There are many reasons to put your teenage son or daughter in piano lessons, including helping him or her to develop a lifelong skill and appreciation for playing music. In the short term, there's a chance that an industrious teen will be keen on using his or her aptitude on the keyboard to make some money. While it's unlikely that your teen will quickly become so celebrated that he or she is booking concerts at local venues, there are a number of other ways to make money from playing the piano. Here are some options that may appeal to your teenager.

Selling Original Compositions

There are all sorts of opportunities for your teen to sell his or her original compositions to people. One common element of piano lessons is learning how to write your own music. If you choose a teacher for your teen who really emphasizes this skill, you may find that your teen is constantly coming up with different melodies on his or her own. Your teen can then advertise his or her services on different websites with the hope of connecting with people who need piano music for various means, and make some money through this process.

Winning Competitions

Learning how to play the piano also opens the door to your teen registering for different local music competitions. Whether they're put on by a local music store, a community organization, or another entity, these competitions often feature performances from a number of local musicians — and a cash prize for the winner and the person who finishes second. Whether your teen performs a rendition of a well-known song or comes up with something original for this competition, his or her aptitude could result in a win and the prize money that comes with it.

Performing At Events

If word gets out around the community about your teen's prowess on the piano, he or she may have some opportunities to perform at local events and make some money in the process. For example, perhaps a local shopping center is looking for musicians to play holiday tunes in December, and your teen gets an opportunity to do so a few times and be paid for his or her efforts. While your teen shouldn't expect to make money from playing the piano immediately upon starting to take lessons, this may be a goal to which he or she aspires several months down the line.