"We're going to hold off on buying a piano. We want to see if he's committed first before we make the investment."
It's an understandable stance. After all, a piano costs a lot of money to purchase and move. And if the student quits, it becomes a big piece of unused furniture in the house.
Nevertheless...
Every piano teacher hears this at least a few times every year. And almost without exception, it doesn't work out for the student. The student either never begins, or quits within a few months.
Why?
It's putting the cart before the horse. Looking for the romanticized "passion from within" from children before we're willing to make an investment in time or money.
But the reality is, if parents aren't committed, their children won't be committed.
You know how they say your kids pick up on everything you do? So you'd better watch what you say, how you say it, and even your body language?
It's the same thing with how we talk and act towards music lessons.
If parents go into it half-hearted, their kids will go into it half-hearted. If it's not worth more than a toy keyboard, then kids will treat it like a toy keyboard.
When we commit more to our expensive monthly car payments than we do to our children's music education, that sends a message.
So the question we want to ask for the next generation is...are we committing to the right things with our actions?
