I don't play an instrument, but I do the PA for bands, originally back in the 70's, but now for my daughters bands.
Her experience goes like this:
5 years old - started school, plenty of singing.
6 years old - sent her for piano lessons, sang in choirs at school and at Derby Assembly Rooms.
10/11 years old - heard an advert on the local radio, looking for girls to take part in music at a council youth service run scheme (Donut Studios). We rang up, and she started having vocal and keyboard lessons (for free) at Donut. Took part in MusicX for the first time, a summer project at Donut where they group kids together into bands, perform a gig, and do a recording session - on this first one she played keyboards and sang.
11 years old - now at secondary school, she started having flute lessons at school. Later a class mate called Charlie asked her to join a band he was starting - to play bass? (seeing as she played piano and flute?). So she changed her keyboard lessons to bass lessons - and within a few weeks had performed at a gig, and done studio recordings (but not with Charlie, who still didn't have a guitar).
MusicX again, this year played bass and sang - most of the band stayed together after MusicX, and they did a number of gigs as 'Easily Amused'. Also played in a band with Charlie as 'InBetween'.
12-15 years old, still gigging, still does MusicX every year, Easily Amused spiltup (drummer with delusions of grandeur), InBetween now a duo, as drummer (another drummer!) quit as he wanted to play guitar instead.
Still having piano and flute lessons. Also took (and passed) an OCN Sound Engineering course - so is a qualified sound engineer, and a volunteer recording engineer at Donut Studios.
16 years old - packed in piano lessons, still having flute lessons, still gigging, still doing MusicX - this year she played bass, flute, piano accoordion, and sang (and danced as well). Took GCSE music, and despite only having a decent teacher for the last few months, gained an A*.
17 years old - started sixth form at a new school, had a manolin for her birthday (I've never mentioned she played guitar and drums as well), presently doing a Music Technology A level course (MIDI and sound engineering.
That's pretty well up to now! - but she's still gigging.