Prodigy vs. Working for it

Trumpetstud · Veteran Member Joined: 17 Mar 2021 Posts: 208

How many of the pro trumpeters are prodigies vs they just worked their a$$ off to get good?

kehaulani · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 4:53 pm Post subject:

Let's see. How do we quantify that?
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

Crazy Finn · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Prodigy vs. Working for it

LaTrompeta · Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:10 pm Post subject:

None of the pros didn't work for it. None. Most of the lazy prodigies make it through college and that's about it for them.
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com

stuartissimo · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 12:12 am Post subject:

The main advantage to having talent probably isn't that a person has to work less hard, but rather that the result of their efforts is even better. But the whole notion of being able to play a musical instrument at even a semi-professional level without putting in loads of effort seems ridiculous to me. Then again, I don't have talent so what do I know?
_________________
1975 Olds Recording trumpet
1997 Getzen 700SP trumpet
1955 Olds Super cornet
1939 Buescher 280 flugelhorn
AR Resonance mouthpieces

Didymus · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:22 am Post subject: What is prodigy?

JayKosta · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 5:43 am Post subject:

Real 'prodigies' are rare, and probably a very small percentage of all 'pro players'.

It is likely that many (most / all ?) 'pro players' found trumpet playing fairly easy and enjoyable from the start. From that beginning they continued to work hard and improve. But there are situations where successful players needed to learn and make changes to the way they played in order to continue. At some point their 'natural ability / inclination' was not enough and they needed to find what was wrong, and then fix it.

My view is that with good teaching and good practice, trumpet is fairly easy for most people. Part of the 'problem' is that 'good teaching' is not always available, and 'good practice' is not always the chosen path.
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

Voltrane · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:14 am Post subject:

« Le génie n'est qu'une plus grande aptitude à la patience.« ( Buffon, French naturalist of the 18 th century)
(« Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience« )
_________________
S’il n’en reste qu’un je serai celui là (Victor Hugo)
Je m’empresse d’en rire de peur d’avoir à en pleurer (Beaumarchais)

LaTrompeta · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 10:26 am Post subject:

The way I see it, you might be a natural "musician" or a natural "performer," but there is no such thing as a natural "professional." That takes work. It's the same in every field.

I'm a programmer, and the same is true in my field. I don't like working with "natural" programmers. They're too clever for their own good. The code they write is over-engineered and poorly tested and it's up to the real professionals to sort through it. The last kind of person I want to work with is a genius. No thank you. Give me a professional.
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com

huntman10 · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 11:15 am Post subject:

[quote="LaTrompeta"]The way I see it, you might be a natural "musician" or a natural "performer," but there is no such thing as a natural "professional." That takes work. It's the same in every field.
[n/quote]

100% True.....

But let me add that being a pro incorporates a number of important abilities. I worked on my playing 8 hours a day (outside of classes and rehearsals) for my first few years in college. I had range, breath control, great sound and pretty good technique.

My best friend worked just the same, had about the same abilities in those areas. But watching his progress versus what I was doing convinced me that he had the stuff to be a pro. I lacked his focus and attention to detail in his playing. Try as hard as I could, I was too easily distracted. When he practiced, he corrected his mistakes and went on. I practiced those mistakes until I really had them committed. Shiny things still break my focus!

As the old cowboy saying goes:
"How you doing?"
"Better, since I gave up hope!"
Made finishing my college a lot easier, too!

Success in performance truly is all in the details in any area. Especially in music.
_________________
huntman10
Collector/Player of Fine (and not so fine) Brass Instruments including
Various Strads, Yammies, Al Hirt Courtois, Schilkes,
Selmer 25, Getzen Eternas, Kanstuls (920 Pic, CG)
Martin Custom Large Bore, Lots Olds!, Conns, etc.

delano · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 3:59 pm Post subject:

Dream on till you gonna believe it.
The pro musician is the qualified servant of art.
The genius is the creator of art.

Big C · Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 11:22 pm Post subject:

Professional players all worked hard to get to where they are.

That said, if you take 100 random people who all want to be good players, have them study under the same good teacher and practice the same XX hours a week, you're going to get pretty much 100 different results. Some will be better overall. Each will have different strengths.

Nurture is important, but nature is a thing, too.
_________________
'78 Getzen Eterna Severinsen
'59 Reynolds Argenta cornet

LaTrompeta · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 9:54 am Post subject:

I'm taking a course on personality right now, and I believe that personality traits play into everything we do in life. I think it may be harder for some people to succeed at a profession like music, not so much because of talent but instead, because of personality. People high in agreeableness are more likely to get "call backs" in my opinion.
_________________
Please join me as well at:
https://trumpetboards.com