7 Personality Characteristics of High Achieving Music Students

In the journey of mastering an instrument, such as learning guitar, a student's attitude plays a pivotal role. While natural talent is often lauded, it's the personality traits of students that often determine their success in music education. This article delves into the key characteristics common among high achieving music students, setting aside the concept of innate talent to focus on traits that can be cultivated and nurtured.

1. Accurate Recall and Execution of Instructions

• Precision in Learning:
  • High achievers in music are adept at remembering and accurately following their teacher's instructions. This precision is crucial in mastering complex musical pieces and techniques. "Greatest form of intelligence is the ability to follow instructions" - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
  • Example: A student who mentally and meticulously noted every suggestion in their guitar lessons and practiced accordingly at home, showing significant improvement in a short period.

2. Attention to Fundamentals

• The Foundation of Excellence:
  • Attention to basics like posture, hand position, and breathing (in case of singing) is often a hallmark of successful music students. This focus on fundamentals forms the bedrock of advanced skills.
  • Example: Guitar students who provide a rigorous focus to posture and hand position training early-on in their journey, lead to remarkable proficiency as playing guitar gets easier and easier for them due to the solid set of fundamentals.

3. Curiosity

• Inquisitive Mindset:
  • Curious students often excel in music. Their eagerness to explore and understand new concepts and techniques fuels their progress.
  • Observation: Curious students who always want to learn more but also equally interested in learning about how to perfect that they have already learnt, progress very fast.

4. Drive to Reach New Heights

• Ambition and Motivation:
  • High achievers constantly push their limits. They set challenging goals for themselves, striving to reach new heights in their musical journey.
  • Observation: We have a guitar student named Abigail who simply loves to push her boundries of musicality and is driven by an innate desire to excel. As a result, she won a teacher's award in the 2023 student concert for her achievements.

5. Patience

• Virtue in Learning:
  • Patience is a virtue in music education. High achieving students understand that mastering an instrument is a gradual process, and they exhibit patience in their learning journey.
  • Observation: Students who patiently work through difficult guitar lessons, eventually achieving mastery.

6. Perseverance

• Resilience in Practice:
  • The ability to persevere through challenges is a common trait among successful music students. They don't get discouraged by setbacks but view them as opportunities for growth.
  • Observation: Guitar students who struggled initially but persevered, eventually end up performing flawlessly and confidently at every recital.

7. Trust in the Learning Process and the Teacher

• Faith and Respect:
  • Trusting the learning process and respecting the teacher's guidance is crucial. High achievers believe in the structured approach of their music education.
  • Observation: Students who wholeheartedly embraced the teaching methods in their guitar lessons often experienced accelerated learning.

Conclusion

These seven personality traits are the keystones in the arch of musical achievement. They are attributes that can be developed and honed, transcending the elusive notion of natural talent. By fostering these characteristics, students can make remarkable progress in their musical pursuits, whether in guitar, singing, or any other musical discipline.