You can. You can absolutely have a student master musical techniques, note-reading, rhythm, and ear training. It’s just like teaching someone how to multiply numbers or drive a car. Eventually, the skill can be learned. But of course, there are always those that are better than others. What makes a musician stand out? Here are my thoughts.
First, mastering a skill takes hours of work. When people discover my occupation, they usually exclaim, “Oh I’ve always wanted to learn piano! Can you teach me?” But do you know what you’re asking for? Are you willing to commit at least several hours a week to piano? Yes, I expect that you will review homework at least 20-30 minutes a day, which adds up to about 3-4 hours of your time throughout the week. To be able to do that, you need to depend on a motivation powerful enough to bring you back day after day. It could be outsourced, or it could come from within. A parent demanding their child to practice 30 minutes before they are able to watch their favorite show for example, is motivation coming from the outside. Recital performances, sibling rivalry, and meeting teacher expectations are other outsourced examples. If music is always “work” for you, then your motivation is most likely outsourced- that kind of musician can only go so far. But my golden students are the ones who are motivated from within. Those are the students I can rely on and know, they will be musicians for life. That inward motivation can come from different sources. It could be a desire to understand music, a new challenge, or a curiosity to know another dimension. For me, it was the discovery of being able to communicate my emotions. It’s a form of therapy if you will. It’s a moment of release, as I like to call it. Being able to express and release emotion through music brings joy to my soul. So what makes a natural musician? It’s a desire fueled by an inward motivation that will always call them back. It’s that inward motivation that makes you stand out from among the rest.
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6/7/2018 12:23:20 am
Finding the stardom is hard. We all know the fact that being famous or a celebrity is not for everyone. Your talent may not even secure you a slot of in this industry simply because it doesn't have an exact formula to make it there. Though it's not an assurance, having a great talent could be your edge. If you know how to sing and knows how to play different musical instruments, that could be an advantage for you. if you really want to make it in this industry, you must work hard for every dream to happen.
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Undoubtedly one can practice and train to become proficient at any instrument.. singing included, but there is an element of creative thinking and expression that can not be trained. It is either developed and nurtured as a child or it disappears in us over time. We are not a blank slate at birth that allows us to take on whatever skills we choose with equal success. There is something in the ether that gives certain people a predisposition to musical creation. This is probably what you are touching on when you say "my golden students are the ones who are motivated from within."
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