Blogging and Social Media Are 95% Hard Work and 5% Talent.
Some of you who know me know that I have a degree in music education from Cleveland State University. In order to get into the program I had to audition. My instrument was the piano. Because of some scheduling conflicts the only person that could hear my audition was the head of the music department, Andrius Kuprevicius.
I don't recall the piece I played but I do remember that it was in a minor key but when I played the last chord, I accidentally played a major chord. I acted as if I had not done that. Mr Kuprecicius looked at me and said "You do know that you played a piece in a minor key and ended on the major chord right?" I acknowledged that he was correct. He then said, "You did exactly the right thing by not flinching and not trying to correct it."
But then he said something that took the wind right out of my sails. He said that if the rest of the music department had been there for my audition, I would not be admitted into the music department, BUT he also said that he saw "great potential" in me. (In my defense, from the time I was 10 years old and started playing the piano until the time I entered college, I had really awful teachers, I just didn't know it and neither did my parents.)
So I started my journey in music but I was not permitted to study with Mr K. until my junior year. I had much ground to cover and so much to learn. I literally knew nothing about music theory, barely knew my scales, could not sight read and music history? nope, not that either.
Finally I was able to study with Mr. K. He pushed me, he challenged me, he even insulted me once in a while, to get me to the next level. I remember a time when I got angry and frustrated and he said to me, "Barbara, playing the piano is:
and
5% Talent
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