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Re: Re: Neuroscientist debunks the myth of musical instinct



On 2/22/12 7:29 AM, Sylvain Poitras wrote:
Eventually, I took lessons with a local pro who shared much of his experience being the lousiest player around, having all the faults you can imagine and working through them to become a phenomenal player.
I've privately taught over 3,500 people how to play music in my teaching career. The very slowest learner I ever taught was a young kid who wanted to play the blues. He learned at such a snails pace that I honestly thought he just didn't 'have' it.
He was the first person I ever truly thought this about.

But he kept coming religiously.........we kept working on the same material, basic blues
beats which are quite simple for over a year.

One day, he was warming up as I chatted with a talented student from the hour before
and my student said,  "wow,  he's really sounding good in there."

I was astonished...."He does?"   I asked somewhat incredulously.

and my student said,  "Yeah,  really, really solid"

and then it hit me, like a Buddhist monk hitting me over the head in meditation, I so had this guy in a 'place' in my mind that I was not being present and not
really listening to him.

It changed my entire perception about music and musical skill.
Passion, energy and discipline frequently trump so called 'talent' and speed of learning.

This man has grown up and is a professional blues drummer.
I'm absolutely certain that he makes more in his career than I do in mine.

I'm really friggin' proud of him and only sorry that it took me so long to
'hear' him.

Whenever I get students who are insecure about how long it takes them to learn something,
I always have this salutory story to give to them.

rick walker