If you’ve read Malcom Gladwell’s book, “The Outliers” you’ll know that a disproportionate number of professional hockey players are born in January, February, or March. And here’s the quick explanation:
If you’re a young hockey player born in January, you are more physically mature than your buddies (who could be born as late as December). Because of this, you get picked to play on “rep” (more competitive) teams. Rep teams receive better coaching and more ice team. Therefore, the talent gap between January-born players and others increases even more. Before you know it, everyone in the NHL is born in January 🙂
This seems to support the notion that success requires a lot of skill and a little luck… in this case “luck” being your birth date.
Does An Early Birth Date Affect Piano Success?
No. Birth date does not affect success on the piano, but is it possible that lesson timing could be the “little bit of luck” that separates Beethoven from Burger Flipper?
Whether we choose to admit it or not, every piano teacher has a teaching sweet spot; that time of the day when everything just clicks! It stands to reason that the student who has “lucked” upon this timeslot, may receive a lesson of higher quality; hereby propelling her to stardom!
Do You Think I’ve Missed The Mark?
So what are your thoughts? Am I wrong? Obviously “propelling piano students to stardom” is a bit of an exaggeration but is there something to my theory or am I full of it? Do you have a piano teaching sweet spot? Are you a strong starter with heaps of enthusiasm early in the day, or do you need time to kick it into gear? Let us know in the comments below.