Talent, or lack thereof

February 13, 2008 at 12:43 PM

A new thing I am experiencing in my lessons is that I am "practicing" in front of my teacher. She is having me repeat problematic passages several times so that she can watch what I would do at home. This week I went over the first set of double stops in Clarke's Passacaglia. The final one in that phrase, which I am fingering with 3-2-0 on the C,G, and D strings, has been hit-or-miss intonation-wise. Not only that, it takes me a long time to prepare it, so I tend to have a big break before launching into it--and then when it's out of tune after that: UGH.

Anyway, she had me play the notes before and go into just the G played by the 3 several times. Then I added the 2, which turned out to be a bigger whole step away than I was imagining, and suddenly it sounds better, much more reliably. At home I probably never would have thought to break it down that way myself. Also, she said that when I adjust my fingers for intonation, I often do it so quickly and make such a big adjustment that I overshoot the note in the other direction. I hadn't realized that either. I just knew that the adjustments I made didn't always work the way I intended. This observation fits in with a theme here that also applies to shifting--avoiding jerky, imprecise motions. I can avoid them, but not unless I'm aware of them in the first place.

And then there is the wayward first finger (and second finger, and third finger, and fourth finger). When a particular finger doesn't have a job to do, it's not uncommon for me to find it flying up in the air, waving to me from the fingerboard. Especially if I'm also trying to do vibrato on another finger at the same time. No wonder my intonation can be spotty.

But in spite of all this, my teacher still manages to make me feel talented. This is no small feat. Many other teachers I've had have helped me feel talented too, but a few have not. Browsing the rest of v.com, one notices that talent is often discussed but little understood. There are many stories about how this or that genius was told once by one of his teachers that he had no talent and would never amount to anything. Ha-ha! Score another point for the value of hard work and the triumph of the human spirit.

But this seems, on the face of it, to be a pretty stupid and mean thing to say if one is a teacher anyway. And I've never in fact had a teacher come out and say anything like that to me. But I have had a teacher ignore me, or try to teach me with a method that didn't fit. I have had the experience of slipping through the pedagogical cracks and feeling given-up on. I think that may be much more common than the blatant put-down, at least in modern times.

I feel blessed to have a teacher who "fits" with me, believes in me, and makes me feel talented. It's not the same thing at all as empty "self-esteem"-building praise. It comes from specific analysis and problem solving related to my needs as a player.

From Anne Horvath
Posted on February 13, 2008 at 4:08 PM

It is nice to hear that your teacher is earning her rubles! It is good that your teacher is helping you realize that you are capable of attaining your musical goals. This is terribly important: you need to have the belief that you are capable of dealing with the task at hand. And like you say, this is different from empty, meaningless platitudes, such as singing three rounds of "I Am Special"!

Also, "talent" is a dangerous word. Without a strong work ethic, "talent" is almost irrelevant. I have seen this hold true not only when I was a student, but now as a working musician and teacher. And since you are a scientist, (and a Mom!), I bet you have seen this too! Having "talent" isn't the same as hitting the lottery...

Happy Practicing!

From Karin Lin
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 12:46 AM

That's really nice, Karen. :) I, too, have a teacher who has a rather gruff manner but makes me feel talented by showing me what my potential is and helping me reach it fully. That's what we truly want as students, not someone who just praises us. Here's to great teachers!

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 1:04 AM

Greetings,
I have a handicapped studnet who suffered from encephalitis as a baby. Barely speaks, trouble using legs etc. Hands are like limp noodles. Every violin teacher in the region refused ot take him on because they said he did not have the tools or talent to play. What a load of b09876k! What has either to do with simply wanting to play, needing to play? He had to struggle by himself for six years by watching other people and using his exceptionally good ear.
For two years now I have held his fingers in place and supported his arms. Now he can play three or four bars of a moveemnt of one ealry Italian Baroque sonata absolutely beautifully before he collapses. In another year maybe he will play a whole movement. That`s talent.
Cheers,
Buri

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 2:11 AM

Buri, that's a wonderful story. There should be more violin teachers like you.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 11:03 AM

I agree, talent is a dangerous word. Sure, talented people can and do fail, but as a mom, scientist, or instrumentalist, I haven't seen that it's "irrelevant," exactly. I tend to believe that everyone has talent--in something--but that it can be hidden or inaccessible in some way.

And I don't believe that "hard work" is always the answer. I have at times experienced that "hard work" can be harmful (especially to one's personal life and health), a waste of time, or both. This is almost a heretical view, especially in the modern American workplace, and in the upper middle class public school systems where I was raised and my children are being raised.

I'm playing around in my mind instead with a definition of "talent" as a state of being in which hard work is not a waste.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 11:18 AM

Karin, actually my teacher doesn't have a gruff manner. I've BTDT and need something different at this stage of my musical life. She's a bit older than I am, probably early-to-mid 50's, well-dressed and dignified-looking, but she gets so enthusiastic about the music that she can start jumping up and down in the lesson.

From Anne Horvath
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 1:41 PM

I actually had a similar conversation with the guy I am taking lessons with a few weeks ago. We were discussing work ethic, and talent, and agreed that without a solid work ethic, talent is almost irrelevant. That is to say, talent, perhaps defined as "having a knack for the task at hand" can help smooth the way to being a better violinist and musician, but without practicing, development won't matter, because it won't happen.

To put it another way, I could practice 20 high quality hours a day my whole life and STILL never sound as good as James Ehnes. However, if I do practice a good work ethic, and practice every day, and do my best, I can be the best musician that *I* can be. (Sadly, that is not close enough to Ehnes...)

Speaking of, time to practice!

From Karin Lin
Posted on February 14, 2008 at 5:52 PM

I realized after I posted my comment that it came out wrong...I meant that "I, too, have a teacher who makes me feel talented" (in spite of his gruff manner, which doesn't bother me). In any case, my point was that it is more effective to build a student's self-esteem by showing her what she can accomplish, rather than telling her she's already great. But you knew that already. :)

From Corwin Slack
Posted on February 15, 2008 at 1:52 AM

I think God measures us on what we did with what we had. There is a parable about this. In the parable the one with the least is punished for doing nothing with what they did have.
In any event 99.999% of the world has a talent deficiency of one sort or another. The winners recognize this and do their best. The losers recognize this and give up. Aren't we all the one with the least? Let's not bury what we have.

From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on February 15, 2008 at 3:01 PM

I don't believe in that kind of a god anymore--not one that would measure and punish people, especially over something like music. I believe now in something more like karma: that if you use your gifts for good and seek out others who do the same, good things will happen.

From Corwin Slack
Posted on February 15, 2008 at 8:27 PM

See it how you will. The parable means (to me) that people with the least hurt themselves by doing nothing. That certainly doesn't seem to describe you. I don't know anything about your talent but it is evident that you're doing a lot with what you have.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on February 17, 2008 at 1:10 AM

This blog and the comments are very helpful to me as a violin teacher. Thanks, everyone.

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Talent, or lack thereof

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