Chapter 5
This chapter is titled, "Primal Cues," and is the beginning of the second section of the book titled, "ignition." This chapter focused on finding similarities amongst "talented" people who have found success in their fields. Coyle came to the conclusion that passion was the common factor that drove all of these types of people, "myelin is really made out of love," (page 102). He discusses how the passion that drives these people is usually subconscious, coming from a role model these individuals had from a young age. This part about role models was my favorite because it helped me understand the importance of representation of all types of people in the arts. In the music world especially, representation from all races, sexualities, genders, and other groups is important in empowering young people to do what they are passionate about. As music teachers, this is very important for us to keep in mind as we pick out repertoire for our students and for our music programs.
Chapter 6
This chapter is titled, "The Curacao Experiment," where Coyle discusses how to keep the flame of a talent hotbed going once it has been ignited. He uses the example of the surprisingly successful Little League Team from Curacao as an example of the importance of motivation. Seeing a baseball player from their island in the major leagues, (Andruw Jones), ignited the people's passion for baseball, but they had to continue to fuel it for them to be good enough to get to the Little League World Series. Coyle claims that this flame is fueled by motivation and by positively reinforcing people from a young age. This usually comes from an especially motivated coach or mentor and a community that fully supports the activity that was ignited. As music teachers, this chapter teaches us about how much positive or negative influence we can have on our students. If we attempt to motivate our students in a kind and constructive way, we can positively affect the way they perceive their voice and their career aspirations. If we use more negative and harsh teaching practices with our students, we can cut off their passion for music and sometimes compel them to quit music all together.
Chapter 7
This chapter is titled, "How to Ignite a Hotbed," and it focuses on how to ignite a talent hotbed when there is no traceable "spark" moment. Coyle uses the development of the Knowledge is Power Program, or KIPP (a series of college-preparatory charter schools in low-income areas), as an example of how to ignite a hotbed. The significance of this program is in its success in getting its students to college regardless of student circumstance or having famous role models. Instead, KIPP makes the idea of attending college the "role model" for its students. Everything that is done in the charter schools is to teach students to work hard, be nice, and to get to college. Instead of looking up to a specific person or event for passion, students look to their ultimate goal of college for inspiration. Coyle's discussion of KIPP is significant for us because it teaches us to make goals a significant part of our teaching. In a previous post, I mentioned the importance of setting smaller, more achievable goals, but larger goals are also important. Larger goals are what help spark passion in each of us and it will help encourage our students to dream. If our students are passionate about their goals, then they will be more likely to engage in deep practice and do the work necessary to make significant improvement.
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