Comment by chickensong

Nobody has said playing an instrument is a core and essential skill. If this thread was about that, I'd say learning to cook is a priority.

This thread is about what you might teach your children, and predicting what works well in 20 years. There's no future where knowing how to play an instrument isn't a great thing. If you can't afford a guitar, don't get a guitar. There are cheaper instruments. Humans have figured out how to make it work across the ages, regardless of financial status.

You might change careers several times in your life, but being able to play an instrument is always a viable way to enrich one's life.