For the love of Music

Well, once again I think that Gladwell makes great points in the second chapter of this story. This guy definitely does his research and proves it in some of the most interesting ways. What he talks about that immediately grasps my attention is something we all can relate to, money. My aspirations of becoming a billionaire are fueled off things I read that I feel can help one get to the top. Gladwell talks about practice, his biggest point seems to be that because of the practice that these gentlemen got they had some sort of "lucky break" that helped them gain their riches. I totally agree with his reasoning, I must remind you that I am a firm believer in hard work and talent. If you want it bad enough I think that you can get it. Doors will open that will help you reach your destiny. The stories about the gentlemen's success that I wasn't familiar with such as, The Beatles and Bill Joy proved how important practice truly is.

This brings me to what I would spend ten thousand hours on to become an expert. No doubt in my mind it would be to master the guitar. This is a task I am currently still working on. Why the guitar? Music has been involved in my life for as long as I can remember. I began playing the Tuba in the 5th grade and continued to keep music in my life. Once I began improving on this instrument it was obvious to me that I had to practice to get better. I got a tad bored with the Tuba and I needed to play something new. I picked up the guitar my sophomore year of high school and haven't put it down since. The thing that motivates me the most in practicing the guitar is that one is never done learning. There is always something new to learn in the musical realm. This concept is what continues to drive me to master the guitar. Although ten hours is very long I know that it is worth it because music is one the most beautiful things to ever be introduced to Earth. I have played in many places so far, and one of the most exciting things about playing is the chance to play among those who have already practiced their ten thousand hours. They are living proof that if you work hard then nothing can stop you to getting to where they are soon. Hearing them motivates one to keep playing so that one day they are the one showing a young student what it takes. So if requires ten thousand hours, so be it, I will keep going until I master it.

"The Matthew Effect"

Gladwell has opened my eyes to a new way of thinking towards success. I am still a firm believer of hard work and talent, but he has showed that sometimes it can be how fast you mature. He proves in his passage that those hockey players were succeeding because they were introduced at an early age. His point is because they were born at that time makes it easier for them to develop key skills and at least have a couple months to enhance. His strongest point in my opinion is that the older children always seem to stand out a little better then those born after the cutoff date. It makes so much sense though, because those that are older actually mature quicker. They are able to grasp concepts a lot faster then their peers. They have the advantage of working hard and also getting better amenities that come along with early talent development. The only reason that Gladwell's analysis doesn't fully convince that it is solely based on maturity, is because it doesn't cover the world that I am studying now, the business world where success thrives off of hard work and the talents that one has. Success stories from this area are quite different, in this realm one has to "make your own luck." Nothing is given away easily, one must earn their spot. Which is where hard work comes into play, this method has stuck around so long because it is credible. It is proven that if you work hard at what you want then you will get it. Even if you do fail, it shows that you must do something different to get what you want. Although, I do agree that those who show talent earlier should have some type of elite opportunity, they have earned that part. Gladwell's reasoning doesn't fully eliminate "hard work" method, it merely shows combined with maturity your success can grow quickly.