Practice makes perfect.
Or does it? How many times have
you heard this cliché statement? If you
played a sport or an instrument, you have probably heard it quite a lot. Recent findings suggest that nature, compared
to nurture, seems to play a much larger role than previously thought. After the 2012 London Olympics, a very
eye-opening concept was brought to the table.
Maybe practice doesn’t make perfect? What if you could do everything
right (practice every day, workout/condition yourself, eat right, etc.) and
still not win. Well, researchers have
found a simple answer to these questions.
Some individuals are simply born
to win. But wait! This goes against everything that has been instilled
in our minds. What happened to work hard
and you can do anything? Sorry to crush
your dreams, but the laws of nature speak for themselves. Usain Bolt, a six foot five, Jamaican
sprinter, obviously has an advantage being that his waist is four feet above
the ground. His stride is so long that
he is a shoo-in for the gold, regardless of his hours of dedicated
practice. He is bound to win simply
because he was born that way.
Marcus comments on the same concept, concerning his
experiences with music. He uses an
analogy saying that the tallest trees aren’t the trees that get the most water,
but rather the trees with the best genes.
Current findings are suggesting more and more that genetics plays a
greater role in many things, even musical abilities. Like trees, great musicians have ideal genes;
genes that enhance musicality.
There aren’t certain genes that make you the fastest runner
in the world or genes that give you perfect pitch, but rather genes are detailed
directions to build certain proteins, not behaviors. Marcus
makes it clear that the human genome does not contain “genes tailored
specifically to music”, but instead a plethora of genes that work together to
create superior (or not so superior) musicality. He states that the progression
from gene to behavior is extremely complicated, but that these individual genes
have multiple functions, ultimately determining that they are not dedicated solely
to music.
Although nature has been prominent within current developmental
findings, Marcus stresses that “nurture” should not be overlooked. He brings about another concept that environment
and experience still play an important role; to get the best results nature and
nurture truly need to go hand in hand.
Imagine having the “goods” to be a star athlete or a renowned musician
but never reaching your potential because you were too lazy to pursue it. Let’s be honest, practice and motivation are
not completely independent of biology. “How
we respond to experiences, and even what type of experience we seek are
themselves in part functions of the genes we are born with. It’s not nature versus nurture; it’s nature
working together with nurture” (103). It
seems to be that nurture cannot be exclusive from nature, and it may very well
never be.
In the wise words of Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical
engineering at Duke University, "Nature, being born a certain way—it's a
prerequisite for nurture." Having a body built for speed produces an
overwhelming advantage (and quite possibly, in some cases, might be enough),
but you better believe that Bolt waited for that moment for four years, anticipating
and preparing to cross that finish line and make history.
Marcus.Gary F. Guitar Zero. New York:
The Penguin Press. 2012. 1-202. Print.
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