Covid-19, Mental Health, and Playing Piano | Can play piano Help? | Yes, and here’s why! | Few people could know way back at the beginning of 2020 that we would all be here today in early 2022 as isolated as ever in a number of ways and being told by “experts” to still avoid friends and family unless you have been fully vaccinated, boosted a million times, and wearing 2 masks at once. OKJ, maybe I exaggerate a bit , but you get the point. Talk about isolation and mental depression…but it’s real and not many people are talking about it because it’s a no-win situation when you tell people they need to stay away from human contact continuously for weeks and months without a real end in site. We can hope…but we don’t know.
Mental health issues have been around since the dawn of man and when no one is around for you to interact with in a personal, encouraging way, what is one of the big things that can help you when you are alone or isolated and needing positive mental stimulation and encouragement? I would strongly submit that it is playing MUSIC which “can sooth the savage beast” as the old saying goes. Listening to and playing music that moves your soul emotionally and in a positive way can increase and uplift your mental health in a variety of ways that you can’t even imagine if you have never previously been involved with music, either by listening to it on a regular basis or even more importantly…playing it on an instrument. Playing and listening to good music can bring back great memories and inspire you to do great things, and playing music can be for any age, any demographic, and anywhere you are. I cannot stress strongly enough how much playing and listening to good music can change your life for the better and if you have never played music on a piano then you are really missing out on something fantastic! This also especially applies to children and their mental health.
One of the best instruments by far to play music on and get involved with is the piano. Yes, there are other fine instruments out there and they can also make a difference in your life.
However, the piano can let you express yourself in a deeply personal way that will bring out feelings which can make you feel awesome. The piano is also one of the few worldwide instruments which allows you to play both melody and harmony simultaneously and in a rhythmic way like virtually no other instrument out there. Playing music on an instrument like a piano can happen at almost any age even if you have never played piano before. The type of piano we recommend is a Digital Piano because they are so practical and exciting in so many ways. They are much less money than a traditional acoustic piano, they are extremely low maintenance, they don’t go out of tune, they can be played quietly or silently with headphones, and they can help you learn to play by connecting a tablet (iPad) to it and using fun interactive apps to help you learn to play and enjoy the piano.
If you have ever wanted to learn to play music on a piano or you have ever wanted your children to play piano, now is the time.
Covid-19 has ultimately been so unpredictable that it is not only taking its toll on people all around the world in a physical way, but also in a mental way causing stress and depression like never before which can and has caused people of all ages to commit suicide, taking their own lives because of deep depression that has set in because of personal loss, financial difficulty, or just overall isolation away from family, friends, and community. The fear which has been created in our society by Covid-19 is evident when you look at people, talk with people, and get near to people…and that fear over time begins to manifest itself in some destructive ways.
Beyond people committing suicide in higher numbers for all age groups because of the stress and strain of Covid-19 and the restrictions in their lives, mental health permeates their relationships with other people with added stress that causes anger problems, drinking and drug problems, physical abuse problems, sleeplessness, over-eating, and a myriad of other mental health struggles.
The more our governments force us to isolate and shut down our communities, the more mental health issues there will be. The longer the duration time of this isolation, the worse it gets. Even during the big wars in our past history such as the Revolutionary war, Civil war, WWI, WWII, Korean war, Vietnam, and our recent wars in the middle east, those bombs, bullets, and the desperate fighting destroyed lives and communities all around the world and caused PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) long after the wars were over. But at least during those trying times we did not have to isolate for days, weeks, and months at a time. Even during those hardships we could still be with each other, still be interactive and “human” to whatever extent we could be in those trying times.
However, when an “invisible killer” that comes out of nowhere (we know it did come out of somewhere) and without warning instantly knocks you on your back and kills you in a matter of days or weeks when you were doing ok before all that happened, the thought of that and the isolation and loneliness that ensues is beyond anything we as a country in the US have ever had to endure on such a large scale.
People are going into hospitals and dying of Covid-19 related physical events even
when having worn masks, not wearing masks, being around people with absolutely no obvious Covid-19 symptoms, and just going about their business. I know, I have had friends and family members who have died in this way.
We can debate the merits of wearing masks, not wearing masks, where to wear them, if we are washing our hands enough and how we wash them, if we are “social distancing” in the correct manner and if it is all the time, some of the time, inside, outside, etc.
Be particularly mindful of your children…they are also susceptible to depression in their own way. Kids will act out their anger and their depression sometimes in silent ways in how they behave or what they are saying to their friends.
