<p>The above is reminding me of dozens of accounts of now 50-60 something guitarists I’ve talked with online who recounted how their parents would force them to play “old people’s music” their parents liked (Classical, Jazz, Big-band) when they were growing up in the 60’s and '70’s.</p>
<p>This caused them to become so fed up they dropped the instruments/musical genres their parents forced them to learn/play completely…or they picked up “more modern” instruments and took up rock music…especially heavy metal, punk rock, and funk to the consternation of their parents.</p>
<p>I think the teachers are critical to the kid’s views of their instrument. I had a piano teacher who had a little bit of a “sour” attitude. That matched my own, since I didn’t like practicing. As an adult who has done some coaching in sports, I think its critical to have an instructor who lets the student know how good he can be, and who complements him on doing certain things…as opposed to the laundry list of why you’re not Van Cliburn. Heck, everybody already knows that! </p>
<p>It does take a little internal interest/motivation though, from the student.</p>
<p>I’d propose some voice training and make some attempt to find an instructor who had some of those “positive” reinforcement techniques. But if coaching is any type of a predictor, I’d say the ratio of non-encouraging teachers to the encouraging ones is something like 10:1. Good luck.</p>
<p>Sprots are easy, they win or loose, they know they are good or not and they know that hard work at practice produces results.
With instrument it is more complicated. D. was fortunate to have a teacher who let her choose her next peaces. Teacher used to say that there is so much music that there is no reason to force them to play what they do not like. Also, when I complained about practices being only 15 min. long, she just explained that a kid apparently has some system as she progresses just fine. Well, D. end up with Music Minor at college and had a ball with it as a great R&R away from her very challenging major…and as a bonus has developed a great voice just by singing duets with Music majors and without any voice training. Still participates in fund raising performances at Med. School, palying on keyboard (never done it before, it was fun and new for her as she has never played in band either), but she says that her part was soooo easy that she did not need to practice at all except for rehearsals. Apparently, her teacher was right, do not push them, they seem to know what is working for them and every one has his own system.
Obviously this approach will not work for somebody who is thinking about Music as a future profession, but these people actually LOVE to practice for hours, you would have hard time making them dong anything else.</p>