Are We Born with Talent?

Mozart - a child prodigy

A neighbour stopped for a wee blether while I was pottering around in the garden a while ago. "My you've definitely got green fingers," she said and it was a lovely compliment but I don't have green fingers, my gardening skills have been gleaned from true gardeners who are more than willing to pass on tips to those who want to try.  It's hard work for me to 'see' my garden as others see it and every year, it's certainly more by luck than judgement that in summer it looks acceptable.

That brings me to my question about talent.  The older I become the more I'm convinced we're all born with talents which either remain hidden all our lives or are exposed by someone who saw our potential with certain skills.  Usually it's in our childhood when adult influences reign supreme and we absorb information like a sponge.  In my case I was brought up by parents who both had an interest in music. My father's interest encompassed anything from 'light' opera to the Beatles, my mother mocked him regularly as she had an obsessive interest in classical music and was, I may add, an excellent violinist.  Unfortunately she channelled her interest into teaching and wasn't a success.  You see she didn't like children, not even her own, but teaching was the career for women back in the late 50s and if you passed your highers it was the only choice recommended.  No career advisors in those days other than your teachers and family.

As you can guess we were then expected to follow in her footsteps and at a very young age I was sent to piano lessons and taught the violin by her.  I didn't like either instrument much but I'm grateful I did learn piano because it taught me the language of music.  Finally at the age of 8 my father persuaded her to allow me to learn the cello and the reason I did was down to the then Director of Education in Dundee, Jimmy Easson, who was a most far-sighted man.  He insisted that every child was offered the chance to play a musical instrument free of charge and I jumped at the chance of this tuition. My whole childhood (and my brother's) was so immersed in the classical music world we had little time for any other activities.  For reasons I won't go into I never played my cello again from the minute I left home although I think I was a reasonable cellist and that was all due to my mentor and teacher Bert Brown.  My brother on the other hand still has his band where he plays clarinet and saxophone even though he's knocking at the door of 70.  Both of us had a talent for music and I should like to think I still do.  One thing I do on occasion is attend a concert where I can decide to listen to a particular section.  For example if I want to listen only to the violas for some reason I can 'home in' on them and put the rest of the orchestra to the background of my mind.  Useless skill right enough and I was never taught to do it, but it gives me some pleasure and I've done it for fun since I was a wee lass.

Now, if you've managed to read this far, I do think great politicians are born with the talent and good ones learn it in later life.  In the Scottish political scene Alex Salmond springs to mind and also Nicola Sturgeon but not forgetting Malcolm Rifkind, the late Robin Cook and John Smith.  These are some who I feel have/had 'political souls'.  Of course there are many good politicians in the Scottish Parliament but there are many mediocre ones too.  I very much hope when we're independent some more 'political souls' appear on the scene. 

Right, back to the garden and more learning by trial and error.

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