That's incredible! It gives us all the gift of something to hope for.
Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
31–40 of 92 posts
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#32The example with the musician (the case of K.A) in the article doesn't support the "suddenly" part of the title. Specifically, that person knew how to play a bunch of songs on the piano - it just didn't click for him until a certain point in life. If anything, that seems like something was missing from his picture that should have already been there . As in - not seeing the forest behind the tree for a while. It's no…
I don't think that's really it at all. Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano.
You can learn to play songs purely through muscle memory as long as you have a basic sense of rhythm. That doesn't mean you understand anything about musical composition, scales, chords, modes or anything else that underlies what you're playing.
The epiphany described in this case seems like it's suddenly and intuitively understanding all of that, in addition to the layout of the piano (why it takes the form that it does) along with the ability to actually play the thing competently.
I've been playing music for years. I understand a good chunk of theory. I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any stretch, but I understand the layout of the piano. I can't play the damn thing. Waking up one morning and having that ability would certainly be surprising.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#33This happens because the players outside the simulation purchased an in-game upgrade.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#34The example with the musician (the case of K.A) in the article doesn't support the "suddenly" part of the title. Specifically, that person knew how to play a bunch of songs on the piano - it just didn't click for him until a certain point in life. If anything, that seems like something was missing from his picture that should have already been there . As in - not seeing the forest behind the tree for a while. It's no…
I don't think that's really it at all. Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano. You can learn to play songs purely through muscle memory as long as you have a basic sense of rhythm. That doesn't mean you understand anything about musical composition, scales, chords, modes…
^this. I have played guitar for quite some time, starting with basic popular stuff and then progressing to classical guitar. Despite being able to read music and play intermediate pieces I do not have the level of theory/understanding that the article suggests K A gained in his epiphany.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#35Each of the stories listed are suspicious. They feel like the crop circle hoax to me -- something they planned well to get attention. Are there any provable cases?
> Are there any provable cases? Dr. Tony Cicoria. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/07/23/a-bolt-from-th...
From the article, it doesn't seem that unusual: Dr. Cicoria didn't suddenly become an artist, it still took him a bit to get there. Specifically, the "no previous training" from the title simply doesn't apply.
The sudden part was gaining interest and passion in music - and it can be linked to him being struck by lightning.
As for the musical process - hearing music in his head, desire to listen and play, hearing his own music when starting to play other pieces - that's not at all unique. I can't vouch for everyone, but as a musicmaker, I can say that this is how a lot of people make music.
I think it's not that much unlike the flow state in coding, where one wakes up with the problem already loaded in mind, has ideas about structures and algorithms in the shower, and then figures out how to code it all during the day. Writing down the notes is - literally - coding music.
I think that if you can get a song stuck in your head, you also have this potential to hear new music in your head, and thus to make it. It just can get easily drown in all the other noise that life generates. Some people just need a shake to turn the other noise down.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#36Is there a control group of people who spend an equal amount of time and fervor investigating a new musical or artistic path without first having the "epiphany?" I had a friend in college with no prior musical training who decided his second year to become a classical guitarist. We kind of teased him at first because he clearly had no sudden music-related epiphanies nor any idea of the time involved to master an inst…
I think most people underestimate the amount of discipline that it takes to get good at something, and overestimate the amount of time it takes. I learned WAY more in one summer of programming 16 hours a day than I did in a year of classes where I was supposedly immersing myself in learning. When I say that I was programming 16 hours a day, I was. That was _all_ I did. But I came out the other side with a much better understanding of programming, and a slightly roughed up relationship for it. If I woke up tomorrow with an inexplicable obsession for painting, I suspect I could get _much_ better than I am now in a relatively short amount of time because right now, I've spent a grand total of maybe 20 hours in my entire life painting. The thing that's intriguing to me is the sudden onset of a compulsion to do one particular thing.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#37The example with the musician (the case of K.A) in the article doesn't support the "suddenly" part of the title. Specifically, that person knew how to play a bunch of songs on the piano - it just didn't click for him until a certain point in life. If anything, that seems like something was missing from his picture that should have already been there . As in - not seeing the forest behind the tree for a while. It's no…
I don't think that's really it at all. Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano. You can learn to play songs purely through muscle memory as long as you have a basic sense of rhythm. That doesn't mean you understand anything about musical composition, scales, chords, modes…
I don't think you are disagreeing with what I said:
>Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano.
