Chapter Summary
This chapter describes the findings of Daniel Coyle on his search to discover the secret to cultivating exceptional talent. His discoveries, which he gleaned from studying various musicians, athletes, air pilots, artists and others, led him to believe that talent can be created, and that it's not something you need to be born with. He has studied many "talent hotbeds" to discover a pattern, and found that all of them shared a common theme of deep practicing (more deliberate, thoughtful practice). These talented individuals forced themselves to practice at a level above what they could do comfortably, forcing them to make mistakes. This level is called the "sweet spot." It's the mistakes, and not the lack of them, according to Coyle, that are required for improvement. He describes in detail the need for an allowance of error in training.
Key Concepts
Actively engaging the brain in an effort to correct mistakes is the most efficient way to learn.
Passing over mistakes does not fix them.
Mistakes are how we learn, are desirable for the learning process, they are not to be feared.
The way you practice dictates the rate at which you progress. Deep practice, or the right kind of practice, allows you to learn several times faster.
Key Terms
deep practice: method of practice that increases the speed at which you learn, making practice more efficient.
myelin: matter that forms around nerves in the brain which allows nerve impulses to travel at a higher speed
talent: the possession of repeatable skills that don't depend on physical size
Making Connections
Do not pass over mistakes while practicing. Stop, slow down, break the passage down into pieces and repeat sections until the passage can be sung with ease. Whatever else you do, do not settle for mediocrity in the practice room. Singing through pieces is not effective. Practice in the "sweet spot": in a place where you are going to make mistakes. Playing it safe and avoiding mistakes leads to lazy, ineffective practicing.
We cannot be afraid of mistakes!
"If you're not prepared to be wrong, then you will never come up with anything original."
- Ken Robinson
I love your Ken Robinson quote! It is so true how else to do we feel the need for change? How are we ever to come up with any new ideas if we adhere to every rule that was ever made? For that matter how do we exist because so many conflict in this world of ours. We can't help but beak rules but we must choose which ones we want to follow and allow ourselves the freedom to learn from what doesn't work.
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