I'm in a fairly successful folk band, and last year, we took on a very young girl to help me with vocals. In the interim, I became very good friends with her mum, as we're about the same age.

For the first three or four months, she really grew as a performer. She worked hard on her stage presence, projecting her vocals, learning her parts, but then, she begin to slip. Almost overnight, it seemed, she went from a charming pixie of a child singing and dancing around with the tip jar to a wee prima donna. She often pouts on stage, shuffles through her lyric sheets, and just behaves in an extremely unprofessional manner. Audience members have complained, ans because she is such a cutie, we've even had problems with "dirty old men."

Over the weekend, I talked with her mum, explaining that I wanted to remove Girlchild from the band. I put it to her in extremely positive language. She's quit growing musically; she doesn't like the material we're doing; band stuff is going to interfere with school, et al. Mum got teary-eyed and begged me to just let her stay. Told me that if I don't want her at a particular gig, just to not tell her about it.

Now, mum has put me in a position to lie to her child, or to completely halt the band's progress, as it has actually come to that point.

Any and all help, opinions, comments will be truly appreciated.