Does playing piano improve memory?

[Septimus314]

Has anyone noticed any noticable increase in memory after starting to play?  Like at school have grades improved or anything?  I just started playing a short while ago, but I've advanced so fast that several people have told me I have to have a really great memory to play the peices I am playing and memorize them at the early level I am at.   However I have noticed certain things are a little bit easier to remember for me, like certain things just make sense.  I am wondering if this will carry on to my calculus class in college, I certainly hope so.  

[allchopin]

maybe a little bit, but doubtful. possibly just the fact that you and your brain are growing, and its just a coincidence.

[Hmoll2]

Studying the piano has a profound effect on increasing memory for several reasons, two of which are:

1) The main organ you are exercizing when playing the piano is your brain.

2) Playing the piano helps produce endorphins, which aid in memory related tasks.

[NetherMagic]

Septimus, not sure if you've heard of this, but music according to scientific reports have shown to improve ppl's thinking in math and overall all brain activities (like what Hmoll said) due to the fact that your left brain (left brain takes care of mathematical and logic stuff) controls your right hand, and your right brain (controls artistic stuff, creativity i think) controls your left hand, so when you play piano, you havta work 10 fingers at a time, which logically should be improving your brain skills