"The best time to start piano lessons is generally between the ages of 6 and 10. Most piano teachers consider the start of the second or third grade to be the optimum time to start lessons. The children are mature enough and have learned enough about language and math to succeed as long as they are interested and have your support. This is not to say that your child will be unsuccessful starting before or after this age range. Some children start as early as 4 and some teenagers and many adults have begun the study of piano with great success. The sooner your child starts piano after the age of 5 or 6, the better. (Check out our Group Lessons, we now offer a special course for the non-reading child, they are great! They are specifically designed for the very young student). If you wait until after they turn 12 the brain has 'Hard-wired' to the point that progress is slower and is further complicated by the onset of puberty. Plus, an early start in music helps the brain develop in other ways. The American Music Conference says 'The news has been hard to miss: in study after study, scientists are finding correlations between music making and some of the deepest workings of the human brain.

Embark on a musical adventure with your pre-schooler, even in the earliest years of life, music plays an important role in a child’s development. Music brings families together, stimulates thinking and expressive skills, enhances creativity and a sense of well-being. Active music making has been shown to help children succeed in school and in life. Why not start sharing music together today? Children respond to rhythm and simple music from the day they’re born. You can make music together by making up simple sing-song rhymes and playing gentle patty-cake games. Get creative and have fun!

Researchers are finding solid evidence that a young child’s ability to perceive and distinguish phonetic sounds is enhanced by engaging in singing and rhythmic movement. They’ve also found that active music-making during the school years can strengthen abstract reasoning skills, paving the way to better results in school. Everyone can make music, whether or not we’ve taken a music lesson. Even grown-ups feel great singing along to favorite songs or ‘playing drums’ on pots and pans. Allow yourself to enjoy playing music—and don’t forget to bring the whole family in on the fun.

The American Music Conference is a national non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music-making and music education to the general public. For more information, visit www.amc-music.org. It's never too young to start.... If you find that your child is not quite ready, wait a few months and start again! Teaching requires patience, and the more patience you have, the more successful you and your child will be! Every child is different and therefore expectations will vary. You know your child the best and you can generally expect the same kind of learning progress as you teach these lessons as you see with other learning activities your child may be engaged in. However, don't pre-judge too much...some young children really can surprise us! I have had students start off really slow and frustrated, only to surprise me and turn into a fantastic musician. For this reason, I always suggest to my parents that they be patient and wait and see! You may have the next Bach or Mozart!