Greetings Eddies!

"Help! My 7-year-old loved piano at first, but lately it's been a daily argument. I don't want to give up on it, but I also don't want to create resentment."

That plea popped up on Reddit recently, and dozens of parents chimed in with different answers. Some said push through, others said quit and find something else.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Music lessons work beautifully for some families and become a source of stress for others. But one music teacher's story offers an interesting perspective on patience and the long game of skill-building.

Let's dive in.

THOUGHT: When (Not) to Quit Music Lessons
TREND: The Corpus Callosum Effect
TOOL: Hoffman Academy & Practice Pie

When (Not) to Quit Music Lessons

If your kid isn’t jazzed about lessons every week, you’re not failing—and the lessons may be doing more than you can see. Music teacher Deborah Pratt says the real value is the habit of showing up, a relationship with a mentor, and confidence earned by doing hard things consistently.

One student started piano at eight, practiced inconsistently, and cycled through a few instruments as he grew. From the outside, it looked like a waste.

Then at 16, he walked in and said, “I bought a bass.” It finally clicked—the patterns matched the way his brain worked. He started practicing for hours, not because anyone pushed him, but because he’d found his thing.

Deb’s takeaway: if his parents had required practice to “earn” lessons, he might’ve quit before the breakthrough. Sometimes the click comes later—so don’t quit during a normal lull.

Watch the episode 

The Corpus Callosum Effect

So why music specifically? Because music is the only activity that lights up the entire brain simultaneously.

It physically enlarges the corpus callosum—the bridge of nerve fibers connecting your left and right hemispheres. Research shows this structure is significantly larger in musicians.

This helps with:

• Emotional Regulation (Teenagers playing guitar to process angst)
• Math Skills (Rhythm is physical math)
• Executive Function (Tracking multiple inputs)

That said, music isn't the only path. The key is finding something that asks your child to show up consistently, struggle productively, and grow.

Watch clip

Hoffman Academy & Practice Pie

From the Reddit hive mind, two tools stood out for parents in the "practice trenches":

1. Hoffman Academy: "My daughter loves Hoffman Piano online... she is doing this willingly after lots of struggles." It uses a gamified, video-based approach.
2. Practice Pie: A book recommended for reframing practice from a chore to a "slice" of the day.

Bonus Strategy: The Rebrand. One parent said: "I stopped calling it 'practice' and started calling it 'piano time' - somehow that small change made it feel more like an activity than a task."