Book plug: "Outliers, The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell. His thesis is that genius doesn't really exist. There is only work and opportunity. With 10000 hours work you can be an expert at anything.
Bit of a problem for a late starting steel guitarist like me so, with a young family and heavyish work commitments I have to take every opportunity I can get to practice.
A while ago I found this which I would like to recommend.
Probably over priced at about $50A but it is great. It has an audio in so you can use it with an Ipod. The sound is not 100% but it has level, gain and tone dials. The young sales dude looked me up and down when I inquired and said "I guess you don't want the heavy metal version."
I have a train commute a few days a week and I am picking up maybe 2.5 hrs practice that would normally be listening or reading time.
Great idea. I have the Vox AC30 headphone amp that I use with a 10-string lap guitar, and I'm pleased with it's performance as well. I'm also hoping to use it primarily in travel situations.
I've heard and read about the 10,000-hour-rule, too. That is, you pretty much have to woodshed or immerse yourself in something for about 10,000 hours in order to become an expert at it, accomplished, whatever.
I do think there is some truth to that. If one works away at something full tilt 40 hours a week for about 5 years straight that's right around 10,000 hours or so.
At the same time I don't agree that there aren't any geniuses or extremely gifted individuals. Of course there are. Often they're "wired" such that they just "get it", whatever field or subject it is. They take less than 10,000 hours.
It's a very real fact that many highly gifted individuals fail in the field in which they are blessed to have talent. I think that might partly be due to their taking their talent for granted. Why work at something that comes so easily?
Location: More idle ramblings from South Australia
Postby Guy Cundell »
Check out the book, Eric. It is a great read. Very entertaining.
On the topic of natural talent, in my experience dealing with music students 18yrs and upward, talent can actually be a disadvantage. I see the ones who have natural talent and who have cruised through high school with the minimum of effort. When things start to get tough I find that they can wilt under the pressure. They haven't developed the work ethic and study skills to progress to higher levels. It takes character to take a deep breath and start at the bottom levels of reading, aural or instrumental study when you are achieving a decent level of performance. Convincing students that this is required is a difficult part of my job.
