Cunningham Piano Company Can Help Your Student Achieve Better Grades

Cunningham Piano of Germantown Has Been Enhancing Educational Skills for 135 Years

Back-to-school is just weeks away, and tuning your child into a better student may be as simple as music to your ears, according to Richard Galassini, Owner of Cunningham Piano of Germantown, PA, and a professional musician who has been researching the “Mozart Effect” as it is referred to, for years.

“Music researchers are finding correlations between music making and some of the deepest workings of the human brain,” Galassini said adding, “Research has linked active music making with increased language discrimination and development, math ability, improved school grades, better-adjusted social behavior, and improvements in "spatial-temporal reasoning," - a cornerstone for problem solving,”

Galassini said, “Playing the piano improves your mathematical ability. Notes and rhythms, as well as music theory, are based on math. Reading music and counting rhythms require math skills. Studies have shown that students who play an instrument usually perform better in math tests than students who don't.”

Galassini cited a study at the University of California, Irvine, that demonstrated young children who participated in music instruction showed dramatic enhancements in abstract reasoning skills. “Researchers have found neural firing patterns that suggest that music may hold the key to higher brain function,” he added.

Research at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, showed that grade-school kids who took music lessons scored higher on tests of general and spatial cognitive development, the abilities that form the basis for performance in math and engineering. “Music students are outperforming non-music students on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). College-bound seniors with coursework or experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.” Galassini said.

Renowned for masterful piano restoration and pioneering the integration of technology in piano sales, Cunningham Piano Company will mark 135 years as a continuously operating, family-owned business. What started as a showroom and factory in Germantown has now expanded to include three retail locations in King of Prussia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Delmar, DE.

Cunningham Piano Company continues to offer its own exclusive line of pianos, along with expert restoration services for all major brands — from Steinway to Mason & Hamlin, Bösendorfer, and more. In addition to honoring tradition, the company embraces innovation by offering the latest in piano technology, including Yamaha’s hybrid models that seamlessly blend the feel of a traditional piano with cutting-edge digital features.

“More people than ever are choosing hybrid and digital pianos,” said Rich Galassini, co-owner of Cunningham Piano. “Universities and piano teachers are embracing these technologies, breathing new life into an industry built on tradition.” He added, “We offer lease programs and a wide range of options that make learning to play the piano more accessible and affordable than ever.”

Since 1891, Cunningham Piano Company has stood as one of America’s most beloved and respected names in music — not just for building and restoring pianos, but for preserving the soul of each instrument.

Inside their four-story Philadelphia factory, artisans transform a piano in need into something extraordinary. Each instrument arrives with its own story — some bearing visible scars like cracked wood or yellow keys, others carrying damage only a trained ear can detect.

What happens next borders on the miraculous. Through skilled hands, deep listening, and generations of knowledge, these pianos are brought back to life — their voices restored, their beauty renewed. At Cunningham Piano Company, restoration isn’t just a process. It’s a promise to honor the past while making music possible for generations to come.

Luciano Pavarotti, Marvin Hamlisch, Marc Andre Hamelin, Yuja Wang, Andre Watts, Garrick Ohlsson, Bobby McFerrin, M. Night Shyamalan, Robert Diniro, Jamie Foxx, and many other stars from near and far have rented or entrusted their piano to Cunningham Piano Company. “We restore and ship pianos all over the world,” Galassini said.

Cunningham Piano Company was started in 1891 by Patrick J. Cunningham, an Irish immigrant with a craft and a dream. Through his leadership, commitment to quality, and a keen business sense Cunningham Piano Company quickly became one of Philadelphia's most respected makers of pianos.

The Cunningham Piano Company factory is located at 26 East Coulter Street in Germantown. Retail locations include: 1724 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, 198 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, and 38661 Sussex Highway, Delmar. For more information https://www.cunninghampiano.com/pages/contact

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