That is not necessary, but once you play enough music, you learn the theory in practice. Or have enough data in your head to make that realization.
I challenge you to play 100 pop songs on an instrument - any pop songs, any instrument - and not at least know things like major/minor chords, basic chord progressions (like the endemic I - V - vi - IV, aka "four chords").
>The epiphany described ... suddenly ... the ability to actually play the thing competently.
>I've been playing music for years [...] Waking up one morning and having that ability [to play piano] would certainly be surprising.
It would be surprising indeed! It also never happened. Not in the article, at least.
Specifically, the article says: he could play simple popular songs from rote memory before
Once you can play simple pop songs, you can play them all. Kathy Perry's songs have as much harmony as the top hits from Beatles or Bob Dylan.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#38Is there a control group of people who spend an equal amount of time and fervor investigating a new musical or artistic path without first having the "epiphany?" I had a friend in college with no prior musical training who decided his second year to become a classical guitarist. We kind of teased him at first because he clearly had no sudden music-related epiphanies nor any idea of the time involved to master an inst…
I'm way into golf and on the golf subreddit, there are regularly people who show up who ask about their chances of going pro as a 20-something or 30-something, and a chorus of people will respond that all pro golfers have tremendous natural ability (which may well be true) and that if you aren't already a great golfer without really practicing, you're not going to make it. But every account I've ever read of a pro go…
It’s like the old sports coach’s expression: “You don’t need talent in order to practice!”
Outside of super-rare outliers, I don’t personally believe that anyone is born with natural talent for anything. When someone is highly skilled at something, I will assume that they spent tons of obsessive time learning and practicing rather than that they tried it one day and found they were magically good at it.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think that's really it at all. Most of us have to sit in classrooms for months or read and study to understand the intricacies of music theory. None of that is necessary to learning a few pop songs on a guitar or piano. You can learn to play songs purely through muscle memory as long as you have a basic sense of rhythm. That doesn't mean you understand anything about musical composition, scales, chords, modes…
^this. I have played guitar for quite some time, starting with basic popular stuff and then progressing to classical guitar. Despite being able to read music and play intermediate pieces I do not have the level of theory/understanding that the article suggests K A gained in his epiphany.
>I do not have the level of theory/understanding
Or do you? Here's the level he gained:
"I suddenly realized what the major scale and minor scale were, what their chords were and where to put my fingers in order to play certain parts of the scale. I was instantly able to recognize harmonies of the scales in songs I knew as well as the ability to play melody by interval recognition.”
Are the italicized concepts unfamiliar to you, after that some time (how long was it?) of playing? And note that KA might have played for longer than you have before getting there - the article doesn't specify.
Re: Some suddenly become accomplished artists or musicians with no previous training
#40This is fascinating. A few years ago I had a "sudden" musical accomplishment that overlapped with some medical issues. After reading the article, I asked Good Old Dr. Google about my medical condition and the Central Nervous System and... There are some published papers describing some observed links between them.
To be clear, I am in no way, shape or form a savant at anything. Comparing me to these people mentioned would be folly. In my late teens and early twenties, I tried quite a bit to play the guitar and was never very good and I definitely could never sing and strum at the same time. I never touched a guitar again for nearly 20 years until my wife signed me up for a local folk music class. At the very first lesson, I sang and strummed as if it was naturally easy for me, until my fingers were so sore I couldn't make chords anymore. Certainly nobody is going to be paying money to hear me play, but I've received quite a few compliments about how well I do.