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Jeff Schmidt



Last Updated: 11/19/2009

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Status: Single
City: SAN RAFAEL
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/11/2005

Who Gives Kudos:

Chris Santoro (2)
Zen Beer (2)
Friday, January 02, 2009 
As I've discussed on my Beautiful-Bass blog before and pointed out ELSEWHERE practice is a HUGE part of achievement.

The idea of being "gifted" or possessing "innate" ability/talent is massively over stated in the explanation of why some people do amazing things. It's easy to see an elite musician perform and think "they're god" but that totally ignores the DECADES of dedicated practice and motivation that came before the performance.

And here, as Malcolm Gladwell covers in this great interview - we learn luck & circumstance ALSO has a LOT more to do with it than we'd often like to admit.

But you know that - we've discussed that also.

This was interesting to me because it answers the problem I had with the "practice" issue. While all elite musicians are dedicated practicers - not all dedicated practicers are elite musicians. Gladwell suggests that Luck, circumstance and environment (mostly outside of our control) are the other elements that result in success when combined with dedicated practice.

Bottom line - it's not good enough to not suck. It's not good enough to be good enough.

I think about what it must have been like to grow up in the Marsalis home, or the Wooten home. Everyone playing and experimenting with music. Clearly, that kind of shit makes a HUGE difference.

..



malcolm.jpgjmj.jpg


My vote is for Gladwell and JMJ to trade places for 2009!

I wanna hear Gladwell throw down the bass line to March of the Pigs.
3:44 AM
 
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Chris Santoro

 
lol the frst thing i thought when i saw the vid was "is that beck's bassist?"

anyway im a firm believer in the "circumstance and application" theory as well. i call it fate but some may find that term too preachy.

while i was listening to the interview i realized i could even site myself as an example. i havent been able to play bass in months due to the fact that i can't stand playing alone anymore and all the musicians ive ever known have been drug addicts or complete flakes. but i recently stumbled upon a flyer on the bulletin board at my job for music lessons. turns out steve vai and yngwie malmsteen's old bandmates opened up a school right in my neighborhood! not only that, my aunt lives right next door to john petrucci and she became real good friends with him, so im jamming with him and his wife in a couple weeks :D circumstance in action!
 
Posted by Chris Santoro on Friday, January 02, 2009 - 6:45 AM
[Reply to this] 
Jeff Schmidt

 
yeah - I hear ya on the "fate" thing. The word seems deterministic to me - and I don't think Gladwell is saying these people were "destined" or fated to succeed. Just that all the necessary elements were present and that situation wasn't the norm.

Tell Petrucci you want to hear more whammy bar and scrotum smasher on the next album!

you rule.
 
Posted by Jeff Schmidt on Friday, January 02, 2009 - 9:05 AM
[Reply to this] 
Chris Santoro

 
thanks bro, will do.
 
Posted by Chris Santoro on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 1:20 AM
[Reply to this] 
Zen Beer

 
Yup, right place at the right time is how you make it, especially when it comes to something as subjective and flavour-of-the-month-y as music. Less so for, say, rocket scientists.....Still, as much as luck might hand you opportunities, you have to be prepared for when they come along. If the A&R dude just happens to be in the crowd that night and you stink because you haven't practiced enough, it's not like you never got a chance. Even though I don't think A&R types don't do that anymore, or maybe they just can't (or don't care enough to) find Ottawa on a map.....I, too, have always chuckled at how often the "talented" label gets thrown around. Someone told me a long time ago that talent really equals hard work and not much more, and I believe it.....Have you read "This is Your Brain On Music"? Some interesting stuff in there, including a blurb on how shrinks have figured out that it takes ten thousand hours to become an "expert" at something. People can say they've been playing for 25 years or whatever, but for how many hours?
 
Posted by Zen Beer on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 12:35 AM
[Reply to this] 
Jeff Schmidt

 
I don't know - I think there's an elite level of Rocket Scientists also. In every field there are - as Gladwell calls them "Outliers" - exceptions - exceptional people.

Our cultural myths have taught us reaching those levels are mostly about effort and ambition - that ANYONE can get there. But the reality is - it's just not true. Not everyone can - that's why the achievements are exceptional.

It bears pointing out - that Gladwell isn't talking about good, great or even success in general - but in extraordinary "bill gates, tiger woods" level success.

Pretty important distinction.
 
Posted by Jeff Schmidt on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 2:56 AM
[Reply to this] 
Zen Beer

 
Oh, I agree, there are exceptional rocket scientists as well. What I meant was that in rocket science and whatnot, exceptional people will nearly always be recognized for what they are and their achievements will show that they are indeed exceptional. In music, the playing field is different - exceptional people may achieve success, but there are also plenty of unexceptional people who will also achieve due to the fact that they are easier to market.
 
Posted by Zen Beer on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 7:27 PM
[Reply to this] 
Jeff Schmidt

 
Tru. Even when were talking mediocre Rocket Scientists - we're still talking ROCKET SCIENTISTS.

In Music - Kanye.
 
Posted by Jeff Schmidt on Sunday, January 04, 2009 - 12:33 AM
[Reply to this] 
Zen Beer

 
sorry for the lack of paragraphs. I don't know why that's happening - each return shows up as five periods in a row. Evidently the result of less than ten thousand hours of coding.
 
Posted by Zen Beer on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 12:36 AM
[Reply to this] 
Jeff Schmidt

 
I like paragraphs - but they're not a deal breaker. :)
 
Posted by Jeff Schmidt on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 2:58 AM
[Reply to this] 
Bill

 
Very nicely put Jeff. I feel the same way about this. People just let the thought of a musician fly over their head. I practice a lot and am always finding new motivations and influences, but I am not the greatest. It does not exactly mean that I along with many others are not "gifted".
 
Posted by Bill on Saturday, January 03, 2009 - 4:54 AM
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