Professional poker is a highly competitive arena, but year on year a small number of highly skilled and talented players appear near or at the top of the money lists. Facts and figures rarely lie, and from this data we can determine the top 5 current professional poker players. But who are they?

Number 1: Phil Hellmuth

Born 16 July 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, Phil “the brat” Hellmuth has become a legend in this own lifetime having won a total of 11 World Series of Poker bracelets. At the tender age of only 24 he won the most prestigious tournament in poker, the Main Event at the WSOP, and is the second youngest player ever to win this event.

Prior to becoming a professional poker player, Hellmuth attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married with two sons and lives in Palo Alto, California.

Number 2: Johnny Chan

Born in Guangzhou, China in 1957, Johnny Chan holds a total of 10 WSOP event wins and is the only player in history to have won back t back Main Events, a feat he achieved in 1987 and 1988. In 2002, in recognition for his success over three decades he was inducted into the Poker Hall of fame.

Prior to turning professional, Chan attended the University of Houston. He has authored two successful poker books titled ‘Play Poker Like Johnny Chan’ and ‘Million Dollar Hold’em’ and was involved in the unsuccessful online poker venture called ChanPokerOnline.com, which opened in 2007 but closed in late 2008.

Number 3: Phil Ivey

Born February 1, 1976 in Riverside, California, Phil Ivey has won a total of 7 World Series of Poker bracelets, and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Tiger Woods of Poker’. He is regarded by many as one of the best cash game players that have ever played the game.

Outside of poker, Phil Ivey resides in Las Vegas and is a Los Angeles Lakers fan. He is also involved with online poker and is an ambassador for Full Tilt, one of the largest online poker operators in the market and a main competitor to sites such as PKR Poker and Poker Stars.

Number 4: Chris Moneymaker

Born 21 November 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event after qualifying via a $40 satellite tournament via the online poker site Poker Stars. He is widely regarded as one of the main catalysts for the huge increase in the popularity of poker, particularly the online form of the game.

Moneymaker is a qualified accountant and attended the University of Tennessee. His autobiography outlining how he won the $2.5 million first prize at the 2003 WSOP was released in 2005.

Number 5: Daniel Negreanu

Born 26 July 1974 in Toronto Canada, Daniel Negreanu is the son of Romanian immigrants who immigrated to Canada in 1967. Negreanu holds four WSOP bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles and has accumulated over $12 million of tournament winnings.

Today there are literally hundreds of professional poker players that ply their trade across the world, some more successfully than others. However, players can only really be considered great players once they have won a WSOP bracelet.

I have been a tarot reader for 23 years now, and in that time I have had the honour of being privy to thousands of people’s hopes, dreams and deepest secrets. Many of my clients come to me for confirmation of what they already know, or they are at a crossroads and are stuck as to which direction to go in. Some people are married and wish they weren’t, and some are single and wish they weren’t. It often feels like the grass is invariably greener on the other side of the fence!

Looking for Mr/Ms Right

Relationships of all sorts form a large number of the reasons that both men and women seek my counsel. Some want to know if the person they are with, or who they’ve just met, is the right person for them, or do they have to wait for someone else to come along.

I am obviously generalising here, but many people are disappointed to know that that handsome guy or stunning woman that they have just met are likely to bring them more grief than happiness. What other people think about their choice of partner is often of paramount importance – and the more good looking they are is seen as a way of elevating their own status. As if having a good looking partner means that we are somehow more special than those people whose partners aren’t blessed with obvious physical beauty.

In the superficial world that a lot of us live in, true love has a hard time coming to the surface when it’s not married to a beautiful face and a fit body!

Our Fantasies

Many people have this vision of the perfect partner who will make their lives complete, and the only slight altercation will be about who does the washing up or takes out the rubbish! Whether we call it Soulmate, Twin Flame or Mr/Ms Right it amounts to the same thing – a lot of people have this vision of someone who will totally understand them and life will become harmonious and much better when we meet them.

What people don’t necessarily ask themselves is – what would that paragon of virtue see in us? What would make them single us out to be their lifetime partner? Looking fantastic and/or being sexy isn’t enough – not for a lifetime commitment. There has to be some other attraction, something deeper and beyond the physical.

Are we willing to change ourselves?

When I ask this question, I’m not meaning by losing weight, going to the gym or dying our hair a different colour. What I mean is, are we willing to change ourselves internally to become the best ‘us’ that we can be?

