How to unlock hidden potential, part two: Longevity in string development

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When a skill comes naturally to us, we often have a hard time thinking about it in original ways. A child genius does not necessarily become an adult genius. The overwhelming degree of talent allows them to achieve the extraordinary without the struggle for new information and the hard graft demonstrated by less prodigious talents.

Surprisingly, however, a young violin prodigy’s learning arc may be distinctly ordinary, following traditional string training methods. These students are often rewarded for repeatedly mastering the instrument in much the same way as everyone else, yet the ease of learning denies them crucial opportunities for development. As students, they may not learn to break free from the mould and develop their unique character skills, which is a set of capabilities to put their principals into practice.

At conservatoire level, we grade students after their initial audition as a benchmark for future progress. It is not an uncommon occurrence for a higher graded student to remain at this initial level whereas a student who might enter at a lower grade eventually surpasses the higher graded student. There are often students with hidden potential who may not be ’naturals’ in the initial stages of their learning. Often termed late bloomers, slow learners, or underdogs, they are characterised by being obsessive about making themselves uncomfortable. These students say to themselves, ‘If I only play to my strengths then I am never going to stretch myself and I’m not taking on enough new challenges.’

Research suggests these students with hidden potential are like sponges, soaking up information while filtering in what is helpful and ruling out what is harmful. Their achievement may display a degree of imperfection and an acceptance that certain opportunities require their best while ‘good enough’ is sufficient for other tasks.

’I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig-tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and off-beat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig-tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose’ – Sylvia Plath from The Bell Jar

In the conservatoire system, earning degree awarding status is a significant achievement. Marking criteria and course requirements favour those who understand what is required, who can prepare with intensity and those who can memorise information with near perfection. However, the nature of course requirements is such that they are inherently creatively limiting. Consequently, those who strive for perfection in formal education may achieve a high degree of success in school, conservatoire or university, but they do not necessarily enjoy longevity of success in their chosen careers. A fear of failure, mistakes or defects can be a debilitating outcome from early success and a perfectionist mindset.

I well remember observing a performance assessment when I newly started a role at a music conservatoire. I was asked for what grade I would give the student, and I said ‘A1’. It was a beautiful, considered performance that showed wonderful technical skill in service to the student’s musical imagination. One of the formal assessors responded, ’I never give A1 because it suggests that it is perfect’. However, I would argue that no performance is perfect. In any context of education, the question we must ask ourselves is whether, through our judgements, we are teaching students to strive for perfection or to strive for excellence in performance. A student who elevates perfectionism or prodigious talent as a benchmark will limit their growth, evolution and improvement by avoiding risk and narrowly focusing on areas in which they are most likely to excel.

The real world is more ambiguous, and it is not always certain what work or skill is going to be valued. A lovely example of this was told to me by a colleague. As a section principal of a major London orchestra, they were known for exploring possible fingerings for orchestral solos on the day of the concert. The other section principals would insist on having an emergency meeting and then ask, ’Is everything OK? Will you be ready for the concert?’ Perplexed, he would reply, ’Of course! It’s a rehearsal and I’m just trying out some ideas’. The key learning from this exchange is that those who experiment more increase the likelihood of success, because they are able to pivot faster when something doesn’t work. They are open to feedback and develop a sense for whether a particular choice will be successful or not as a response to the present context.

Louis Krasner told us in a chamber music coaching that when he commissioned the Berg Violin Concerto, Berg asked him to visit and play his violin to him. Krasner did as he was instructed, playing concerto after concerto in Berg’s apartment while the composer wandered from room to room. After a time, Berg popped his head around the door and said, ’Stop playing these concertos and let me hear your music’. Krasner improvised on his violin for a long time until Berg said, ‘Enough’. Krasner then left Berg’s apartment with limited exchange. The whole meeting was slightly disconcerting, but when Krasner received the score, he realised that Berg had absorbed his personal playing ideas and integrated them in the concerto.

The evidence suggests that we underestimate potential in ourselves and others consistently. We think we can judge where people will land from where they start, but as with prodigies, you cannot always do that. World-class musicians rarely stood out as better than their peers early on. Their early teachers and even their own parents did not know how much potential they had, and when they did stand out, it was not for unusual ability but rather for unusual motivation. They were driven and passionate.

It is a myth to think that if we are not instantly good at something then we should walk away from it and only play to our strengths. Psychologists find that our biggest regrets in the long run are not our failures: they are our failures to try, and it is the actions not taken that we wish we could redo the most. Finding the motivation and the courage to take those risks is not always easy. We need the input of others to develop, asking for advice from people we trust, people who see our hidden potential and want to help us become a better version of ourselves.

In a Performance Class or Group lesson situation, try to get the audience cheerleaders and critics to be better coaches by asking them for their advice rather than for feedback. When we ask for feedback, people look at the past, whereas if we ask for advice they turn to the future and become more specific and actionable in giving tips and suggestions. Develop the concept of idea promotion above self-promotion.

Playing

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Teaching

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.