23 Comments
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Yahoo Larry's avatar

Law,

Hi John,

Hope you are surviving the bad weather. Here in California we are having heat waves. Next four days I the 100’s. Looks like we have been removing too much particulate and sulfur gases from the atmosphere. Just kidding as it is not local.

Anita5's avatar

We know a Thai women who was amazing with languages. She could pick up a new one with a couple of months study and people who spoke that as a native language would ask her if she was from their country. She spoke several languages fluently and with little accent.

Paul M Kennedy's avatar

Dr. Droz, What a treat to hear lively piano jazz first day today. She is very good, especially compared to my efforts at the piano. I have never understood how piano players' hands can play so independently of each other as if one hand either had its own brain, or belonged to someone else. I admire gifted creators of anything, especially in the arts. To create something beautiful from absolutely nothing that others can enjoy is the greatest gift to me. That applies to science too.

John Droz's avatar

Paul: You are proposing a novel idea — each hand has its own brain!

Fritz Rench's avatar

John…kinda from the shoulders-down.

Once one has known a few, he can recognize. They usually are somewhat

quiet guys. Always have wondered why

haven’t seen studies re mtheir phenomena? Not one of them…had to

compete against in sports…can’t recall

ever beating ‘em. I had to work hard at

“it”…they just had to show up. f

Fritz Rench's avatar

Natural athletes even walk differently.

Give them a ball…any shape/size

and some instruction re rules of the

corresponding game…and they”ll

have become expert-ish in 6 months…

club champs in 2-3 yrs.

John Droz's avatar

Fritz: I never noticed the walking differently part, but maybe...

Tina's avatar
15hEdited

I think Cili is gifted. Amazing that she has no music in front of her and plays effortlessly. This combined with her beauty seems she is meant to share her gift with us! I also think life is not fair…I took piano lessons for many years AND practiced and never played like that. 😉

John Droz's avatar

Tina: I'm sure that you have assets/talents that Cili does not have!

JulieW's avatar

I was born with a talent for drawing and I was leaps better than most of my peers. My family couldn’t afford art school and I needed to support myself so I went to work from my teens through my thirties mostly doing clerical work which actually liked. I was always berating myself for neglecting my talent so I would keep a hand in doing illustration work on the side. Long story short I have spent the last thirty years (I am now 70) immersed in fine art but it is thanks to the organization skills I honed over decades in the workplace that allowed my to schedule my time (ha) keep track of expenses and promote my work!

John Droz's avatar

Julie: Good that you have worked at one of your talents.

Christine T.'s avatar

I believe it's a combination of gifts that you were born with and putting in the practice. I know of kids that were very talented according to their teachers but it just didn't interest the student enough to pursue it.

If one is truly interested in a goal to achieve something and are given the opportunity, I believe a person can succeed.

My husband and children all play the piano. My youngest doesn't play well because she dropped out after grade three piano to pursue horse back riding. The others all play well but other passions won out once they had completed their grade eight level.

John Droz's avatar

Christine: It's good that you gave them the opportunity. The rest is up to them...

Martin McCarthy's avatar

Everyone has potential (within their own life circumstance), its just some have had the benefit of a mentor who helps them realize the expectations they could / should rise to.

John Droz's avatar

Marty: Yes we all have a variety of potentials. It helps if: a) we appreciate the talents we are given, and b) we put in the effort needed to enhance them...

Martin McCarthy's avatar

Yes, that so often is where a mentor comes in. They help the unsuspecting young person see in themselves what their potential could grow to mean.

Nadia Nichols's avatar

While I'm very good at playing chopsticks on piano and I played the flute in high school band, nobody as much as ever hinted that I might possess an ounce of genius. I'm thinking this gal has worked hard to achieve her level of skill, but may also have been born with a degree of genetic encoding, as well as a healthy dose of God given natural talents. Some very young children sometimes demonstrate amazing talent without ever having had a single hour of instruction. Where does that come from?

John Droz's avatar

Nadia: A gift from God...

VICKI's avatar

Hard work and dedication. Playing a piano is not that hard if you stick to it and practice, practice.

John Droz's avatar

Vicki: Yes.