I played piano and flute, too. The piano lessons got old, though, and I quit after 7th grade. I didn't like the place where I was taking lessons--they were, frankly, ruining my enjoyment of playing. It was all geared towards an exam and a recital and, even at 13, I felt that my performance reflected more on my instructor than on myself. I wanted to play a variety of music, learning as I went, not play the same one piece for 3 months. I ended up doing a lot of choral accompaniment throughout jr. high and high school, and playing in the jazz band in 10th and 12th grades. I continued to play other music, for my own enjoyment (and, hey! If I sat down at the piano, my mother often forgot to make me help with the dishes
). My strengths, in all musical things, are sight reading, supporting a group effort, and getting quickly up to speed on a new piece. I'm not a soloist, nor do I have the patience for perfection.
