Teaching Piano to Seniors

Don’t we all believe that it’s never too late to learn?

Trio School offers piano lessons to students of all ages and abilities, and seniors might find our classes especially beneficial for a variety of reasons. If you think you’re too old to learn to play the piano or to continue learning, think again! As long as your fingers can move, you can learn to play.

Why Should You Take Piano Lessons?

Retirement is the perfect time to take up new interests,  and studying music can be a rewarding challenge. In addition to providing physical and mental health benefits, the personal and social aspects of learning to play an instrument can be rewarding. The sense of accomplishment that comes with mastering a new or forgotten skill will be something you can enjoy and even share with your loved ones.

Physical Health Benefits

Whether your interest is piano, reading the sheet music and singing, or just learning the notation and  singing, you will find that studying music offers a wide range of physical challenges that can help to improve and strengthen your body in many ways. The skills involved in learning to play provide the physical benefit of practicing the fine motor skills.  Additionally, students engage in the practice of hand-eye coordination while learning how to read the sheet music.  Research shows that seniors may experience this way the additional physical benefits of improved eyesight and hearing. Finally, a study of the benefits of music lessons for seniors titled “The Music Making and Wellness Project” by Midori Koga with Frederik Tims indicates that seniors might experience “A 90% increase in levels of Human Growth Hormone (hGH), which normally decreases at a rapid rate as one ages.”  The Human Growth Hormone is linked to increased energy levels and decreases in the production of wrinkles and other signs of aging. From improving your hand-eye coordination to increasing energy, piano lessons offer innumerable physical health benefits.

Mental Health Benefits

Mature minds and bodies will find stress relief and mental challenge to be some of the rewards of learning to play an instrument. A study found that seniors displayed less signs of stress and depression after learning to play the piano. The process of learning to read sheet music and later applying this skill to playing the piano is a wonderful challenge for seniors who are eager to keep their mental faculties strong as they enjoy their later years. Additionally, many studies indicate that the processes involved in playing music give seniors the cognitive exercise their brains need to prevent memory loss and dementia.  If you are interested in studying the piano for the challenge of learning to read sheet music or the soothing effect the melodies you create might have on a tired brain, you will find that playing the piano provides a range of mental health benefits.

New Friendships and Relationships

If the physical and mental benefits of learning to play the piano and sing along to your music aren’t enticing enough, you might also experience the social benefits that come with taking lessons at Trio School as you meet your teacher and other students, forming new friendships and important relationships.

Challenges and a Sense of Mastery

Finally, learning to play the piano can enrich your life by challenging you to take on a new task and master it. Whether playing the piano makes you happier, more inspired, excited, empowered, or comforted, you will enjoy learning this new skill and maybe even sharing it with others as you show friends and family what you have learned. Possibly, you will even inspire the younger generation to join you in your pursuit of musical mastery. The excitement of learning a new skill and rejoicing as you make steady progress can be endlessly rewarding.

About Our Lessons:

During the piano lessons we offer at TRIO School, you’ll have the opportunity to learn to read music, play the piano according to your ability, and sing along with the music you are playing. You may want to start by working on some of the songs you may already know, such as favorites from your youth. You’ll be building skills toward reading and playing music while accompanying your own singing or the signing of your relatives. You will also have the opportunity to participate in recitals held at the school or at the Sunnyvale Senior Center.

Remember that it’s never too late to learn!
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