No and no. I hated it, but we all had to take a minimum of 2 years. My older sisters are practically concert pianists; I can't carry or play a tune to save my life.

My parents never forced piano lessons on me -- I asked for them when I was a teenager. Now I wish I'd started earlier, because there's a chance I would have been better at it had I started at say, 8 or 9. I love music and would love to play more, but unfortunately, I'm now too busy and it's a struggle to read music.

Yes, I loved it. Well, 80-20. I hated recitals, but I spent hours just noodling around, figuring stuff out, and when I was a teen, I spent my allowance on sheet music for popular tunes (Richard Marx, Right Here Waiting, anyone? ) and entertained my friends. There were a couple of guys who played guitar, and we we do little jam sessions at parties. Very Mayberry, I know.

I wish we had room for a piano now, so I could take it up again. Lack of space for a piano is the one downside of urban living.

i think it's a lot like learning a foreign language - you lose it if you don't use it. no regrets here.

Yes, but I am now a public school music teacher and third generation piano teacher. I think you have to consider what you want your child to get out of it. I love music, so does DH (he is also a musician). Our 3yo DS is fascinated with music and will easily sit through a 2 hour symphony concert since we frequently listen to classical music at home and he enjoys watching the musicians play in person. He fiddles around with his toy piano and my violin on occasion and buzzes on DH's trumpet mouthpiece. We will have him start piano lessons around 5 or 6 as it will serve as an excellent basis for any instrument he should choose later in life. I don't care if he becomes a professional musician or not, but playing music is an incredible outlet for expressing oneself. However, if your child does not enjoy music you should not force it - that will push her away more. What I tell my students' parents is to set up a daily time to practice and stick with it. It truly does not have to be hours and hours, just 15 to 30 minutes to go through their lesson assignment 5 days a week in the beginning. If your child never practices, they will never get better and thus will become bored and want to give it up. You also have to find the right teacher to match your child's personality.

Six too young to take seriously with the negative? DD started last semester ( we are not in the recital circuit. More for fun.) says she doesn't lime it, like she doesn't like carrots (ocassionally she'll eat them)

Yes. I love music and have natural ability - reading music came easily to me and I can easily play by ear. I also love to sing. So I'm glad my mom forced me to keep on with piano lessons - eventually I was taking them by choice and still play now in my 40's, though not as often as I'd like.

If my child hated it AND showed no natural ability, I wouldn't make her continue. My brother and sister had no natural ability and were not "forced" to play the piano.

I'm thrilled that I know how to play piano and still play it now (thanks, DH - for buying it for me!) My parents never bugged me to practice. If I wasn't prepared at my next lesson, it was between me and my teacher. But, music is in my bones - I sing and picked up the sax in school and became a band geek (jazz band, marching band, and concert band). I did burn out on band. Not piano! I hauled my piano books to college and would play in our music hall as a stress release. My DH plays guitar, so I'll be super bummed if my kids don't like music, but I don't plan to force it.

My mom made me stick with it until 16 - cello in my case, not piano - and frankly I feel guilty at how much my parents spent over the years and how little I got out of it. I never enjoyed it and never regretted stopping once I finally was allowed to. I have never considered picking up an instrument again. Yes, I did all the practicing I was supposed to, I went to the theory classes, I had a good teacher, I tried - but I just don't particularly care about music and never enjoyed playing it.
I wish the energy my parents put into encouraging me to stick with music had been put instead into encouraging me to be more athletic. I have discovered a love for running as an adult, and I wish I had realized earlier in life that just because I don't have the greatest coordination doesn't mean I can't be athletic.

No way. I always found it very boring. Let them find something they like, even another instrument. I wanted to take violin but my parents didn't let me because they didn't want to listen to the screeching.

Yes. I don't play now as life took me elsewhere and there wasn't opportunity to be near it, but my sister and I were both academically trained in music (in another country, not here, and it is a lot more rigorous, it's really more like a parallel track school). It was a 7-year program. At one point I wanted to quit very badly but my mom wouldn't let me, and at some point we did have timed practices when I practiced and mom sat on the couch in the same room and there was no getting up until 90 minutes were up.

I very much regret not playing now, I would love a refresher. I think I have a much deeper understanding, appreciation and passionate love for music because of early music training. I feel sorry for people who do not. I wish I could give my son the same experience I have, but it's impossible in this country without a SAH parent and lots of money. Sigh.

No, I hated the lessons. I was never asked what sport or hobby I wanted to pursue. I was finally allowed to quit after like 8 years of lessons. I don't play now and have no interest in it.

Nope, it was a bit waste of money. I hated it. It was an unnecessary power struggle.

Yes and no, although I'd like to start again when we get a piano for our family.

It's a great foundation IMO for at a minimum appreciating music. If not performing.

DH had zero musical education and it shows.

No.

I started playing but the forced timed practices took the fun out of it. Stopped around 9. I don't remember a thing about it now.