More from "The TAC Legend Writings"

The following is an excerpt from a master class given by Master Manlon and his colleagues, Seymore and Joice, on "What is talent?" although the following, being well into the class, touches on an adjacent subject, namely, what is meant by "professional."

Master Manlon: "...Remember, not all of us can be virtuosi or be as accomplished as we would like on our instruments, but we still can be connected to the essence of the music and communicate that through our instruments."

Kilton: "Is it possible to be connected to the essence of the music in a professional setting?"

Master Manlon: "'Professional,' an interesting term."

Kilton: "What do you mean by 'professional,' Master Manlon?"

Master Manlon: "Things are where they are. To me, 'professional' can be a misleading term. Commonly, a professional is someone who gets paid for certain livelihoods that are considered to be 'professions.' But what about someone who is great at domestics in their home or what about a janitor or short order cook who are great at what they do? They perform at a high level and exhibit professional standards, don't they? But they would never be considered professionals. Also, just because you are considered a professional, doesn't mean you perform at a high standard for that profession. So, quality is where it is.

Now, to answer your question about whether you can be connected to the essence in a professional setting, the answer is, 'Yes, try, because every little bit helps.'"

The above is from my book in progress, "The TAC Legend Writings." Click here to read another excerpt and for links to previous excerpts.