yep, i dont buy the dictionary version of talent.<br><br><br><br>

If you people don't agree with the textbook definition of talent, I suggest you use a different word. Talent means a natural ability. If you don't want to discuss natural abilities, STOP USING THE FSCKING WORD!<br><br>

You can't go by the dictionary definition of the word talent because that even varies. Even after doing a little search I come up with these:<br><br>1. A marked innate ability, as for artistic accomplishment. See Synonyms at ability.<br>2. Intellectual ability, natural or acquired; mental endowment or capacity; skill in accomplishing;<br><br>also, lets define natural. Does your upbringing count as natural? I have a friend at Juilliard because of how well he plays the flute. He would practice 6 hours a day, his parents were big into music, and he listened to flute music all the time. He loves flute music. Did he learn to love flute music or was it natural? We don't know. <br><br>But I digress. I actually never use the word talent because we don't know what it is. It pisses off my girlfriend because she thinks she's talented in writing. I always she's skilled and passionate... and she is.<br><br>Keep in mind, talent isn't an ascribed status. A child isn't born and their parents go "Wow, they're a great flute player". People who are considered talented have to achieve that status. Through hard work, passion, and skill. I hear all the time "My son is talented, he just doesn't apply himself". But no one else consideres that person talented... they just have an affinity.<br><br>damn, sorry for ranting.<br><br>-Matt<br><br>

Relax! Let's not go overboard on GarageBand worries. I think everyone misses some very important points. There is a myth about trained musicians and art, etc. School simply doesn't prepare you for what's really out there. I doubt that there are more than a half-dozen schools in the USA that are capable of training people in pro-level composing, arranging, performing, booking, managing, directing, recording, audio, MIDI, and electronic theory. Even the ones that CAN teach those things don't really instill a sense of how they are actually used on the job. <br><br>To be a musician these days, you really need to know something about all these things. Many schools can teach the traditional aspects of music, but when it comes to the electronic side, most don't have a clue. This stuff is a moving target, and by the time you get a class prepared on how to do it, it's obsolete. <br><br>Experience is hard to get. The cutting-edge tools are only available to pros. Novices can't afford them. Think for a moment: most people here didn't know how loops worked a week ago. Now you've actually USED them. Many had no idea what MIDI was about. Now you've actually recorded yourself in MIDI, and maybe you've created an audio recording of your MIDI performance. <br><br>GarageBand makes these things easy, but all apps are easy once you've grasped the concept. GarageBand gives you some pretty heavy concepts, all wrapped up simply in one little $9 application. Apple has given novices a step up. From here, you can see how SoundTrack works. You also see some of the rudiments of every MIDI app, and many software samplers and synths. Where before was a brick wall before, GarageBand has given you a window through which you can see how the rest of the industry works. It's not so intimidating now, is it? <br><br>That said, everyone should make music--every day. It's a gift, and it's a shame to squander it. Why think it should be left to professionals and this crazy concept we call "artists?" To think that the only way to appreciate it is to pay someone else to do it for you is a crime against nature. Don't get me wrong; I love to be paid for what I do. But this isn't rocket science. It doesn't have to be left to professionals. Enjoy this stuff! Does it really matter if anyone else "gets it?"<br><br>Shooshie<br><br><br>[color:green]Pictures and things</font color=green>

Pardon the late hit, but I can't not add my .02 here...<br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>art can't be a hobby. a hobby is a hobby, art is something serious and can't be done half hearted. i hate hobby paintings for example that are sold as art usually close to tourist attractions, they make me sick. thanks god there are not many hobby architects. just imagine your street.<p><hr></blockquote><p>That's about the most ill-considered and unfortunate statement anyone in the creative field could ever put forth! You couldn't possibly have been thinking when you typed those words. You're much too bright a guy to have said something like that if you had been. If "hobbyists" shouldn't enter the arts, where would the next generation of talent come from? Not that getting paid for a natural gift is bad, but consider that most hobbyists do what they do for the love of it, and IMHO, that kind of equity yields an honesty and purity that many "pros" have long since forsaken for the almighty dollar.<br><br>Now go to your room young man, and think about what you said. <br><br><br>

So what schools do you think have the goods? I'm always curious about stuff like this.<br><br>[color:red]Well</font color=red> . . . [color:blue]how did I get here?</font color=blue>

Someone at MacCentral found the way to turn off the metronome. It's not in the prefs. It's a menu item! DUH! I feel stupid now. But I'm glad it's there. That's an essential item. <br><br>Now... to get Apple to increase the size of the MIDI Edit window!<br><br>;^)<br><br><br>Shooshie<br><br><br><br><br>[color:green]Pictures and things</font color=green>

Well, I'm not even sure anymore. I haven't thought much about music school in 20 years. But... Each of the following offers something important in the way of Music:<br><br>University of North Texas <br>Northwestern<br>U of Michigan<br>U of Indiana<br>University of Southern California<br>U Cal @ Berkeley<br>UCLA<br>University of Miami<br>Shephard School of Music (Rice)<br>Southern Methodist University<br>Harvard <br>Yale<br>Berkelee School of Music<br>New England Conservatory<br>Eastman<br>Juliard<br>Curtiss Institute<br>Full Sail Institute (recording, electronics, film, etc.)<br><br><br>I'm probably leaving out a lot of really deserving music schools. But my point is that of the above, few if any can really teach you how to be a professional musician. In fact, most of them teach you how NOT to be a professional musician by instilling snobbery, elitism, "teacher pedigrees," and a disdain for music that makes money. On the other hand, an enterprising person can learn a lot at a good school, then go out and make their own way. <br><br>In other industries, there are usually places that are willing to hire you if you're good; they are actually looking for trained employees. Few such places exist in music, if any. Those which exist are usually teaching institutions, not professional businesses. Hollywood has studios that hire people, but getting yourself in one is quite a trick. You have to just make your mark as an idividual who won't be silenced, and be sure that you have access to lots of people. I learned the real ropes by becoming an international booking agent for one of the top 4 agencies (money-wise) in the country at that time. My performing in symphonies, concerts, touring, arranging, conducting, and everything else was almost useless until I learned the business side. Schools think they teach the business side, but few do. University of Wisconsin at Madison actually has a good arts-management program. I know this, because I would always see their teachers (hello out there, Lorraine Newman) and students like mother duck and ducklings going up and down the aisles of the trade shows. If you don't do that, you don't know the business. I never saw another program's students at trade shows. What were they teaching?<br><br>Your mileage may vary. If I were looking for a school that teaches it all, I'd place my money on University of North Texas, Berkelee, Miami, and... hmmmm... well, that's about it. <br><br><br>Shooshie<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>[color:green]Pictures and things</font color=green>

So true.<br><br>[color:green]Pictures and things</font color=green>

Can I have the 'Shooshie Cliff Notes' please? <br><br>