When you mention the phrase "Piano Lessons" to the average piano, they will likely conjur up images of spending 1 hour per week for what seems like most of their life sat at the piano stool at their piano teacher's house playing music that is too difficult for them on a piano that is too good for them whilst struggling to keep their temper under control and their eyelids open.
So is this what piano lessons have come to? A long term struggle for apparently little gain? Shouldn't piano lessons be exciting and shouldn't playing the piano open more doors than it currently seems to? I think so.
Piano lessons therefore are a way to get yourself one foot on the ladder of various rankings. Piano skills can earn you respect amongts your peers, your school teachers and your family and whilst this may not directly result in you going on to get a better job for example, it certainly does results in increased self-confidence, heightened self-belief and a taste of a social class that is usually higher than the average player's home social class. This provides pupils with the chance to set their sights higher than they would have done otherwise.
So, remember if you are currently taking piano lessons be sure to study hard, practise harder and longer than your teacher asks of you and if you feel like playing Jazz one day, tell your teacher, buy a book on Jazz and allow your own musical desires to take you where you want to go. Don't let your piano lessons become the be all and end all of your musical "career"
You can talk about Piano Lessons at the Piano Lessons Forum