Should Music Lessons be Fun‪?‬

Of the many philosophical questions that music teachers face on a regular basis, one of the most fundamental is the purpose of taking music lessons. Teachers must consider the function of their calling in order to serve their students and their field in the most effective way. At times, the reasons that students are enrolled in music lessons do not align with the teacher's thinking. One of the reasons that parents or students often cite is that they enjoy music and want to take lessons for "fun." Parents may say things like, "We want our child to enjoy her lessons!" Or, "It is more important for our child to have fun with it than to be able to play perfectly." We also hear similar requests from students: "Can I play this just for fun?" Often, teachers translate this question as "Can I just play through this without actually practicing it or learning all the notes?"