As some schools shutdown again for in-person learning or remain shut from before in various states, kids trying to be “in school” at home is not only demanding of parents, but it is demanding of the child in trying to cope with it all and not being in person with their teachers and friends. At times it feels like an impossible task…I know because I have recently “been there.” Getting “bad grades” is easier because of on-line communication being new and disjointed and the child in many cases cannot relate or do it without help, and the effective lines of communication normally associated with regular on campus learning is thrown out the window.
Some kids are doing OK with it and there are some families that are thriving with the new format, getting used to it, and the student is learning. But for many, many others it is a disaster, it’s frustrating, depressing, and it is taking its toll.
One day you’re a happy child going to your local school, hanging out with your friends, being with your teachers and the next day your not and they say “you must stay home and we don’t know when you can come back here!” Then you finally can go back to school and then they later make you stay home again because of Covid-19. Think that doesn’t have a huge negative effect on your children? Then you are not effectively communicating well with them and finding out how they really feel. Many of them are definitely mentally effected by all this new stuff and dealing with the new restricted reality of school and not seeing friends or making new friends. It can stunt their mental and behavioral growth and they could come “unglued” at any moment unless you are diligent, prepared, proactive, and intervening. This of course is not counting the fact of what you as a parent are going through in your own struggles at the same time.
With a digital piano you can play at quiet volumes when necessary, play in privacy using stereo headphones, connect to learning educational software using exciting, fun, interactive apps on an iPad (or Android tablet) connected to your digital piano.
These apps will definitely help you learn to play piano, to actually get your fingers going, to learn to read music to some degree, and to help with rhythm & timing. Some of the app names are Piano Maestro, Simply Piano, Piano Marvel, Faber Piano Adventures, and more. Also, besides the apps and also piano learning on computer, there are piano teachers all round the country doing “live streaming” piano lessons/learning and you can participate in “real time” and communicate with a good piano teacher in that way. It’s not perfect but its still a great way to grow.
It’s not “rocket science” when it comes to learning to play piano, especially at more basic levels where you will recognize songs that you play.
The more you do it the better you will get and the music will make you feel good. Yes, there is always a “learning curve” when it comes to learning new things that will be good for you…but would you rather dive back into depression and continue with mental health issues unabated because of Covid-19 and other reasons in general? As a long time piano teacher, music counselor, pro musician, and digital piano expert, I strongly encourage you and your family to add “playing live music” to your life and play the piano…for you, your kids, your parents, your friends, your relatives, and just about anyone you know who is physically able to play the piano…you’ll never regret it.
There is obviously a cost to purchase a new digital piano but there are many people who can afford to do that.
An 88-key digital piano starts in price at about $400 and goes up to $1000, up to $2000, up to $3000, and way beyond. Keyboards start at less than $150. However, some people cannot afford any amount of money to get a new digital piano for themselves or their kids because they do not have a job, got laid off, etc, and just cannot afford it. If that is the case and you know someone like that then if you can afford it, buy one and donate it to them…maybe to a friend, neighbor, or family member who may want one and need one because they may likely benefit greatly from playing a piano during these trying times of isolation and loneliness.
Mental health…that’s what this is all about!
It’s really not about “learning to play the piano” as much as it’s about your mental health and the digital piano is simply a great vehicle to help improve your the health of your mind and the mental health of your kids, friends, neighbors, and relatives. The depression and stress that people are experiencing these days because of Covid-19 is absolutely real and the negative results of all that depression needs to be mitigated and improved as quickly as possible. As a music consultant and professional, I ask that you listen to my advice and get involved in playing the piano if you and your family are not already doing that…and do it with a digital piano to be precise! Playing music can be somewhat of a “wonder cure” for depression and anxiety because you are “doing something” that is good for you and can reach deep inside your soul and touch you at your very core.
We do not how long all of this will last with regard to Covid-19, lockdowns, and loneliness not to mention the sickness and death that comes from it. Some thought it wouldn’t happen at all, some thought it wouldn’t ever get to this point, some though a few weeks, then a few months, then maybe by the end of 2020, then we thought by the end of 2021, when it got hotter, when it got much colder, when we all wore masks…but it still is not over in 2022 and not by a longshot it seems.
This goes beyond our country and many other countries are having the same struggles if not worse. Many of us are waiting for a a definite resolution…a good one that will help all of us finally get through this deadly virus and not have to worry anymore about being around people, being close to people, especially without a mask. It will definitely be a “process” so we all need to be careful, do our part and do things that will limit our depression and improve our mental health. Playing piano, no matter what age you are is what we are talking about here.
If you want more info on new digital pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.
