| Chaz, it breaks my heart that my oldest doesn't play piano anymore. He was quite good. But he loves his guitar. I bet when your oldest goes off to college, he picks up the guitar again. It is a great friend maker. All my kid had to do was leave his dorm room door open and play his guitar - kids flocked! My son did take a music history course "for the fun of it" in college. And I think some day I will give him a nice electronic piano, and I'll bet he'll start playing again.
I'm not disagreeing with you Thumper. I think most kids get scheduled practice when they are little. My boys had piano, and D had violin, in ES. But the horn and guitar weren't started till MS (and D's piano) - we enforced the practice and HW before screen time all the way through HS. They didn't have to love it; they just had to do it. We have discovered that being good at something brings it's own rewards, and eventually we all like what we're good at.
I also agree that to be a music performance major requires passion. I'd even go further and say that you should do everything you can to talk your kid OUT of majoring in music - and only let them if they are totally opposed to considering anything else. It's not a major for the faint of heart.
Certainly, the caution should be extended to any parent's attempt to manipulate their 9th grader's future in a specific direction. In this case, though, I guess Chaz just wants to make sure her S doesn't throw in the towel too soon. I still think the best thing is to ask him what he wants out of it, and how she can help him get it. Maybe he WANTS to be reminded to practice. Or maybe he wants permission to give it up. |