Natural vs. Experience

          When I first received this assignment, I have to admit that I couldn’t think of anything that I was a natural at. I have things that I am good at and enjoy doing, like music and writing, but I didn’t just wake up one day and realize that I was good at them. I have had to work extremely hard to get where I am today.

                 I started playing the flute in the 4^th grade at a private Catholic school that I had attended since kindergarten. In the 5^th grade, my parents transferred me to a public school with no band program, so I missed out on a full year of band, but took private lessons with a family friend. In the 6^th grade, I started with a leg up on the other kids, because they had never had the private school music experience. Soon after the year started though, my band director died and we were “taught” by a permanent substitute with little or no musical background. In 7^th grade, my musical education finally became more normal. I had band three days a week with a real teacher. I played flute in the concert band and also played the keyboard in the Jazz Band. In 8^th grade I was the first chair flute. I auditioned for Region IX Honor Band and got last chair, but I was there. My freshmen year I started marching band and I was probably the worst flute player there. I’m not afraid to admit it. I couldn’t read music, I couldn’t play the higher notes required by a flute player, and I was a failure on the marching field. Concert Band was even worse. We did chair auditions to place us in a spot in either the Symphonic or “the dumb band” as it was not so affectionately called. I bet you can guess which band I was in. Imagine the torture as a freshman reading your name next to the words: lesser band, last chair. I thought that I was better than that. I worked hard to overcome my problems. I took theory lessons and learned how to adequately read music. I took more flute lessons and I practiced more and harder. Over the next two years, I got better and better. My junior year, I auditioned for Drum Major and I got it! In concert band, the director had combined the Symphonic and “dumb” band. I earned the second chair spot in the flute section. My senior year, I won a best drum major award and became co-section leader. I worked hard because of how much I loved band and it paid off! I felt confident enough with my work in high school to move on to college level music. I am now playing the piccolo in Marshall University’s Marching Thunder. I am not, nor will I ever be an amazing musician. I don't want to be.  I love music, and I am pretty decent at it, but I am not a natural musician.

                I also love writing and a lot of people tell me that I am very good at it, even going as far as to say that I am a natural at it. I am not as convinced though. It takes me forever to write something. I will stare at my computer screen for an hour before I think of anything to type. I will probably type, delete, and rewrite parts of papers at least ten times before I turn it in. My papers are always goldmines for grammatical and spelling errors. If I work really hard and focus on only the paper for several days, I can usually create something really good, but it doesn’t just flow right off of my “pen” (as in my keyboard). I love to write and I work hard to produce good work, but I am not a natural writer.

                I don’t even believe that “naturals” exist. I agree with Gladwell’s theory that it is practice and experience that makes you The Beatles or Steve Jobs, not some mysterious inclination for music or computers.  I believe that it is all hard work and dedication that makes you good at something. Some people are just skilled at making it look effortless.