2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Talent or passion? Talent or intelligence? Talent or work? Is talent innate or can it be developed? To learn music, play an instrument or sing, is talent essential?
What is talent?
First, what is talent? By looking in the Larousse dictionary, we find the following definition: Special ability to do something or Capacity, remarkable gift in the artistic, literary field. That said, talent (and all that it implies) remains a mysterious concept. Some researchers, such as the Russian Boris Teplov, propose that talent is a global principle, that is, a combination of aptitudes that allows the person to successfully practice musical activity. Seashore argues that talent is by definition hereditary. Others dismiss this theory out of hand and instead believe that talent depends on education, family background and many other external factors.
Different Talents
Talent can take many forms. A pianist who has studied for years might have extraordinary technique and be capable of incomparable prowess on the keyboard, but lackof musical sensibility. In this case, although he is dazzled by the perfection of the musician's playing, the listener too often remains frozen and finds it difficult to feel the aesthetic pleasure of the music which usually acts on the soul and the emotions. On the other hand, a second pianist could have worked as hard and for as many years, but have developed a much deeper musical sense, without demonstrating an infallible technique. This time, the listener would be charmed and, without really knowing the reason, transported by the effervescence and feverishness of the musician. This sensitivity almost allows an intimate exchange between the artist and the viewer.
Although the concept of talent is controversial, it goes without saying that success in anything comes from training and deepening over a long period of time. In all areas of performance such as music, sport or drama, for example, having a particular aptitude for a discipline will probably shorten the learning period, but the fact remains that a diligent work is an essential element for obtaining an interesting result. Could we think that talent alone is a guarantee of success? All the celebrities and prodigies of this world will confirm that their exploits did not come without hours, if not months and years of practice and training.
Success Factors
This leads us to discuss the various factors thatallow an individual to excel in their speci alty. We all have the ability to achieve beautiful and great things. However, there are many who prefer to envy successful people rather than roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to achieve the desired goal. We have already mentioned that hard work is one of the most important elements in the recipe for success, but it is not only that. The real desire to surpass oneself, to go through all the stages in order to obtain the desired level is a piece of the puzzle, as is the deep love for discipline and the desire to live through it.
For example, in young children who show an interest in learning a musical instrument, we often find an ambition, an appetite for musical discovery. On the other hand, if this ardor is not sustained, the child risks losing interest and giving up, the number of pitfalls being too great. Maintaining motivation, supervision, practice, but also the family environment are therefore essential. A child who lives in an environment allowing him to be stimulated in a global way will develop assets and skills that will facilitate his success, in music as in the other spheres of his life (school, interpersonal relations, labor market, etc.). Music calls in particular for memorization, comprehension, precision, listening, rigor, self-confidence, motivation… The valorization of the child and the development of hisinterest by a competent teacher also weigh in the balance. The choice of teacher is important.
The same goes for adults. The difference is that adults are better able to make correlations and become aware of the different situations that will ultimately lead them to make choices and decisions. Even if motivation can sometimes be difficult to maintain, adults have the ability to set goals to help them stay on course. Thus, when an adult decides to start learning a musical instrument or wants to start singing, he must know, even if he has no musical notion, that only having a goal to reach, the time as well as the efforts that he wants to invest in his rehearsals will bring him progress and satisfaction. From all this flow pleasure and pride in personal achievement.
We don't think an individual is talented because he can walk. However, the baby does not succeed. Over time, he makes attempts, he falls and gets up again. He repeats and repeats the same movements. He practices. The day comes when he acquires enough experience and confidence to walk without holding on and later he even manages to run. The same goes with practicing music.
Could we therefore say that real talent is ultimately the ability to have enough self-confidence to decide to go after our goals and our dreams? To give free rein to the passion that drives us inside andthe love of this passion, to agree to overcome all the obstacles in order to become a musician of excellence? Certainly, having an exceptional talent will accelerate learning, but as we mentioned earlier, there is no possible success without work and without accepting that time does its work. So there is no point in underestimating yourself! Respect yourself and respect your passions. Do what you love and put your heart into it! You will see, the results will surely be pleasing!
