The 10,000 Hour Rule
25/04/09 02:31 Filed in: Playing Better
When I was a strap-hanger commuting to Manhattan five days a week—before the iPod—I would devour magazines. I had subscriptions and would sometimes borrow magazines from work. Occasionally, I would take the advice of a coworker and try something new. One of the new experiences was based on the suggestion of a mid-level manager who was an English Lit major. His recommendation was The New Yorker and that introduced me to one of my favorite writers, Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell was a journalist for The Washington Post before writing for The New Yorker. In addition, he has written two best-selling books: The Tipping Point (2000) and Blink (2005). But it is 2008’s Outliers that inspired this entry. Outliers debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list and remained there for eight weeks. Read More...
0 Comments
Problem: The Plateau
09/04/09 02:35 Filed in: Teaching Advice
I’m currently teaching a student who, by all accounts, is considered one of the best in the school. I knew this 18 months ago when I started teaching him and found out about his reputation. At the time he was about 15 and very into the music that most 15 year olds are into. He has good ears and a good sense of rhythm with a non-working knowledge of music theory (he knows some theory but doesn’t understand when he’s doing something or why it works). Read More...