Saturday, September 27, 2014

Everybody Starts Somewhere

Picasso didn't start out being Picasso.  He started small, and was probably not very good at first.  However, he made a start.

Last night Carolyn and I attended a musical show featuring high-school students age 12-18.  They were doing a show featuring the great hits of the Beatles.  For some of those students, this was their first time on a stage performing their brand of music. 

They made a start.  THE MADE A START!

That is significant.  For their first outing I give them all an A+.  I chose to put my music critic ear aside and enjoy the moment for what it was – young and eager talent stretching their collective wings and daring to perform. 
Way to go kids!  So proud of you.

This was their starting place. 

I’m reminded of how the Beatles got their start.  Legend has it that in their early days, before they became the internationally known group, THE BEATLES, they performed in any venue that would invite them.  They played their original songs for 10-12 hours per day, perfecting them writing more songs.  And the songs continue.  They perfected their craft and that is what helped launch them on the Ed Sullivan Show in January 1964.  They were not an overnight sensation.  They practiced and prepared for their moment of glory, and when it came they were ready.

We could name any great individual and the story would be the same.  Their talent was honed in secrecy and obscurity.  They practiced in the quiet of their home, or a drafty studio in some forgotten university music/arts hall. 

Where did you get your start?  Parents, it is a good thing to remind your children of this important aspect to talent development. 

We make a beginning.  We start somewhere. 

And where that takes us is largely up to us and our commitment. 


Michael Biggs
Steps and Skips
Tips for the Developing Student


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