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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]My mom forced me through to end of HS.  I hated every F second of it, but I played competitively,  and it allowed me opportunities to do a lot of summer programs (pretty big deals at Urbana, Northwestern, Interlochen, you get the idea).  I now realize what a gift and opportunity it was.  Talk to me then and I would have quit at like age 8 LOL[/b]

I was really surprised that I missed it as soon as it was over, and ended up finding a way to get my own lessons in college, away from home!  Then, I brought myself a piano upon graduation to return to it.  I fell in love with playing after all those years of HATING it.  I started teaching a bit as well.

I now have 2 kids and the way I feel about it is, they have to play through MS.  At HS they can decide if they want to continue but only because I realize they have other interests they really love.  I think music is SO good for the brain and it's something kids don't get until they are older.

Nobody likes to practice and 99% of kids don't practice the right way.  When you practice start to finish 100x of course you will hate it for sure.  The other thing I did with my kids is they are allowed to pick an instrument to play - anything until end of MS.  So my kids play 2-3 instruments.  They can read music well and they are very good actually.  But like you said, I don't know that they would continue without my "forcing" them to do so.  But the longer they play, even if they stop at 14, they will a foundation to return to if they choose that someday.  I think music is one of the greatest gifts you can give anyone because quite honestly, not everyone is wired to be able to actually play (esp piano) well.  You have to be wired a certain way to be able to do it and when you get older, it's a joy to have this hobby.  Of course my kids have no idea what this means but I want to give them every opportunity to take advantage of it as I can :)

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That was also the story of my life.  My father had me start piano at the age of five on a grand German Steinway and I had to practice 90 minutes everyday until the age of fourteen and I hated every F second of it.  When I turned fifteen, he had me learn the guitar until the last day of my high school year.  I absolutely hated it but my father and mother did not care.  My father, and mother to some degree, told me that I will appreciate this wonderful gift of music.  I had so much hatred for my parents that I did not speak to them for three months before leaving for college.  When I got to college, music was the one thing that allowed me to quickly make friends, many girls wanted to date me and many guys wished they could be like me.  I realized what my parents did for me and I am forever grateful for it.  To me the best instrument is either the piano (elegance) or the guitar (chick magnet). YMMV.[/quote]

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