relationship. They are usually very sensitive people who have a strong interest in the instrument and are eager to learn more every week.
As a pianist, I believe it is critical to find a balance between teaching and performing. It is incredibly enlightening to have to answer some tough questions, solve some unique technical challenges that you did not necessarily encounter, or work on some pieces of repertoire that you have never performed yourself.
Working with other people also allows you to see the piano playing from a different perspective, which is very great!
Piano playing is a wonderful artistic expression that should be appreciated to the fullest, and it should never be converted into a painful or unpleasant activity!
It is for this reason that I feel becoming a chameleon and adjusting to your students will be far more enriching for both of you. They will learn a great deal from you, but you will also learn a great deal from them!
You can also email us at: contact@lmtmusicacademy.co.uk