Learning Piano as a Child...Ask Tom Hanks About it!

Learning piano is a fond memory for Tom Hanks.  Here he reminds us that the time spent practicing piano and the time invested as a child practicing leads to something that endures through to adulthood...it can last a lifetime.

Just when you thought learning piano as a kid wouldn't last past that final piano lesson...

This scene has Tom and an older associate walking through a Manhattan toy store.  And they run into something that takes them back to their childhoods.  

I was saddened to learn that FAO Schwarz, founded in 1862, once the oldest toy store in the United States closed in July 2015.  Maybe you have been there...I had a chance to get their with my kids Easter weekend in 2015...we had a blast trying out 'The Walking Piano.  

It is a great little clip...well done and worth the watch Tom Hanks - Remembering a childhood piano song...in the movie 'Big'.

My musical education started in my living room around 5 years of age after receiving a toy organ with about an octave and a half of keys.  It was a Christmas present from my mom.  

I taught myself to read some very simple piano songs out of the lesson book that came along with the toy piano.  Twinkle...Twinkle..., Row Row Row Your Boat.. You get the idea.  Anyway though this was very much the early days of music...it was for me definitely the start.

Teaching myself these basics helped lay a the foundation for a love for playing and learning music.  So when time came a few years down the road I already had some experience with music and with the need to practice to learn to play.

The experience of learning to play an instrument, reading music, playing by ear and the ability to recall a simple piece from the far reaches of your memory is a great feeling.

For a young adult, or an older adult it makes time stand still for a moment and it takes you back...back to your childhood.  

I'm glad I had the chance to learn to play an instrument as a child.  It has made me have a different and richer life experience than I would have otherwise.

Some things we do as children have wonderful ways of sticking around and continue to shape our experience as we move through the various stages of life.

So how can you stay connected to our regular updates?

Grab a free subscription to our regular [DeGazon Music. For More Life.] newsletter We'll share case studies, true life stories, opinions and our own experiences with other parents, students and music teachers.

You can sign up for it by clicking here.

If you would like to ask us a question click on the "Submit a Question" link near the bottom of the navigation bar on the left side of this page. We're busy so don't expect a quick response but our answer will be worth the wait.

Alright, welcome to the site and dig in.

To get started visit the starting lessons guide right on this site.