So let's go back to the practicing scenario. If a student starts young--say, 3 or 4 years old--the decision to play an instrument comes from the parents. Yes, a child may have expressed an interest in music but most certainly not in the hours and hours of practicing it will take to become proficient. It is no wonder that this results in tantrums. In the child's mind, this is not what he signed up for. Where's the motivation? There's no one answer to this. Just like how there's no one answer for why you didn't exercise on that one day. Maybe you didn't feel like it. Maybe you were just plain ol' tired. Maybe you were sore from the previous day's workout. Maybe all three of these things. Difficult practicing work may not be a top priority for a student so it's important to understand what does motivate the child. Up until the teenage years, the desire to please is a very strong motivator. If the child is receivi...