I always encourage every student to play all the instruments in the studio, regardless of their immediate interest. If my memory serves me correctly, Kenny Aronoff (studio drummer extraordinaire, and drummer for John Mellencamp) started his college career at Indiana University wanting to be a timpanist or percussionist in an orchestra. His teacher encouraged him to work at the drum set to become a more well rounded percussionist. I think the advice paid off. Most students do a number of different musical activities in school, church, and on their own, which I encourage. We never know when we might need to play a particular instrument or style, so the more we do, the better. Eventually we may find one instrument or style of music that we prefer over others, but all of our experiences contribute to who we are when we play. My recent experience with Irish music caused me to think about how I feel time when I play jazz. Who would have thought? Every musical experience counts!