In Thailand we see this pressure on kids, especially the boys from a Chinese family background being applied all the time.
There is much wiseness in traditional values as your parable shows but there also needs to be flexibility to learn and accept the changing times too.
I'm happy to see you didn't give up on your music, I think learning an instrument should be a mandatory subject through out the full length of school life, especially for the non academically gifted, even an average musician will always have that skill that can at least earn them a dinner!
Best wishes, hope you've had a great weekend :-)
Its those pesky Chinese traditional values I tell ya!
I agree that changing times require adaptable attitudes and expectations towards children. The route I chose in the end was Computer Science, and probably a couple of decades ago, that would have been supplanted or ignored by those studying core subjects like the Sciences, Math, perhaps the Political sciences and even Performing arts. Of course today, I would argue that everyone should probably have some level of competence with computing as well.
Interesting that you mentioned musicians earning dinner, because I did have a stint as a music teacher and earning enough money for food was actually pretty much all I got!
Have a good weekend!