Practice + Luck & Circumstance = Success.
As we've discussed on this blog before and ELSEWHERE practice is a HUGE part of achievement.
The idea of being "gifted" or possessing "innate" ability/talent is massively over stated in the explanation of why some people do amazing things. It's easy to see an elite musician perform and think "they're god" but that totally ignores the DECADES of dedicated practice and motivation that came before the performance.
And here, as Malcolm Gladwell covers in this great interview - we learn luck & circumstance ALSO has a LOT more to do with it than we'd often like to admit.
But you know that - we've discussed that here also.
This was interesting to me because it answers the problem I had with the "practice" issue. While all elite musicians are dedicated practicers - not all dedicated practicers are elite musicians. Gladwell suggests that Luck, circumstance and environment (mostly outside of our control) are the other elements that result in success when combined with dedicated practice.
Bottom line - it's not good enough to not suck. It's not good enough to be good enough.
I think about what it must have been like to grow up in the Marsalis home, or the Wooten home. Everyone playing and experimenting with music. Clearly, that kind of shit makes a HUGE difference.
My vote is for Gladwell and JMJ to trade places for 2009! I totally wanna hear Gladwell throw down the bassline to March of the Pigs.
Comments
so does this mean I should stop practicing if I don't have any kind of priviledged childhood or other good fortune? kinda dumb.
i know lots of musicians who do pretty good without anything but hard work.
Posted by: Fordy | January 1, 2009 11:31 PM
Based on the examples used - Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, Bill Joy, The Beatles I think Gladwell's observations are not about average people - but the conditions that lead to very, very successful people - "Outliers".
So - keep practicing. :)
Posted by: Jeff Schmidt | January 2, 2009 12:30 AM
Great post Jeff! Made me think of a book that came out in 2008 [can't remember the name of it for the life of me] that really covered what it is that makes these amazing talents, amazing. One story that fascinated me was about the Beatles early years. Most of us knew they spent time in Germany, but they actually played that gig for one year. They accompanied strip tease dancers....7 days a week 12 hours a day, for a year! Would that classify as practice?
Posted by: Tucson Bass Player | January 2, 2009 07:51 PM
Well what a coincidence! That's the same book the guy in the interview wrote! ;)
It's called Outliers.
Posted by: Jeff Schmidt | January 2, 2009 10:13 PM