“The future of [the piano] in American culture is uncertain.” That was the headline of an article that caught my eye this weekend in my local newspaper. The full version is available via the LA Times website. This is a slight departure from the usual blog posts on music as it relates to worship, but I thought it interesting nonetheless.

Not surprisingly, with all the diverse activities and technology available to kids (and adults), piano lessons and playing isn’t always at the top of the priority list. For many, the piano is merely a piece of furniture. Alas. Playing the piano is a lifetime activity that promotes mental agility, dexterity, and is a source of relaxation and stress relief.

The accompanying video on the LA Times website shows several households and how the piano fits front and center in their lives. One had the grand piano in the living room and refused any idea of moving it to a piano room alcove. The other piano guy had a Yamaha upright in his bedroom — it wasn’t that big of a bedroom either. Talk about eat, sleep, and breathing piano — he practiced 3 or 4 hours a day.

My parents bought a studio piano two months to the day before I was born. My mother didn’t play the piano and my dad could play a little bit (although he much preferred in his younger days to play the alto sax). Every pastor’s house needs a piano, right? So the piano started out as a piece of furniture, but over the years became a musical instrument as I progressed from pounding to plodding to being proficient. It sits in my living room and I play it most every day. The piano tuner reminds me whenever he comes that I should never sell it because the sound is so great. The sound would be phenomenal with some hardwood or laminate flooring.

Is the piano going extinct? I doubt it. It may be less popular and prevalent than in previous decades, but there will always be those who play.