Whatever the original reason, it's clear that piano lessons are about more than playing music. Whether you're a child or an adult, the learning that takes place at the piano keyboard will reach into practically every corner of your life. Here are three life lessons that are cultivated at the piano.

Piano Life Lesson #1: Setting and Reaching Goals

How many goals have you set and never reached? From simply making better food choice, promising yourself to complete a started project, or learning any new skill, many times we find ourselves falling short of achieving goals.

When playing the piano, every new song is literally a new goal. When we can see (or hear) the end result it's easy to be clear about what you want to accomplish. Every time you complete a song, whether it be a beginner's song, intermediate or advanced, the goal reaching process is being internalized. Your brain does not know how small or big the goal was, it just knows that the goal was r reached, therefore, the habit of setting and reaching goals becomes a natural part of who you become in all other areas of your life.

Piano Life Lesson #2: Paying Attention to Details

You need to coordinate hundreds of small details when you play the piano - things like finger placements, rhythms and the combination of notes on the page. Attention to these details is essential for success at the piano. You will soon learn that if you leave out a single note, or play the rhythm incorrectly, the song doesn't sound like it's supposed to sound. Paying attention to details are just as important in the rest of your life whether you're planning a presentation for work, working on a project for school, or preparing a meal for the family! I can think of a million things that we all need to pay attention to detail to like cleaning the house, driving a car, or just listening to a friend. I can't tell you enough how important paying attention to details is to your life. It includes thinking ahead, being thorough, being thoughtful, choosing your friends, developing good communication skills, following directions, and the list can go on forever. Learning piano is one of the only activities on this planet that offers intense detail training, without even know you are doing it!

Piano Life Lesson #3: Learning from Mistakes

We all make mistakes, and that's OK! The problem is we are too hard on ourselves and we as human beings think it's not ok. When learning a song on the piano, there are a lot of mistakes on the road to a good performance - and sometimes even in the middle of one! The more mistakes you make, the more you will come to realize that you can recover from them. Making mistakes does not have to stop you from trying. Making your own mistakes also helps you feel more in tune with others around you, whether that's at a recital, at work, school, or at home! None of us have to be perfect!

Piano lessons teach us more than just music. Goal-setting, perseverance, attention to detail, expressing our talents and accepting mistakes are just a few of the endless life lessons that can be found on a keyboard.