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A Preliminary Word to Parents It is developmentally normal for kids to flit like hummingbirds from interest to interest, hovering briefly to taste of each one before darting off to the next. Parents must accept that kids will be kids.

Too often have I heard a frustrated parent scold their eager little would-be musician with the words, "I’m not getting you another musical instrument; I already bought you a recorder (guitar, etc.), but you didn’t stick with it."

Well, the reality is that most children will stick with music only if the parent does. (Yes, I have spoken with several parents who just gave the ocarina and curriculum to their kids, and the kids are running with it on their own, but they are rare exceptions to the rule.)

When I was a little shaver, I almost never practiced my saxophone unless Mom or Dad prompted me, i.e., made me. Obviously, it wasn’t that I had no true interest in music. My "problem" was that I was still a child. Like most kids, I just naturally gravitated to activities that were easier, more fun, or more relevant in the very short term. Consequently, parents, it is your job to provide the structure, discipline, and encouragement that your children need to receive not only the gift of music but also that of perseverance–a quality that will benefit them throughout life.