Nature vs. Nurture: Reflecting on Music

I am watching the Grammys, and it's almost over.  I tend to blog on random things, but events during the day trigger ideas for me.  Right now, it's music.

I envy those people who have natural abilities in music, whether it's singing melodies or harmonizing or being able to write music and sight read music sheets.  I don't have all these abilities.  I studied music theory and can read sheet music.  I can sing and do karaoke all day long if I had the time.  But don't ask me to play any rendition of anything on the piano even though I took piano lessons briefly when I was a kid.  I might be able to play Chopsticks though.

Seriously, have you been to jam sessions?  It's amazing to me when a group of musicians who do not know each other can come together for the first time and play music.  A basic makup of a band is a guitarist, a keyboardist, and a drummer.   I think a band with a horn section can be fabulous.  Earth Wind & Fire is an example.  The trumpet is my favorite instrument to listen to, especially as part of a jazz ensemble.  I remember going to jam sessions in NYC and becoming an immediate fan of these unknown artists.

Jam sessions here in the South Bay/East Bay/Peninsula are okay to go to but music is usually limited to just blues and jazz.  It's still fascinating to watch though.

I wonder if it takes a lot of practice to become really good, just like with anything.  But there are phenomenal musicians that seem so accomplished and young, you have to attribute their abilities to nature.  They were born with the talent. They were predisposed.  They were destined.

So it's nature versus nurture.  Are you good at something because it is your natural ability, or did you get good at something because you practiced a lot, your surroundings were conducive to your expertise, and you had supportive people around you?  I think it could be both, but some need more nurturing than others.  This can be with anything, not just music, like athletics.

I'm not sure what the point is that I'm trying to make.  Perhaps I was trying to reveal that I have a natural ability to sing, not the greatest ability, but if I had taken voice lessons and practiced, I might be singing professionally today.  I might even have a Grammy.  Hey I can dream, can't I?