Are you glad your parents made you take piano lessons?

[Anonymous]

My parents have been forcing me to play piano for a good 12 years now. I will be quitting in 4 months but I can tell u I will never regret quitting. The only reason someone should play an instrument is if they have a passion for it and truley love what they do. But when u can't stand even going near a piano and u have to force urself to play songs that u don't like.. that's not passion, that's torture.

[Anonymous]

My Mother forced me to get up at 5:30 every morning, before school to practice the piano for a half hour. If I didnt get out of bed right away, she would slap me upside my head. Then I would half to practice another hour and half after school. I was forced to play the piano from the age of 8 to 17. When I had a bad piano lesson, and did not have 10 classical songs memorized. She punished me, by not allowing me to go to my 7th grade football game. It was the final game of the year, and our team was undefeated. The team won and had a pizza party. I had to miss it all, because I couldnt memorize all those songs note for note. When I went back to school, everyone wanted to know why I wasnt at the game, I had to tell them why. I was the biggest joke of them all. I learned to hate the piano. I also had to study piano theory, go to recitals and audtions. I only was taught classical music, when I would ask my teacher to teach me songs of pop music, she would give me 5 minutes of help, then back to Bach.

[Anonymous]

Yea. I'm glad I can read music. I played nursery rhymes for my kids when younger and I can help my kid who is doing piano lessons now.

I stopped when I picked up another instrument in school. I honestly wish I'd stuck with an instrument longer into adulthood.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad I went to piano lessons until about 13. After that age it was a waste, because I didn't have any talent and didn't enjoy it. The earlier years have me an appreciation for music.

Money would have been better spent on me trying other activities in high school.

[Anonymous]

As an adult amateur violinist, I've noticed that many of the amateur or semi-professional musicians I know today had parents who were also musicians. So music wasn't just something they were forced to do while their parents stood to the side and made them practice, but it was a family activity. In my case, my parents didn't play music themselves, but they did folkdance and I learned folk music (as well as classical), so it was still a family activity and not something I was made to do.

[Anonymous]

I'm ABC to provide context, so of course i took piano lessons.

No, I'm not glad. And I haven't touched a piano since in over 25 years.

Of my 2 kids, one is musically inclined, and i had him to learn guitar at 4-5. He's kept up with it and of his own choice. Other than some nagging when he was younger about practicing, we've been hands off for several years now (he's 13).

I'm happy that he's able to riff or learn something more serious when he wants. I have no desired outcome other than I think a guitar is more practical than a piano in terms of portability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Mother forced me to get up at 5:30 every morning, before school to practice the piano for a half hour. If I didnt get out of bed right away, she would slap me upside my head. Then I would half to practice another hour and half after school. I was forced to play the piano from the age of 8 to 17. When I had a bad piano lesson, and did not have 10 classical songs memorized. She punished me, by not allowing me to go to my 7th grade football game. It was the final game of the year, and our team was undefeated. The team won and had a pizza party. I had to miss it all, because I couldnt memorize all those songs note for note. When I went back to school, everyone wanted to know why I wasnt at the game, I had to tell them why. I was the biggest joke of them all. I learned to hate the piano. I also had to study piano theory, go to recitals and audtions. I only was taught classical music, when I would ask my teacher to teach me songs of pop music, she would give me 5 minutes of help, then back to Bach.

Asian mother?

[Anonymous]

I am, but I wanted to. Your child may have a different experience

[Anonymous]

I learned piano from probably age 7-9, my aunt loved me as her daughter and bought me a piano since I was interested, and paid for my piano lessons. My biological mother was a crazy person, she forced me to practice and threatened me with kitchen knife when i made wrong notes during practice. I also hide inside bathroom for long time daily during practice. I had to finally quit even though I didn’t hate piano. My own kids, they both play piano and went through the period of dislike practice, refused to stop lessons, continued to play what they enjoy ( teacher always try to help them find what they would like to learn, that also match their level), without doing any piano festival/competition. I’m happy that music plays a good/important/positive part in my kids lives.

[Anonymous]

No. I hated my teacher, hated having mother listen to practices. Ruined any interest I had in music.

[Anonymous]

I was happy my parents let me start and thrilled when they let me quit a year later. I did not want to practice and my mom tired of nagging me to practice.

It made for a calmer home and family. I have never wished I knew how to play.

[Anonymous]

Both kids have musical ability. Older DC ended up discovering a love of guitar and early age piano lessons made for a very fast ramp up. Younger DC is just hanging on with lessons now in middle school but we want her to keep a foundation. Wish I could say there's no power struggle involved, but in the end her teacher is great and keeps to songs that are not overly complex so when she does sit down to practice she's successful and has fun with it. I'd say the teacher can make all the difference.

[Anonymous]

I had a more laid back teacher (for the 80s) and it was still stressful. I hated recitals, I didn't really like practicing. I wish the lessons could have just been "for fun".

I am not forcing my kids to do it. They are doing band/orchestra which I am making them do in elementary, but they can decide for middle. My oldest is sticking with it so far.

[Anonymous]

Yes of course, even though it was a major battle at 16 when I stopped.

But I wish they'd treated my ADHD and anxiety. That made my life hell in all the ways.

[Anonymous]

Some kids just don’t like piano but love a different instrument. For example, my niece hated piano but loves playing the cello, so they dropped piano when she was younger and now she’s a happy teen cellist. Why not let your DD try something else?