Practice vs. Talent in Piano Playing
Carlos Luigi R. Ramos July 18, 2012
Eng 10 WFU4
Practice vs. Talent in Piano Playing The phrase practice makes perfect is such a cliché nowadays. One can hear it everywhere and every time in his everyday life. But, does it really make all things perfect? Is practice a necessity to be good at a certain thing? How about talent? We obviously all know that talent is essential, moreover, innate talent exists. Does this mean that if one has no talent, then he or she will be no good? Which weighs more between the two? These are just some of the questions almost everyone might be craving to know especially if he or she wants to be excellent in his or her field. This study aims to respond on the questions stated above but would focus more on the effect of these on piano playing. To achieve this goal, previous studies will be brought forth and will be analyzed. But first, we must define what these two terms are. Talent, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude and, as general intelligence or mental power, while practice is defined as a systematic exercise for proficiency. Talent is also defined as natural endowment or ability of a superior quality (The Free Dictionary). According to Florida State University Professor K. Anders Ericson and his colleagues, deliberate practice is the key for one to get to the world-class level. Deliberate practice is the activity designed, typically by a teacher, for the sole purpose of effectively improving specific aspects of an individual 's performance (Ericson 1993). They have studied how world class violinists, chess players, athletes and the like engage in deliberate practice to boost their skills. To do this, with the help of the Academy’s professors, they divided the violinists to three groups: the stars, the merely
Eng 10 WFU4
Practice vs. Talent in Piano Playing The phrase practice makes perfect is such a cliché nowadays. One can hear it everywhere and every time in his everyday life. But, does it really make all things perfect? Is practice a necessity to be good at a certain thing? How about talent? We obviously all know that talent is essential, moreover, innate talent exists. Does this mean that if one has no talent, then he or she will be no good? Which weighs more between the two? These are just some of the questions almost everyone might be craving to know especially if he or she wants to be excellent in his or her field. This study aims to respond on the questions stated above but would focus more on the effect of these on piano playing. To achieve this goal, previous studies will be brought forth and will be analyzed. But first, we must define what these two terms are. Talent, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude and, as general intelligence or mental power, while practice is defined as a systematic exercise for proficiency. Talent is also defined as natural endowment or ability of a superior quality (The Free Dictionary). According to Florida State University Professor K. Anders Ericson and his colleagues, deliberate practice is the key for one to get to the world-class level. Deliberate practice is the activity designed, typically by a teacher, for the sole purpose of effectively improving specific aspects of an individual 's performance (Ericson 1993). They have studied how world class violinists, chess players, athletes and the like engage in deliberate practice to boost their skills. To do this, with the help of the Academy’s professors, they divided the violinists to three groups: the stars, the merely
Bibliography: Barizo, Dee. “The Talent Myth: Why Talent is Overrated And What’s Really Important”. 19 May 2009. Devlounge. 10 July 2012. < http://www.devlounge.net/strategy/the-talent-myth> Ericson, Anders et al., “The Making of an Expert”. Harvard Business Review. 2007. Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Hambrick, David and Meinz, Elizabeth. “Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters”. New York Times. 10 July 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/sorry-strivers-talent- matters.html?_r=2> Hendricks, William. 10,000 Hours. Sima International Inc. Merriam-Webster. 11 July 2012. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talent> Merriam-Webster. 11 July 2012. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/practice> O’Donnell, Matt. “Parenting: Talent vs. Practice”. 14 June 2010. ABC. 11 July 2012. <http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/parenting&id=7496421> The Free Dictionary. 12 July 2012. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/talent>