[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

[Jim Busby]

Fred, Jeff,

 

Here's a theory that bears repeating;

 

Stephen King, the author, claims (I'm paraphrasing) "There are about 5
levels in any art or craft. Level one is someone who can't do it well
and never will, no matter how much training. Level Five is a genius
level that one is basically born with. The Michelangelo's, Mozart's,
etc. No matter how much you strive, work, etc. most can never achieve
this level and those born with it do it almost naturally. All others
fall in levels 2 - 4. (He considers himself a 4) One with a certain
amount of talent and a lot of hard work can progress upwards in the 2-4,
and that's' what we do". 

 

(Stephen King; "On Writing". An excellent insight into writing and the
arts in general, IMO. He teaches, or taught writing.)

 

I've seen this as a music teacher. Some who think they've "got it" (ala
American Idol) are incredibly awful. Yet I've seen so many with
seemingly no talent rise up to become very good. My theory is they
really did "have it in them" but needed direction to get it out.
Pavarotti says he didn't have any innate talent. Go figure. His is a
wonderful story and not at all unique. One gal I taught couldn't match
pitches at all! 3 years of hard work and she graduated getting Superior
ratings at state. After her MA she is now singing with an opera company
back east and the recordings she sends me are exquisite! She visits and
performs occasionally. She had the desire, and the pipes, but her first
teacher basically told her to try something else...

 

I never cease to be amazed at the human spirit.

 

Jim Busby  

 

 

________________________________

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Fred Sturm
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 8:08 PM
To: caut
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

 

<<<On 11/5/07 3:00 PM, "Jeff Tanner" <jtanner at mozart.sc.edu> wrote:

Someone who holds a music degree has merely demonstrated that they can
absorb material long enough to regurgitate it on an exam, and that they
have shown some degree of incremental improvement in musical ability
over a 2 or 4 year period, that they have attended a certain number of
performances per term and have been present and accounted for in at
least one performing ensemble each term.  It has not made them musical
if they were not already. 


Hi Jeff,
    I was planning to sit this discussion out and let it die a merciful
death, but your ever more outrageous and ludicrous claims have finally
got to me. The above statement is mostly pure and simple crap. >>>
     

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20071108/c6492271/attachment.html