Being good at something is not enough

“If you are good at something others will appreciate your skills and knowledge.” Have you ever thought this way?

For years I have put my efforts into learning to be good at something: a good performer on stage, a flexible and communicative artist, a satisfying teacher.

The time I used for being good at something has been well employed, it comes in handy to be ready anytime. However this is not enough. Not for us, not for others.

Do you listen to feedback? I haven’t always, I was too busy becoming good at something. It took me a while to realise that something essential was in front of my eyes.

Students and colleagues say they appreciate my work because we have something in common: ways of interacting with each other, feeling well together. In other words, taking care of others is essential.

At the same time thinking that taking care of others is enough would be wrong in a professional context.

Enjoying what we do with others is probably the clue. We take care the most when we love what we do. Teaching is more than giving content, teaching with love is helping students in personalised ways. Performing is more than playing music, performing with love is interacting with the listeners.

Finally here is something to learn: being a loving person is an inseparable part of a musician’s learning.

There is a sentence by Luciana Landolfi which encapsulates this concept to perfection:

A big heart sees big hearts. A small heart sees small hearts.