Who's it important for, and why?passiflora":1bop7gtc said:She has a really important music exam coming up soon, so I should just take the positives.
I'm no stranger to this, as I went through the whole music exams and gradings as I grew up through my teens (and this isn't a bitter take on it, my parents were always very laid back about it).
Don't get me wrong, I see the point in encouraging talent, and making sure things don't slide due to adolescent indifference or ambivalence.
That said, though, who's the success and the achievement for? If we say we just want our kids to achieve their potential, why? Is that for what we want, what we feel is best for them, or simply what we feel they should do / achieve - I have all these considerations for my own kids (although not with any musical interest so far).
I just think it's a fine line between encouraging your kids to achieve what you perceive as their potential, and competitive dad syndrome. If it's part of a big plan that your daughter has truly bought into and wants, then fair play, but if it's just a hobby with potential then maybe not being too intense is better.
With some things time may be significant - if it's en route to somewhere for adulthood - in many other cases, though, there's nothing so important about timing of focus that can't afford to be more about the experience than the achievement. I'd say that in most cases, people have the rest of their lives to achieve and enjoy their musical interests - unless, as I said, it's en-route to some academic or professional target.