Since Bartolomeo Cristofori invented what became the first modern piano around 1700, students of all skill levels and experience have turned to professional teachers to better their playing, find hidden skills and develop greater focus and discipline.

For children, the benefits of studying music are myriad. From a young age, study after study has shown a positive link from music instruction to increased cognitive abilities – all at a time when schools are forced to trim, or cut altogether, music studies from their curriculums.

A 2003 study in the journal Psychological Science, for example recorded an IQ boost among students taking keyboard or voice lessons. A 2009 study published in the journal Psychology of Music found that children exposed to a multi-year program of music tuition displayed “superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.”

Piano instruction is not just for children though. For adults, learning to the play the piano can be a great new hobby. If you’ve studied before, then it’s a great way to polish your existing skills.

While learning to play the piano, be it for personal enjoyment or maybe to play for friends, you’ll also be helping your long-term health. Studies have linked music instruction with positive mental benefits in adults as well as children.

And, in 2001, the Music Making and Wellness Project, a five-year study, found that those who studied music reported declines in anxiety and depression. The study also found a 90 percent increase in human growth hormone (HGH) levels amongst those taking lessons.