Q. My 23-year-old son has taught himself to play the piano, learning the theme tune to The Truman Show without lessons. But it is the only thing that he has learned, and now he plays it every time he walks through our hall, driving the whole family mad. How can I end this purgatory without denting his confidence or his enthusiasm for music?
— S.H.,Woodborough, Notts
A. Buy your son an electric keyboard with headphones so that he can develop his potential privately in his own bedroom and hopefully increase his repertoire.
Q. I’ve met too many people and now need to cull some of the peripheral admirers. How can I nip these friendships in the bud without hurting any feelings?
— Name and address withheld
A. Buy a worthy, dense and demanding book. You might try In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations by Jerry Mander (458 pages), or choose a work you know.
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