I love this article that the University of Florida (UF) posted. When I scrolled down and saw the diagram about students receiving the most academic awards and going into medical school, I would have to say this is very accurate! As a piano performance major that engulfed my early to mid 20’s I would have to say that everyone I knew were straight “A” students. As a matter of fact, one of my friends cried over receiving a 98% on a test where later she argued with the professor in order to gain her 2 points back. There were also a couple of my friends in piano performance class that were also pre-med and engineering majors. I was OK with just majoring in piano performance/pedagogy. I could not imagine doubling the workload as it was. I believe one of the reasons for these high standards is that as a musician (especially a classical musician), there is no room for error once you are on the stage in front of the audience. It takes a lot of discipline to practice your instrument 4-8 hours a day along with juggling classes such as music theory, 18th-20th century counterpoint, and ensembles (to name a few). The bottom line is……if you want your child to become cultured, spiritual, intuitive, and disciplined, etc…..encourage them to play an instrument. If they show a passion for it, let them take it as serious as they want to. Encourage recitals, festivals, small local competitions, and even exam testing through ABRSM, Trinity, or RCM. If you are an adult, it is never to late to learn. My husband Dr. Cory Hall and I discuss how pleased we are with our adult students whom we teach worldwide via Skype. We are so thankful and grateful for our students and are so pleased when our students “light up” after learning a new piece or mastering that hard passage. There is nothing to lose but all to gain from learning music.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Marilyn Hall - Pianist 