It’s all very well looking for the perfect long term partner, but considering that the world is operating on energy, we will only attract the partners that are on our current energy level.

In a nutshell, if we have issues around self-love, we are likely to attract a partner who makes us feel worse about ourselves. If we have issues around abandonment, we are likely to attract a partner who is unreliable and keeps us in a state of uncertainty most of the time.

To paraphrase a famous Gandhi quote ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ – ‘Be the partner you want to see in your life’. How can any of us expect to attract a loving and kind partner if we ourselves aren’t loving and kind to either ourselves or others? How can any of us expect honesty and authenticity if we lie and cheat and pretend to be something we aren’t? The truth will always come out in the end!

The Goal

We ideally need to get to a place within ourselves where we are happy to be alone because we like ourselves. We find that we are good company and know ourselves well enough to always find something of interest which we can immerse ourselves in. By doing that, we become more interesting to others, and we will also be more likely to attract Mr/Ms Right to us, who could potentially have similar goals and interests. It’s a win/win situation.

We also need to forget the illusion that someone else can make us happy – they can’t, and that pressure should never be put on another person – it’s unfair. Only we ourselves can make us happy – we then attract other people who can share and enhance that happiness. This also encourages other people to stick around – it’s great to share happiness and be in the flow of joy, but being the object of someone else’s happiness is unlikely to be something anyone can bear in the long term. Sooner or later they will want to break free – especially if they aren’t managing to create the happiness that the other person expects of them.

In Conclusion

I would like to submit that if we currently have a partner/husband/wife, that that person is Mr/Ms/Mrs Right Now. They might not be right for the future, but they are right for where we are in our lives right now.

If we are really happy in our relationship, then we could have the ultimate relationship right now, and we will continue to grow together into a rich and fulfilling old age.

If we are unhappy in our relationship, then that indicates that we need to do some work on ourselves to elevate our energy. We need to love ourselves more, and by doing that either our partner will change along with us, or they will leave us (or we will leave them), as we will no longer resonate on an energetic level. I am not for an instance saying that this is easy, and if anyone is in this situation they might need to get some outside support to come to a place of self-love, self-acceptance and feeling deserving of being truly loved.

Blaming our partners for our unhappiness is a waste of time and a distraction. It is best to save the energy we expend on blame and use it to ask ourselves why we attracted someone who disrespects us, is violent towards us or who merely bores us. Once we find the answer to that question, we can then start to change ourselves to the point that the unhappy relationship is repelled and out of our life.

I have a very good friend who has been happily married for over 25 years. She has said to me that if you are in the right relationship then it doesn’t take a lot of work. This isn’t to say that she and her husband don’t annoy each other from time to time, but their love and respect for each other far outweighs the minor stuff which is soon over and done with.

I wish you all the Mr/Ms Right of your dreams, and that you will also be the Mr/Ms Right of their dreams!

The Oakland Raiders have always been a team built around the deep pass. Because of this, they have always placed a particular emphasis on a certain kind of quarterback. There have been a number of strong armed quarterbacks who have worn the silver and black of the Raiders, but few are kept in as high esteem as Jim Plunkett.

The Raiders were the third team that Jim Plunkett had played for in his career. He had been shipped out of New England due to ineffectiveness after being drafted high in the NFL Draft, thanks to his great success in college, and had spent two season with a San Francisco 49ers franchise that had little going for it at the time. The Raiders though still had a lot of talent on their roster and had just sent iconic quarterback Kenny “The Snake” Stabler to the Houston Oilers for quarterback Dan Pastorini. Plunkett joined the Raiders and eventually found his way into the starting lineup, helping the team win two Super Bowls along the way.

Which receivers during his career though did Jim Plunkett throw the most touchdown passes to? Here is the answer to that question, the top five receivers based on who caught the most touchdown passes thrown by Jim Plunkett.

#1 – Todd Christensen – (20)

#2 – Randy Vataha – (16)

#3 – Cliff Branch – (15)

#4 Tie – Reggie Rucker – (10)

#4 Tie – Gene A. Washington – (10)

As you can see, each team that Plunkett played for, the Patriots, 49ers, and Raiders, has at least one player on the list.

Frederick Henry Harvey

Frederick Henry Harvey (June 27, 1835 – February 9, 1901) became known as “the Civilizer of the West” when the West was still wild. He is credited with creating the first restaurant chain and promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century.

