In the ever changing and busy world we live in, some of us may feel we live in solitude.  The need for outside approval seems greater than when I was a child.  The piano, without a doubt, will pull you out of darkness, dig deep into your sole, & unlock your inner feelings.  I know...  it sounds corny, but that's what it (music in general) has done for me.  In my darkest times, music was my way of dealing with problems.

Discipline

Learning an instrument teaches you to be patient, hard-working, and disciplined.  It takes a concentrated routine that teaches you to focus all your efforts into one thing; the piece you're working on.

Pulling You Out of Despair

If you listen to artists talk, many of them say the most influential songs they've created have come from their darkest times, whether its through a break-up or the loss of a loved one or friend.  That can only say one thing - they are turning to their instrument to express their emotions.

Creativity

I'm not against the use of tvs, tablets, computers, or smartphones for children.  Even when it comes to a handful of gaming system games, there is some actual good.  As a child, one of my favorite games was Nintendo's "Mario Bros".  The reason, I feel this game was useful, is because the concept of the game deals with understanding timing.  If you'll notice, you have to time each movement of Mario so you don't run into a villain or fall into a firepit.  You have to jump at JUST the right time.  The music is also somewhat robotic and structured, as if you can feel it penetrating your brain, like gears and cogs in a clock that systematically keep a rhythm, making you work on timing your movements.

The one problem I do have with some of the devices we use today, however, is that they may actually offer too much easy entertainment without actually requiring much effort.  The constant entertainment is spoon-fed which leads to the lack of boredom.  Boredom is where creativity stems. 

I used to watch cartoons as a kid all of the time.  The background music, of some of my favorite Disney cartoons, was full of classical music.  You could hear an entire orchestra playing and individual instruments like flutes, strings, french horns, clarinets, percussion, & more.  This helped shape me in constructive thinking and processing, just as it did when I learned to play and grow with the alto & baritone saxophone for Jazz Ensemble & the Wind Symphony at Westfield State University. 

Playing the piano has taught me to be creative, to take the mistakes and turn them (or use them) to bring me to a chord change.  It teaches me to improvise on the spot and make the best of the situation dealt.