When children learn to play a musical instrument, they strengthen a range of auditory skills. Recent studies suggest that these benefits extend all through life, at least for those who continue to be engaged with music. But a study published last month is the first to show that music lessons in childhood may lead to changes in the brain that persist years after the lessons stop. Researchers at Northwestern University recorded the […]

Tuning a piano, unlike other instruments, is a job for professionals. But what if it could tune itself? Most musicians can tune their instruments whenever they like. The exception is the pianist, who typically isn’t trained to tune the piano’s 200-plus strings. Instead, both amateur and professional piano players must hire a technician to get their instrument in shape. But Don Gilmore has accomplished an engineering feat that he says […]

The Legend of St. Valentine The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church […]

Here’s a fun craft by ColorInMyPiano.com for you and your students. We hope you enjoy! The ladies in my Bible Study decided to hold a Craft Night last Friday, so I decided I to find a project to make music-y valentines for my piano students.  However, when I googled and checked Pinterest for music-themed Valentine ideas, I came up empty-handed.  So, I decided to design my own piano valentines. I […]