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I agree with David G. It is shocking to hear "some" of the teachers saying a five year old is too young to begin lessons. It is also encouraging that "other" teachers disagree and say every student is different, and thus you cannot pick an age and say it is too young (or too old?). Again, this is a very good reason for both teachers and prospective students to interview each other or at least have a discussion before beginning lessons.

I'm glad no one told my parents he should wait when I started lessons at the conservatory at 6 years old. I studied piano for 20 years and take master piano lessons when I can.

Steve

Update? How did it go? Any insights yet for teachers who may run into this at some point?

I think we have collectively scared away another OP.

Here is a non-anecdotal research, and the results of earlier studies. Both studies show positive effects for children 4-6yo with early music education.

Two interesting studies! I have always "heard" this, which is why I started my son on the piano when he was very young. I think it is very important to find a teacher that knows how to teach such young students. For that matter, it is also important for "us" older students to also find a teacher that knows how to teach senior citizens.

A lot of my youngest students come with grandparents, not parents, and I teach BOTH at the same time.

I see no difference, really. It's always the same thing. Get them to understand how to find lines and spaces, get fluency. I disagree wish so much that is written about how to teach anyone that I rarely post here any more.

Any skill that challenges the brain and develops new abilities is important, at any age. Not just for children. Learning to do music correctly is a hugely positive thing for everything else.

I don't need studies to tell me I'm right.

Multiple studies have shown that children who began musical training before age 5 with a minimum of 15 months of training had a larger corpus collosum than those that didn't. Study on the benefits of early musical training on the corpus callosum (The function of the corpus callosum is to integrate motor, sensory, and cognitive performances between the two halves of the brain contributing significantly to efficient executive function, or the execution and maintenance more generally of complex cognitive abilities.) Other studies have shown that musicians have a 11-25% larger corpus callosum. Musicians have a significantly larger corpus collosum Although this is not necessarily a cause/effect relationship with children who started music lessons early, it is suggestive and food for thought.

Here is a non-anecdotal research, and the results of earlier studies. Both studies show positive effects for children 4-6yo with early music education.[/quote]

The first research project was done in Beijing. This is an entirely different culture than what we have here. For starters, they beat their kids to get them to do as they wish. Secondly, the culture supports sacrificing to learn something. Thirdly, we don't know what was taught at the lessons and we don't know if all the same benefits would have accrued if the kids were allowed to play around freely and take piano later, say at the age of seven.

I could only find the abstract for the second study.

The third study might be true, but it doesn't answer the question of what sort of musical training is needed in early childhood to get the benefits of a larger corpus callosum, (perhaps they need only sing and dance?) nor lacking this advantage, how a student could catch up in less than one year given the correct teacher.

Finding a good teacher is more critical. After that, practice is the number one consideration: how much, and what quality of practice. You don't have to begin too early to be successful.

Do you speak with Chinese people on a regular basis? Your assumptions reflect VERY outdated constructs.

Ouch! I don't think you meant to be offensive with this, but those statements haven't been generally true for decades, if ever. The only family I have left is comprised of my Taiwanese in-laws, and (like many teachers) I get Asian students in my studio. Among my students and their families, and also among my family, even considering the actual "tiger" parents, I only know one person who believes in physical punishments. And while many of these parents do sacrifice for their children's education (a laudable practice, IMHO, if the kid appreciates it), that is certainly not true across the board.

True.


Not true.


Also, note Beijing culture is very different from Taiwan culture. Almost like Singapore, they really only share a language and some ancestral roots at this point. (OK, I'm bucking the "One China" people here. LOL.) But this difference doesn't make what you said less true or what Candywoman said more true.

I'm speaking of Chinese people in Beijing, not North America.

It is still NOT true! How long have you lived or worked in China to make these kinds of statements?!

I just went back on this thread. We have ONE unfortunate statement by Candywoman getting all the attention, and the actual things have gotten lost. I suggest the idea be dropped entirely about how kids might have been taught in Beijing and culture of sacrifice, because these seem red herrings and thus unfortunate.

At issue were some studies that were cited. I looked at the "non-anectodal research". it starts off sounding impressive, because the study was done by "MIT". Then right after "piano lessons have a very specific effect on kindergartners' ability to distinguish different pitches, which translates into an improvement in discriminating between spoken words....." Ok, as a trained educator at the primary level, as well as a linguist, I have never heard of pitch awareness helping with language. But then we it's in Beijing where the language is by nature tonal. As usual we have a generalized eye catching title, typical of journalism, and people will go with impressions and miss the facts.

For the corpus callosum - did they put all those young children through CAT scans, once before and once after piano lessons, to determine an size increase?

How about having piano lessons for the purpose of learning to play the piano? At an age where the child is ready to participate, which will vary from child to child.

I can't help but agree with both these points.

(Can't edit typos.)

Until the OP decides to come back and provide more information, this thread is just going to veer off topic.

You have a point.

I have seen other research comparing brain activity (PET scans, maybe, but don't remember for sure) of adults who had music instruction as children with adults who had regular instruction in some other activity.

The studies showed differences related to duration of instruction, but didn't look at the musical skill outcomes of the subjects. I guess there may be parents who enroll their kids in piano lessons with the goal of creating a bigger corpus callosum, but my guess is that most parents want their kid to learn to play piano.