I agree with the 10,000 hour theory, which I first read about in Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers." I've put in my 10,000 hours and then some, but I remain just an OK, competent player. Period. But hours are just part of the equation. The other ingredients are much harder to quantify: talent and burning ambition. All three are necessary to be an outstanding player. My talent is modest and my burning ambition was directed at a whole other field of endeavor, so I got what I paid for, so to speak
By the way, I don't believe that just putting in the number of hours is enough. Those hours have to be focused and efficiently used. Otherwise, why bother? . Richard in Seattle On 3/17/2010 11:25 AM, [email protected] wrote: > We had a discussion on this at KBHC last summer and it seemed to be true > for the professionals. In my own case, I had about 2,500 hours of horn > practice/lessons when i joined the union and started playing professionally > as a > free-lancer. But, add in piano study and practice, theory and ear > training, band and orchestra experience that figures to about 7,500 hours of > music at that point. Add the 3 years of study after that at Curtis, plus > more > experience both at school and professionally, I had well over 10,000 hours > by the time I won my first position in Pittsburgh my senior year. Music is > a life long and life consuming profession and I don't think there are any > short cuts. > > KB _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
