PLN Addition - Malcom Gladwell's Blog

Malcom Gladwell is a writer for the New Yorker and author, someone who doesn't really have any expertise in the field of education. Still, I think his work posits a number of interesting questions and ideas that relate to education, and his blog is worth reading.

One could criticize his tendency for flair, the fact that he doesn't do much research himself, or the position he holds as a sort of "pop sociologist," but he is definitely an intelligent person, and in my opinion his writing is both accessible and thought provoking. An examples of his recent writing relevant to teaching:

"Outliers" theory - Why do some people succeed and some fail? How important is talent vs. work vs. environment? Gladwell points out that athletes born in the early months of the year have much more success on average than those born late in the year. When young, they are are part of a year bigger, stronger, and faster than their peers. They perform the best and receive the best training, believed to have the most potential, which just widens the gap further.

This definitely occurs in parallel in music. When a 4 year old learns by age 7 to play the piano well, she is invited and granted scholarships to special music camps, the best teachers want her, and so on. In this environment, where she gets the best training, of course she will probably end up one of the best pianists of her cohort. Is this because she had talent and potential or because she had the best environment for becoming a great pianist?

We as music educators naturally get excited when we hear students who are skilled, but assuming that these students have superior potential may be a flawed approach. The goal has to be to give our best effort not only for the most skilled with respect to immediacy, but for everyone who wishes to learn. We also need to fight against the culture of "it's too late for me to become a great musician." Unfortunately, the state of music education often very much reflects that statement. Some students may find a passion for music later or need to work harder for success, but that doesn't mean they can't become great musicians. A musical future should not feel impossible simple because one failed to make All-state band in middle or high school.

As a student, it can be hard to believe in your own chance to succeed when you see invitations to camps, studies, training, and the like lavished on your more immediately skilled peers while your own teachers may openly voice a lack of confidence in you or simply ignore your interests to focus on others. A few of these students may be lucky enough to meet paths with an exceptional teacher or mentor, or their families might have enough money to buy the best training outright, but barring these, the traditional music education system doesn't leave them a lot of opportunity to realize their potential.