Fred Harvey immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1853 and found work in New York as a busboy at Smith and McNell’s restaurant. It was here that he learned the importance of quality service, fresh ingredients and the handshake deal.

In 1856 he married Barbara Sarah Mattas, with whom he had six children.

He was the kind of immigrant who made America what it is today – innovative and prosperous.

As a freight agent in the 1870s Fred Harvey spent time traveling via train in an era before dining cars to experience first-hand the difficulty of finding good food.

Harvey Hotels and Restaurants

In 1876, Fred Harvey struck a deal with Charles Morse, the superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad when he opened restaurants along the railroad, and was not charged rent. His first depot restaurant opened in Topeka, Kansas and two years later opened his first hotel/restaurant in Florence, Kansas. The deal was sealed with just a handshake.

By 1891, 15 Harvey House restaurants were in operation and at their peak, there were 84 Harvey Houses which catered to wealthy and middle-class visitors.

Visionary Entrepreneur

As a visionary innovator and marketer, Fred Harvey recognized a business opportunity.

Harvey House lunch rooms, restaurants, souvenir shops, and hotels served rail passengers on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the Kansas Pacific Railway, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, and the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis.

Over a 90 year period, Harvey House employed over 100,000 young women to work at Harvey Houses that were located about 100 miles apart from each other at rail stations.

Fred Harvey diners provided a more enjoyable experience in dining. They provided wholesome food and service by attractive staff for passengers on their cross-country train journeys. Railroad staff would notify the restaurant via telegraph, so that each Harvey House of a train’s arrival time and how many people they would have to feed.

Fred Harvey also employed Native Americans to demonstrate rug weaving, pottery, jewelry making and other crafts at his Southwest hotels.

During World War II, they served troop trains filled with hungry soldiers.

The Harvey Girls

The Harvey girls were pioneers of the West in search of income and independence.

The 19th century was a time when working women were often scorned unless they were teachers or nurses other than the traditional, wife and mother.

Fred Harvey hired women between the ages of 18 and 30 with “good moral character” who worked six days a week and 12-hour shifts at his rail station diners. They earned $25 a month plus room and board which allowed them to save or to send money home to their families.

Harvey girls resided in housing adjacent to the restaurants and had a strict 10pm curfew. A dorm supervisor would routinely do bed checks as Fred Harvey did not want his female staff to be confused with local prostitutes.

The Harvey girls uniform consisted of a long black dress, a starched white apron, black stockings and black shoes. This image was popularized in a 1946 namesake movie, The Harvey Girls, starring Judy Garland.

Legacy

The Fred Harvey Company which operated the hotel and restaurant chain was continued by his sons and remained in the family until the death of a grandson in 1965.

Fred Harvey’s sandwiches of ham or cheese with an extra slice of bread for 15 cents were famous throughout the West for their value.

Harvey’s reported last words to his sons before he died were “Don’t cut the ham too thin, boys.”

Another reported account of his last words were “Cut the ham thinner, boys.”

What is asthma? It is a chronic disorder of the lungs and affects a person through difficulty in breathing, coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, feeling a tight or heavy chest and unable to cope with demanding physical activities.

Although asthma may develop at any stage it generally starts early in life. Symptoms vary amongst different people and can actually change in a specific person over a period of time. For example, a youngster who might suffer from moderate or severe reactions to asthma could find that in adulthood the reactions change and occur during allergy season only or develop as upper respiratory illnesses.

Asthma treatment varies from individual to individual and is specific to the needs of each person. Because of the individual nature of this disease diagnosis and treatment becomes challenging – in the past doctors were of the opinion that Asthma was purely an emotional reaction which was precipitated by certain psychological triggers and that patients could control the condition.

Hippocrates, a Greek physician during 460 – 357 BC, discovered asthma. He is acknowledged as the “father of medicine” and was the first physician to describe asthma spasms. Galen, a Greco-Roman doctor of the period 201-130 BC, identified asthma symptoms and established that asthma was caused by bronchial obstructions (his treatment for the condition was owl’s wine).

It is interesting to note that both Hippocrates and Galen described asthma correctly prior to the birth of Christ while modern day physicians (who considered themselves superior and more advanced) believed right up to the 1980’s that asthma was purely a psychological condition.

