I know I’ve ranted (was it really ranting? Maybe…) before about my aversion to the words “gift” or “talent” when it comes to artistic ability. I find them annoying and insulting. They imply that some people are just inherently “good” at what they do, and don’t have to do anything to get it. Conversely, they also imply that some other folks just don’t have what it takes. Every single time I teach a voice workshop of any kind, I run into this language, usually recounted as a trauma tale from someone’s singing past. Someone–a teacher, a family member, a peer–has told this person that they just don’t “have it”, making them feel small. Or–sometimes even worse–they’ve been told that they have such a TALENT, a gift they must be grateful for.
I certainly have the battle scars to prove that the acquisition of musical and acting skill is due to many, many long and sometimes painful (in the ego sense) hours in the practice studio and rehearsal room. And I have guided countless singers who would have been deemed “untalented” to become quite skilled and effective as singers, performers and communicators. I don’t believe in “talent”, certainly not the innate kind. Predisposition, natural poise, excellent physical and/or emotional attributes that are advantageous for great singing–yes. But the only way to achieve anything close to artistic greatness is to practice. And by practice I mean mindful, attentive, effective practice. Those things that some would call The Real Work.
The good news here is that if you work, if you pay deep attention to that work, if you commit to it daily without obsessing or worrying about the result, you may not sound like Pavarotti or Lady Gaga, but you will improve, grow and have a very good chance at excellence. The bad news, of course, is that it’s your responsibility to do that work. There are no shortcuts, no golden tickets, no magic fairy dust. But the great REAL gift of it all is that when you do the honest work, when you achieve even the smallest of successes, when you execute the thing well that you have been working on, you own it. You did the work.
I just spent the past week with a group of young, aspiring singers learning how to do The Work. I can tell you that it was one of the most inspiring, affirming weeks I’ve spent in a while. They were brave, they were committed, they showed up to do hard things. Every single one of them improved. And they will keep doing so, if they want to. Their gift is their industry. And that’s the truth.