Learning to play the piano gives a child a lifetime of advantages. Playing music together, children learn that cooperation is a means to an end, a social skill which can be applied to other goals. Music instruction is marked by co-ordination and competition.
The ability to play the piano makes you special. You can give joy to others. You receive a great deal of recognition from your family and peers. You have the knowledge that you set out to master a complex skill and you succeeded.
All these experiences build self esteem and a "can do" positive attitude toward yourself and the world.
Educating children in music puts them in touch with their feelings, and through their feelings, themselves.
These "affective" or emotional benefits enrich the quality of your child's life. Being in touch with oneself, being capable of solitude and enjoying one's own company for a time, and being moved to feel what one would not otherwise feel are benefits that are familiar to all who participate in music.
Music brings joy and beauty into our children's lives. While we cannot give empirical or "scientific" evidence that our children benefit from the joy of creation and the lifelong ability to bring the beauty of music into their lives, we know instinctively that our children do benefit. How many times have you wished that your own parents had brought music into your life, or how many times have you been thankful that your parents did give you the gift of music?