Sarah Brenay - TC ch. 6

Sarah Brenay - TC ch. 6
Summary: Ignition is an important first step on the way to acquiring talent, but it is not all that is required. One bright flash of inspiration is not enough to sustain the kind of effort deep practice requires for very long; in order to keep motivated, frequent primal cues are needed. For Michelangelo it was the works of other artisans that he passed every day. For the Little League boys in Curacao, is was the trophies, plaques, posters, parents, and videos of old games. To be great you need "heart, mind, and balls." You also need to believe that you can actually do it: "That could be you." With young students it's important to encourage and challenge them, as Engblom did with the Z-boys ("Don't worry, you don't stand a chance," "I heard so-and-so did that trick"). Praise hard work, not natural intelligence or ability, and you encourage hard work. Only give praise when it is earned.
Key Terms:
sustained ignition - cues that keep people motivated after initial ignition
Key Concepts: Surrounding yourself with primal cues is essential to maintain motivation. In order to be successful, you need to believe you can be. Encourage and challenge students, but do not lavish them with praise. Word encouragement carefully - complement that hard work, not the intelligence/talent.
Making Connections: The FAC is filled with primal cues. Every time you walk by a practice room and hear someone and say "whoa who is that?" or go to recital hour or masterclass or listen to great singers or go to choir you are challenged to "get busy." Reminds me of what Cindy said last week about competition and cooperation being so important. Immersing yourself in music helps too. I've never been so excited about choral education than when I was in Dallas for ACDA and I was living it 12 hours a day. I've been praising my students all wrong! I'm so glad I read this.