As a musician, teaching in a field that glorifies prodigies, I have come to dislike the word talent, which implies some are born with innate ability while others are not. I much prefer ‘aptitude,’ which indicates a musical disposition without dismissing unconventional learning paths. By highlighting talent, we de-emphasize the importance of effort, implying results are not within a student’s control (a harmful notion for students regardless of ability level). And of course, over-valuing talen...
If you are a conservatory trained musician like me, then your coursework, lessons, and curriculum were designed to prepare you for an academic job. Of course, a musician’s life is rarely a straight line from graduation to tenure-track employment. In fact, a variety of factors have made securing a full-time academic position today more difficult than ever:
