<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: the future of piano study</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <BLOCKQUOTE>I can't speak= for our neck of the woods ( S. Florida). All of our piano teachers are carr= ying full loads plus huge waiting lists for any future openings.  &nbsp= ;Piano lessons are going strong and parents are most enthusiastic of the ben= efits pianos lessons provide. In addition I'm seeing a lot of the high schoo= l students going to the symphony concerts as dates instead of the parting do= wn the block. Tom Servinsky </BLOCKQUOTE> Hi---read the article; don’t like his “war” metaphor or a= pproach, but agree 100% about not leaching the fun out of stuff. My experien= ce is as Tom’s above---lotta teachers, lotta students, a big interest = in all forms of music by kids, no perception of the piano as doomed or endan= gered.  At the High End, where I practice piano technology, business is= always good, and people always love their pianos.    I have a 14 y.o.; my sweetheart’s got a 16 y.o.; they’re open t= o anything, and both have what we used to call “big ears---” the= y can hear beauty in many different musical genres, and they trust their fee= lings about what they like and don’t like. I think people that are worried all the time about “kids today”= and come from a general atmosphere of “we have to save our kids, and = WE know what’s best for them” are working themselves into a snit= , as my Mom used to say. Treat your own child, and the children around your = child, with respect.  Listen to them. Don’t patronize them. Look = at their stunning beauty rather than at what’s “wrong” wit= h them. Remember how you were at that age.  Try not to be a hypocrite. End of mild rant. Xxooxo, David Andersen </BODY> </HTML>