J.R. Patterson on why kids hate music lessons

Music treads a fine line between the loose creativity of art and the rule-bound framework of sport. Education should be open to exploration yet demanding enough to meet a high standard; a good lesson, in its push for something always a little beyond the capability of the musician, is an act of creating desires that remain unmet. Perhaps technique must not be seen as an end in itself, where learning to play properly is the same as learning to play beautifully. There is no “proper” way to play any instrument, just as there is no “proper” way to create any art. The greater measure of skill and control of an instrument is the ability to convey emotion rather than emit a flurry of notes. We love our favourite music more for what it makes us feel than for its technical difficulty.