Hi,

I played trumpet in high school. It was my choice of instrument and I was completely responsible for my own practice. I loved it and was evidently quite talented at it. I was encouraged to pursue it as a profession, but long term I knew my heart wasn't in it. I desperately miss participating in music though, more than a decade later, and plan to join a choir this year. Boy did I love it during the years I played. Music is such an amazing way to be able to communicate as a kid, when the words, thoughts and feelings you have won't all come together in the way you might hope! To give kids the chance to enjoy music is such a gift.

I have to say that I completely agree with passthepotatoes. I feel there so much scope for damaging your relationship with him in insisting on something like this for the sake of it. I feel extracurricular activities should be about exploring a passion, especially (and I don't know if this is the case for your ds or not) if that isn't found in the classroom. I get needing to learn to persist, but there are other ways to achieve this - and I think the lesson is more relevant to gaining an understanding that sometimes you have to do some boring bits to reach a goal that is ultimately meaningful to you (achieving grades to go on to a university course you want to do, practicing every day because you want to be accepted to a music academy, working in an entry level role in a field you love, persisting in the extracurricular activity you love, but is now a challenge, etc) rather than learning to persist in something that is of little personal worth.

Enjoying playing music is such a gift in its own right and I would encourage him to choose an instrument he is interested in and give him the space to love it - encourage practice but don't supervise it, offer assistance if he wants it, enjoy his performances, get him involved in a band or an orchestra. If he does find he loves it, he's likely to practice - you can't play well without it. If he doesn't, so be it. Find something else and take some pressure of the both of you.

Good luck.