[Vocal and First-Year Student] 23. Those who learn unusually quickly

*This content was translated by AI.

Meeting countless students every year in the lesson room, one notices that some people improve their skills unusually quickly.

They are different from those born with overwhelming tone quality or gifted vocal cords. They may start out ordinary or even appear to be lagging behind, but once they cross a certain threshold at some point, they surge forward at a frightening speed.

As skills begin to improve, the first to notice the change is oneself. Phrases that were stuck until yesterday naturally connect, and high-note transitions that felt difficult become gradually more comfortable. After a little more time, those around them also begin to recognize the change. The moment one gains confidence in their own abilities and achieves a sense of accomplishment, growth accelerates at a frightening pace.

When recording an album, even a short phrase of just a few syllables is sung dozens of times. Throughout this process, countless feedback is exchanged. People whose self-efficacy has risen in this way approach feedback with a fundamentally different inner attitude. When receiving coaching such as "the pitch there is unstable," they do not hesitate or shrink back. They take such criticism not as an attack on their existence or evaluation of them, but as guidance for growth. From such behavior, one also feels that teachers and directors are fully on their side and can be relied upon.

These individuals ask questions proactively and are not ashamed of making mistakes. In fact, in the lesson room, it is far better to make mistakes somewhat boldly. On stage, one must present a finished product, but in the practice room, there is a need for the courage to reveal an unfinished version. From the teaching perspective as well, students who dare to try boldly make the root cause of problems clearly visible and make it easier to find clear answers. Since the cause is transparent, solutions come quickly. It is the same logic as when tailoring clothes: to cut accurately, one must spread the fabric out fully without any folds.

Many students sing just enough to avoid being criticized. However, in art where one must draw out moments of thrilling emotion that move the heart, such a defensive posture often leads to spending considerable time searching for the best version. In contrast, friends who are not afraid of making mistakes and try things this way and that often encounter unexpected moments of creation. At these moments of creating new possibilities, lessons become music created together rather than one-sided corrections.

Thinking about it, we have become too accustomed to being evaluated. Whether in school or at work, there are many times when it is better to blend in than to ask unnecessary questions and get trapped in the frame of being someone who knows nothing. As the saying goes, "If you stay still, you end up in the middle." In organizational life, that saying might be the correct answer.

But music, or art in general, is not about getting the right answer; it is about finding and creating answers. There is no need to expend energy covering or hiding things.

When learning judo or aikido, one does not learn attack techniques first but learns falling techniques first. This is because one must know how to fall well in order to advance to the next stage without injury. The context of Japan's "failure studies," which turn failures into assets through analysis, is similar. The lesson room is no different. One must first learn how to fall safely without injury before gaining the strength to absorb growth at the next stage.

Looking back on past times, those who went far were never necessarily the most talented. They were people who did not hide their clumsy present and were willing to make corrections. Growth and development were not the privilege of those who were good at things but the result of those who were not afraid of making changes.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.