# The gift



## leoravera (Mar 7, 2013)

I wrote a short article on music and false myths about it.
I would like to know your opinion:

http://www.leoravera.it/2014/05/08/the-gift/


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I enjoyed reading it, though it needs to be developed, imo. There are bound to be studies on this, and one might discuss historical cases. But it's snappy & funny & I agree with your basic premise.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

An interesting social document, apparently based in a community I am unfamiliar with. I'm pretty sure that 'gift' is being confused with 'predilection', but the distortion is too strong to be sure of that. Sarcasm is an attention-getter, not an explicator.


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

I think you're premise is good, but it needs to be much more fully developed. Go more into depth about the myths or rather "perception" which I think may be a better word. As it is written now, one COULD come away believing that the author doesn't believe in talent, or the author doesn't believe that there are those with a musical gift. Of course there is talent, and those with a high level of talent DO have a musical gift.

And you brushed upon the second point (which I believe is essential), that no matter how talented one is, they still need to put the work in. I forgot who said it, but one of my favorite sayings is, _"God gives talent, but work turns talent into genius."_

So, IMHO It think some of those ideas need to be explained and further developed. Good luck.

V


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

This makes sense:


> To become a musician, you need the same time and dedication you would need to be an engineer or a surgeon.


I read to become really expert at anything takes (rule of thumb) ten thousand hours of practice. Also the book I read noted that it can be rather disrespectful to say of a great musician, they are talented, as if this mysterious gift called talent makes it so they can play their musical instrument beyond perfection or compose likewise, yet thy struggle and work very hard at it. It is more appropriate to say the person has talent, but that it obviously was nurtured with much hard work and dedication on their part.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I wonder about 'sporting ability' is that a gift and if so is it different to musical ability?
Is intelligence a gift that some are born with and just like everything else some hard work and application never go amiss when added into the mix


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