Talent vs Effort

"We are often taught that talent begins with genetic gifts-that the talented are able to effortlessly perform feats the rest of us can only dream about. This is false. Talent begins with brief, powerful encounters that spark motivation by linking your identity to a high-performing person or group. This is called ignition, and it consists of a tiny, world-shifting thought lighting up your unconscious mind: I could be them." - Daniel Coyle

Daniel Coyle researched and interviewed, over five years, coaches from the world’s greatest talent hotbeds. Among them were a Moscow tennis club, a music camp in the Adirondacks, a Dallas vocal studio, and many more. In The Little Book of Talent he summarizes the complex skill development of world-class performers into 52 effective tips.

As I read this little 119 page book I summarized each tip on a post-it note and stuck it back into the pages as a bookmark for a quick reference. It's a both a fascinating and easy read. I have tried some of these tips for myself and in my studio. The problem is that there is a wealth of information here and more to try than I have time or energy for. Coyle reminds his readers that "Small actions, repeated over time, transform us." and that "It's also about working in a way that fits our lives. That's why this book is made to be carried-tucked into a pocket, and instrument case, or a sports bag."

I heard a very common phrase growing up and during my college years, when I was performing most. "You are so talented" or "I wish I had your talent" or, "You have such a gift". While I do believe in some inherent talent, and I know that these things were said with love and admiration, it discredited the fact that my performing skills took more than natural talent. There were multiple factors that led to my successful performances: endless hours of practice, motivation, intense interest in music, and interaction with the right people (to support and hone those skills). I have no doubt that people are born with natural inclinations toward certain skills, but it takes the right ingredients to cook up successful performers.

That's why this book resonates with me so much. It excited me that I could share proven tips with students and use them for my own continued development. The great news is that anyone can use these tips for any skill they are passionate about and wanting to develop.

I will share some of the tips that I have tried or that I am especially interested in. But you'll have to get your own copy to mark up and carry around if you want all the great tips! Check this out for a sample. Buy it new here, or used here.

Take a Nap

I love any excuse for a nap so of course I was thrilled to see this tip. My post-it summary was 'Napping is good for the learning brain'. Coyle says that napping is common in talent hotbeds, and there is actual scientific justification. It helps strengthen connections formed during practice and prepare the brain for the next practice.

Want to know some famous nappers? Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan are just some of them!

I love a good 10 minute 'cat nap' and have fallen asleep right at the piano in a practice room, I think my body likes the idea as well. So if you have studied or practiced hard make sure you get a good night's sleep or a nap to help solidify some of that new information!

Stare at Who You Want to Become

Coyle writes about igniting and sparking your motivation. One of the ways to do this is to:

"Fill your windshield with vivid images of your future self, and to stare at them every day."

The windshield refers to the people that ignite your motivation, they are the 'energy source' for your brain. Many talent hot beds have walls of posters and photos of their stars. One way I choose to do this is by listening to and watching performances of my piano idols: Martha Argerich, Mitsuko Uchida, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Maurizio Pollini, Murray Perahia, Helene Grimaud, Daniel Barenboim, Krystian Zimerman, Alfred Brendel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andras Schiff, and more recently Vikingur Olafsson, Daniil Trifonov, Yuja Wang, Isata Kanneh-Mason, and more! I follow their channels and accounts and stay curious about their projects. I also follow fellow teachers and local performers to fill my 'windshield' with inspiration and motivation. Two teachers I get my content from the most are Josh Wright Piano TV on YouTube, and Christina Whitlock 'Beyond Measure' podcast.

Try watching a video or listening to an inspiring recording before practice, or at night before bed.

Break Every Move Down into Chunks

This is based on the concept that a skill is learned by breaking it into bite sized pieces. If you read my Practicing Effectively post you will know that this tip has worked for me for years. I love the process Coyle takes us through (in his words):

To begin chunking, first engrave the blueprint of the skill on your mind. Then ask yourself: What is the smallest single element of this skill that I can master? What other chunks link to that chunk?

Practice one chunk by itself until you've mastered it—then connect more chunks, one by one, exactly as you would combine letters to form a word. Then combine those chunks into still bigger chunks. And so on.

This is also reminiscent of 'add-on practice' from my Practicing Effectively post.

At one music school they would cut apart the musical score and put the pieces in a hat, then pull out random sections and learn them separately. After learning them separately they would combine them into the right order. They had to think harder to do this. Sounds like a fun practicing game, and good for memory work too!

Choose Five Minutes a Day Over an Hour a Week

I almost didn't want to highlight this tip, fearing that students would read it and view it as an excuse to practice less. But I think the concept is sound. Coyle says that small daily practice "snacks" are more effective than once-a-week practice binges. Our brains grow with daily nourishment and have to play catch-up if we skip days.

Practice on the days that you eat. -Shinichi Suzuki

If practice time is limited and short then the key is extreme focus and working on only the toughest passages, breaking them into small chunks, noticing and fixing every tiny mistake from the start.

One advantage of daily practice is that it forms a habit. Remember forming a new habit takes about thirty days.

The act of practicing—making time to do it, doing it well—is a skill in itself, perhaps the most important skill of all.

Just Before Sleep, Watch a Mental Movie

This is a tip I was taught by my professor Dr. Bonnie Gritton. She would encourage us to visualize or 'play a movie' in our heads of a successful performance, especially before a competition or big event.

I remember a sports psychologist being invited to one of our University of Utah SummerArts festivals as a teen. It was up at the Snowbird ski resort here in Utah. We cleared the chairs and turned out the lights in the conference room and all laid on the floor to visualize our ideal performance. To this day I will take a break from practicing to lay on the floor or couch and visualize performing in just the right circumstances: on a great piano, calm and confident demeanor, memorization solid, sparkling technique, and connecting with music. Now to be fair, in my visualization I am usually performing in the middle of a gorgeous green meadow isolated from the world, so it's not exactly realistic! But it puts me in the right frame of mind and as Coyle says 'revs the engine of my unconscious mind'.

I will also visualize as I fall asleep and encourage my students to do the same. It doesn't always have to be set in the ideal circumstances. Sometimes it's just good to see how far into the piece you can get before you forget what comes next. I joke with them that I have had to get out of bed and go find my music because I get stuck in a particular spot.

Visualizing the exact notes of the piece is a great way to prepare for performances when you are away from the piano. It really tests your memory and focus. Give it a shot!

In Conclusion

These are just five out of fifty-two great tips worth considering. Try choosing one of these tips to apply to your growing musical skills this week!

Just a teaser: In the appendix Coyle talks about the incredible role of the myelin sheath—basically a wrapping of the wires of our brain achieved with repetition of an action (huge simplification). Myelin growth is linked to improved performance in sports, arts, and academics. He goes into this more deeply in his book The Talent Code.