When it comes to a solution, I think playing on the streets and handing out dollar whistles to kids may be part of the solution. When I'm playing on the streets of Deadwood, it's usually kids who are intrigued and stop to listen and ask questions before their parents drag them into another casino. I wanna hear it. Of course, my heart soared and my ego blossomed. I smoozed with the boy and gave him a whistle, and showed him where to put his fingers and how to blow, and that kid lit up like a Christmas tree.
Kids are liable to enjoy practicing on a whistle, because they can get immediate results.
There's something to be said for instant gratification for a kid who's motivated to learn music and more to be said for inexpensive instruments. For 25 bucks you can outfit a whole classroom of forth graders with an instrument that will not only enchant them, but also hold their attention for more than five minutes. When I first started playing, it sounded like I was strangling weasels in the upper registers. When I finally figured out I could BLOW through the silly thing and get a fairly sweet sound out of it, I took off and emerged a devout whistler by the end of the winter. I enjoy practicing in the grandstand at the rodeo grounds.