I haven't read all the responses all the way through but this is my experience...I started taking lessons at 8 years old. Around that same age, 11 - 12, I started begging my mom to let me quit. I hated practicing, my teacher was just OK (an elderly woman) and I really hated recitals. But my mom made me go anyway.
For a couple years, I cruised by without doing a lot of practicing - my mom did not make me practice much that I can remember but she did expect me to go to my lesson once a week. I ended up taking formal lessons though about age 17, I guess. In the end, I was really glad my mom made me take the lessons. Even though I don't have access to a piano (and haven't since I lived at home full time - some 19 years!) I can still play half-decently when I visit my parents. Our home has no room for a piano at the moment but I WILL be buying one whenever we move because I miss playing and I want to teach my kids.
Maybe that could be an alternate choice? Let up on trying to get him to practice but insist that he still goes to his lessons. He will still learn to play and will probably realize after he is not prepared at his lessons that maybe he could practice at least a couple times a week (once it started getting too hard to fake at my lesson, I started practicing more).
Just another idea that may work. Good luck!