The name asthma is derived from ancient Greek meaning gasping or panting. Ancient Chinese asthma treatment was ephedrine, notably used thousands of years prior to Western doctors adopting it as a method of treatment.

Science is continually exploring new methods to treat this debilitating illness and recently researchers found genes that can be linked directly to asthma – they think that the discovery of a number of gene markers will revolutionize treatment methods as it will be based on individual and specific genetic markers.

Penn State, University of Notre Dame, University of Kentucky and Pacific Lutheran University participated in a recent study, which shows employers find value in Study Abroad when evaluating job search candidates. “In general, Study Abroad was looked upon favorably,” said Robert Domingo, a research associate at Penn State in an interview with The Daily Collegian. In the same survey, to which 352 employers responded, having the preferred academic major was ranked most desirable by employers and completing a major or minor in a foreign language was ranked second. Study abroad was ranked third.

In a more recent study of 119 employers conducted by the Career Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 59% of respondents said that Study Abroad or other international experience, other than an internship, would be very valuable or somewhat valuable in an individual’s career later on with their organization.

Study Abroad programs are becoming increasingly attractive as more and more college students seek meaningful ways to spend college breaks or explore true diversity of cultures. Additionally, as students return and share their positive experiences, others sign up to head overseas as well.

Two great resources for students considering studying overseas are StudyAbroad.com and Semester at Sea.

StudyAbroad.com is a comprehensive online source of information about educational opportunities for high school students, college students or graduate students wanting to study in other countries. It includes information on summer programs, internships, service learning programs and overseas volunteer opportunities. The information is easy to follow and is sorted by subject, country or city.

Semester at Sea, run by the Institute for Shipboard Education, gets academic sponsorship from the University of Virginia where students can apply for credit for the 2007 summer trip. This trip will have students traversing the Western coast of Central America and South America. Stops this summer will include Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Financial aid is available to help students cover the $8000+ cost of the just over 2 month journey onboard the floating university. The Fall 2007 trip is scheduled for stops in Japan, Thailand, China and India while Puerto Rico, Brazil, South Africa and Mauritius are on tap for the Spring 2008 journey.

No study abroad program is without risk and students and parents should do all the required due diligence to make sure these experiences do not end with less than positive results. Some general advice to be safe on a study abroad experience are as follows and include some tips from the University of Chicago’s Study Abroad program:

1. Be alert at all times. Remember you are in unfamiliar surroundings

2. Trust your instincts

3. Be cautious and protective with your cash

4. Observe political gatherings from a distance

5. Learn where the nearest police station, hospital and embassy is located

6. Stay sober and away from drugs and alcohol. This is not the time to lose focus

7. Be particularly alert while on public transportation and in public places

8. Be mindful of new friendships that develop too quickly

9. Make copies of all your important papers. Keep a set of copies with you as well as leave one at home.

10. Be inconspicuous and try to blend in as much as possible. Avoid being the noisy tourist

11. Check in often with home. Have somewhat of a routine so that folks at home will know if you are off schedule.

In the United States anyone can become a coach in any sport simply by saying that he or she is one. There may be limitations as to who can be employed as a coach, especially in youth programs, but if you want to be a coach, simply say you are one, and presto… you are one. This is particularly true in fencing, where not only the term “coach” is used, but also the terms “fencing master” and “maestro” are commonly assumed by individuals who want to be seen as experts in teaching the sport and preparing athletes.

This confusion makes it important to understand who actually is a fencing master and what qualifications that title demands. Internationally the governing body for the Olympic sport of fencing is the Federation Internationale d’Escrime (the FIE). The FIE recognizes the Academie d’Armes Internationale (the AAI) as the international professional coaching organization. In turn the AAI recognizes national coaching organizations. In the United States the recognized professional coaching organization is the United States Fencing Coaches Association (the USFCA). The USFCA is also recognized by the sport’s national governing body, the United States Fencing Association.

This trail of recognition is important because the certifying body for fencing masters in the United States is the USFCA. If you hold a diploma from the USFCA or one of the other national academies recognized by the AAI, you can legitimately call yourself a Fencing Master (or Maitre d’Armes).

So how does a fencing coach become a Maitre d’Armes. In the United States the USFCA certifies four levels of coaches:

Assistant Moniteur. This is an entry level position which qualifies an individual to assist in leading group classes in a club environment. The Assistant Moniteur must have completed at least 20 hours of practical teaching, and pass a written and a practical examination administered by a Moniteur or higher qualified coach.

