The truth of the matter is that we really don't know for certain if this is true. Some people develop their "chops" with minimal practice, for others, it requires that magical 10,000 hours of practice.
However, sooner or later most children and adolescents realize that they don't have what it takes mentally or physically to achieve technical greatness on an instrument or with their voice. So what do most do? Quit.
Question: Are we shooting ourselves in the proverbial foot when we hold up exceptional talent as the goal to which children should aspire? After all, most weren't born with that talent.
Think about this in terms of writing. If everyone aspired to become William Faulkner or Tennessee Williams or bust, we would have a country of broken people. However, the idea is that you can enjoy creative writing regardless of your skill set. Is the point that language arts teachers try to instill in their students that they can become the next Walt Whitman or Mya Angelou? No way. It's that they can ENJOY the creative act of writing poetry for the rest of their lives.
Do most children and adolescents imagine that they will be world class performers someday? Probably not. Are most children and adolescents in musical ensembles for the music? No. They are in them to be with their friends and to enjoy doing something with them.
For the vast majority of people, music is a social activity that is much less tiring and much more enjoyable than running a marathon. Some may disagree. And yet, it's when we are in the company of others engaging in a common hobby or activity that we find joy in our daily lives.
If this is reality, as I suggest it is, might we modify our educational agenda to feature less "tour de force" performances and more communal music making? After all, most of us are average, right?
If this idea somehow gets stuck in your craw, chew on it awhile.
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