John, you gave up because your instrument wasn't perfect.

I have to stay away from this board sometimes because of this sickening attitude.

just put up a sign saying "Rich Families Only, Please."

Rent to own, or just renting a piano would be a nice option for a lot of people.

I'm tempted to do just that

You should probably reread my post a bit more carefully. I most certainly didn't say what you accuse me of.

"We don't know if they'll stay interested in piano..."

This is by far the #1 topic of conversation with the parents who visit our piano store. Many seem genuinely nervous and pessimistic about their child's chances of success at piano study. Needless to say, these parent's fear of making an investment results in a large number of children practicing on a poor-quality instrument, (sometimes for several years). What kind of "Top 10 Ways to Keep Them Interested" list would you give them? Your feedback is gratefully appreciated.

Do any of you know ANYONE for whom a high-quality acoustic piano ISN'T just a matter of not taking that European vacation and cutting back on the lattes?

You know, I've got to say as someone who stayed with piano for eight years as a child and who stopped to go to college for physics, who has gotten back to it after getting her MS and still has a pretty good technique for an amateur, and who has started to write music as well ... I'm glad I never met any of you as a kid. Do any of you know ANYONE for whom a high-quality acoustic piano ISN'T just a matter of not taking that European vacation and cutting back on the lattes? Jesus Christ, people. Maybe a spoiled brat can afford to stop studying music because their instrument isn't perfect, but a poor child keeps soldiering on, because poor families can't afford to give up when things get hard. If any of you had any brains at all, you'd recognize that that attitude is an asset in a student.

Otherwise, just put up a sign saying "Rich Families Only, Please." Seriously. Roll your eyes all you want, but you have no idea what you are saying to families of extremely straitened circumstances, for whom even paying their buddies $50 to move a freebie into their basement means they need to eat less that month. Sometimes I feel like the people on this board live in a separate universe from the one I grew up in.

I knew plenty of rich kids from school whose grand pianos went unplayed as status furniture after they gave up a year into lessons, contrasted with my own situation on a landfill piano that was quite literally all my family could afford. John, you gave up because your instrument wasn't perfect. I'm happy to say that I did NOT. If I'd given up when things weren't just so, I'd never have achieved a damn thing in my life, because things are never just do when your family is living paycheck to paycheck. We're not all that fragile.

I have to stay away from this board sometimes because of this sickening attitude. I no longer like to associate with people who can make those assumptions about life without realizing how unbelievably offensive they are. You might all like to kid yourselves that you are all teaching the next generations of million-dollar Yuja Wangs, but you're not. I'd sooner teach a poor kid with a weighted Casio who can't imagine giving up without a grand because they can't imagine having one than a pigtailed millionaire's kid who whines and gives up if the piano isn't a Steinway.

also, what I don't understand is this mentality that in public schools, you have to do all your work.

Your parents wouldn't let you just decide to stop studying math or english or history or social studies - they wouldn't let you drop out or pass on doing art / gym homework

But if the child for even a second stops showing interest in music lessons - BAM! They're done.

also, what I don't understand is this mentality that in public schools, you have to do all your work.

Your parents wouldn't let you just decide to stop studying math or english or history or social studies - they wouldn't let you drop out or pass on doing art / gym homework

But if the child for even a second stops showing interest in music lessons - BAM! They're done.

Generally, school is free, piano lessons are not. I threaten my daughter who doesn't like to practice all the time because I do not like wasting my money. If she quit taking violin lessons, my family could go to Disneyland every year. I don't want to pay for my daughter to learn the violin if she is not really wanting to learn enough to practice.

As for instruments, I have my own freebie piano. I payed the piano technician $150 to service it. I think it plays quite well. Sure, it's not really nice, but it is sufficient for a student to play on. When I was a kid, my first instrument was a 66 key keyboard, unweighted keys, no pedal. After a year my dad' aunt gave me his deceased uncle's baldwin spent with featherlight keys. It was a challenge to go from my home piano to the piano teacher's piano, but I learned anyway. I did have some students who were just not progressing. They had difficulty figuring out which octave to play in. I finally asked about their piano. They were playing on a 2-octave keyboard. I learned from that to ask about the instrument in the beginning and to have certain requirements. In the first year, I believe a keyboard like what I had is okay, but after that, one should have an acoustic piano or a good keyboard. If the acoustic piano is tuned, works, and properly serviced, it should be fine.

Not sure what country you are living in, but in America, school isn't FREE. It is payed for with our tax dollars. We also have no OPT OUT for deciding to home school our children.

If you are able to finance piano lessons but are not able to finance a few hundred dollars for a decent digital, then you're in a minority here. What's with all the drama?

You don't have to be rich to spend $400 on a weighted digital keyboard and then a year or so later break down to spend $2,000 on an upright used acoustic.

We also have no OPT OUT for deciding to home school our children.

Are you saying that you believe in your country families do not have the option of leaving the school system, and home schooling?

You may find an untapped base for finding more students among home schooled families in your area. Generally speaking these are kids who know how to work one-on-one with an adult, with families who are committed to supporting their education (otherwise why would anyone do the work load that is involved in homeschooling?)

Where did you come up with the figure of a $400 for a weighted DP?

Ebay .....

$700 for a pretty damn nice digital at Music and Arts by my studio as well. So a used digital of that quality would be about $400.

Hmm. Ebay in my mind is risky. You can get great deals, but you can get hosed too.

The answer is simply: and you won't know if they will stick with it, but you can some things to help the process:

1) find the best teacher so that the kids make progress and feel like they have accomplished something (but if the child and teacher are a bad match, change);
2) listen to classical/piano music so that they know what really good playing sounds like and what pieces can be options if they stick with it;
3) encourage them by being at their lessons and listening to their practice (without taking over their practice);
4) make sure whatever instrument they have is in working order (keys don't stick, pedal works, it holds its tune reasonably well);
5) let them pick their pieces whenever possible;
6) understand that there will be times when practicing may not be their first priority (even if you want it to be);
7) let them explore the keyboard (compose, start a rock band, improvise);
8) encourage some ensemble playing (jazz band, ensembles, chamber music).


Sorry, I am just a parent of a piano student and piano student myself.

Back to the OP's initial question and to add just one item to the above:

Tell the parents to lavish praise on their kid when he plays a piece or any new little thing he's learned- and do the same when he plays for guests.
My son's 9 YO best friend asks ME if he can play a song for me every time he comes over and I always tell him how much I enjoyed his playing and how good it sounds- he just beams with pride.
Unfortunately, I did not get that as a kid- perfectionist father- and I really believe that was one reason (out of a few) that I quit while in high school. To this day, I really do not enjoy playing for my family- they are my worst critics and I don't think that's the way it should be.....it's OK now, I'm a big girl

Just my two cents worth...