Moniteur. The Moniteur is the first level of professional coach. Moniteurs are trained to teach group lessons in a club environment or to teach beginner or intermediate individual lessons. They must pass a written examination on rules, fencing technique and tactics, training methods and safety and risk management, and teach a complete lesson in a practical examination supervised by two Prevots or a Maitre d’Armes.

Prevot. A Prevot is a fully qualified coach capable of preparing advanced students for competition in individual teaching and training lessons. The Prevot completes a more demanding written examination that includes fencing tactical and training theory, and a practical examination involving teaching, training, and warmup lessons. Prevot examinations are supervised by two Maitres d’Armes.

Maitre d’Armes. A Maitre d’Armes is capable of preparing elite level competitors and of managing training programs and all of the activities of a fencing club or salle. They pass a more rigorous version of the practical examination and complete a thesis on some element of fencing theory, tactics, technique, or training. The candidate Maitre is examined by three Maitre d’Armes.

Starting in 2009 the USFCA started to certify Prevots and Maitre in single weapons, an option that had always existed for Moniteurs. Single weapon Prevots and Maitre are fully qualified to teach a single weapon and go through the same demanding practical examinations that are usually close to two hours in length. However, full Prevots and Maitres d’Armes must have demonstrated a high level of skill in all three weapons

This is a demanding process that requires encyclopedic knowledge, skill with the weapon, stamina, and the determination to succeed. Any Maitre d’Armes certified by the USFCA or by another country’s national academy is deservedly proud of the accomplishment. Ask to see their diploma. I am proud to show fencing students mine, and I don’t know any legitimately certified Master who would hesitate to do the same. When you look for a fencing coach, look for a certified professional who is a Moniteur, or Prevot, or Maitre d’Armes. You can be sure that their skills have been evaluated by their peers and found to be of a standard that will help you learn to be a better fencer.

The nature of nature itself is balance, and so everything will come a full circle like it or not. Perhaps it isn’t your fault, perhaps this is all just a charade to make you look bad. But here’s the catch, once you cross that boundary, once you fall into that bottomless well, there’s no going back. Hate is no faction, it is the strongest emotion a human can feel, which goes to say it isn’t something to be trifled with. Escaping from such a pit is nearly as impossible as reaching the bottom. Even if you do manage to climb out somehow, even if you conquer the impossible, you will still have to face the ways of humans, you will have to face… the society.

Think of a hero of legend. His family murdered by the tyrant king’s hands. Every day of his life he dreamt of the terrible vengeance he would bestow upon the king. When finally he did slay his nemesis, he stood there with the king’s head in one hand and the crown in the other. His rage so intense, his grief so deep that he takes the crown for his own. Becoming the next tyrant, he inflicted pain upon his subjects like the one he felt all those years ago. What use is a beautiful vengeance if it turns the day ugly? In his dislike of the tyrant, his vow to never be like him, his hate corrupted him eventually turning him into his own enemy.

Most truly one can control their hate, for if they merely peek into the pit of hate, they can see their own darkness and learn to not just suppress it, but use it. A mother of all, knows about the boundary between hate and love. A mother, who tackles through day and night, misery and plight, fickle and fight. A mother who exactly knows when to punish, for she knows how adversary can shape someone into something stronger; a mother who knows when to reward her child, for only those kept in the dark know the joy of light.

Yet again everything comes a full circle.

Your hate isn’t a singular identity. It comes in various shapes and sizes. For instance jealousy, a dual hatred for the person in front of you and for yourself too. In a more controlled amount this feeling has another name and it is called ambition. You cannot truly be ambitious if something doesn’t necessarily ITCH you. You cannot truly be ambitious if you are simply too content with yourself. This is just one of the many ways this hatred in people brings out their best.

Remember that time I said that hatred is the strongest emotion a human can feel? I lied. The strongest thing a person can feel is forgiveness. When one can find it in one’s heart to truly forgive someone, something who is the cause of their hatred, they let down a tremendous burden. On the other end, the one who gains this forgiveness, has also gained wings, for where there is forgiveness, there is also hope.

As is, he who hates, hates himself, the true goal is to forgive yourself for hating yourself. Only then you can complete the circle, and venture onto a new path, one with love, one with hope.

They only way to balance darkness is light, the only way to balance hate, is love. Love everything, everyone, so that one day no one will need to fall in the pit of hatred anymore.

I’m sure you can think of many situations when you’ve had cell phone numbers on your phone and been at a loss to think who they could be. Perhaps you have been the victim of prank calls or constant nuisance text messages. Maybe you suspect your husband or wife of cheating on you, and want to find out the owner of cell phone numbers left on their phone. In the past, finding out the owner of a cell phone number would involve having to call them and this, of course, is not something that anyone really wants to do or would be suitable in the above situations.

However, new reverse cell phone lookup services available on the Internet are enabling people to finally find out the owners of those mysterious cell phone numbers. These paid services will allow you to enter a cell phone number and they will give you the name and address of the person who is registered to that number. So, finally you can put a name to a number and just imagine how surprised the person will be when you tell them you know who they are.

These reverse cell phone lookup services give you several different options depending on how much you think you will use them. If you are just looking to find out the owner of a single number on one occasion then you can pay a small fee and be given this information. Alternatively, if you fancy playing private investigator for a longer period of time you can sign up for a subscription to your chosen service. The services are quite modestly priced, and certainly worth paying for to relieve the stress of wondering who the numbers belong to.

It would be the most optimum by far for any musician to have music lessons from an early age, routinely and progressively. It goes without saying that quality of instruction is of utmost importance, as per an earlier article. A good instructor instills the musician with a solid foundation of fundamental truth, and cultivates the blossoming of virtuosity, all in a systematic manner that is not strained or rushed, but follows a line of organic development. To give the analogy of cheesemaking, if the talented student is the rennet, the instructor is the milk.

Having good instruction is so integral that it is customary for even word-class classical performers to publicly acknowledge the primary teachers who brought them up, such as in biographries, concert programs, liner notes, etc. It is usually a hallmark of prestige for the performer to validate their instructors in such a way. It is a feather in their own cap. A good instructor who is the primary one to bring up the musician is worth his/her weight in gold.

But what about those talents who are entirely self taught? Look, we understand that life produces various circumstances and that people come from all walks of life, some privileged, some underprivileged. For example, a child may possess an innate talent and passion for music, yet they may be from an environment so underprivileged that their parents or guardians may not even be able to afford lessons, let alone an instrument. Many try their best to realize their dream somehow and do the best they can within their ability. This is usually the factor behind self-education.

While there are some definite huge talents who have manifested themselves this way, the truth of the matter is that their spectrum of ability and potential could have blossomed tenfold, had they had the advantage of nurturing instruction. Think of the ingenious old man who lived in the Mississippi Delta during the early turn of the twentieth century, who had nothing but a guitar, a pick and his own voice. And look at what soulful art he created on his own. Now, think if that same individual had the advantage of a quality instructor who taught them about music and cultivated their talent for maximum potential. Their soulful expression of their art is inherent. That would not change. But their breadth and power to express that would put them on an even higher plateau, perhaps another Mozart.

There is another factor where some musicians feel they do not need instruction, that it will only impede their creativity and undermine their artistic integrity. This stems almost exclusively from bad instruction. As covered in one of my earlier articles, bad instruction does more harm than good. No instruction is almost better than bad instruction as poor teaching can ruin one’s musical appreciation. Good instruction does the exact opposite of what some fear, in that it empowers and brings out maximum creativity and ability to express one’s artistic integrity.

Interestingly enough, the ones who most commonly shun instruction are those musicians whose proclivity or gift is in composing or songwriting, more so than those who are virtuosic with an instrument or voice. There is a human tendency to be impatient when it comes to creativity. Obviously, this is more evident in creative minds. This is because the life force can “create” something instantaneously. Close your eyes and envision something, no matter how fantastic, elaborate or surreal. You envisioned it within seconds, didn’t you? That’s how the basic essence of you works. Those whose passion is to create something aesthetically, such as a composer or songwriter, for example, operate their minds with such lightning speed. To then learn such basic things as notes, etc., seems tedious to them.

The truth of the matter, however, is that music, while spiritual in nature, requires material world components to manifest, such as soundwaves, timing, etc. So as fast as it is to envision a creative concept, it is quite something else to transfer it into actual music that is heard by others and not just inside the composer’s head. The good instructor will know exactly how to cultivate this in the talented mind and bring it out with its maximum energy and force.

The accomplished musician who has been fortunate to have a main instructor who has almost mentor status will hold that person up as a trophy, because they are not only crediting them, but are showing their own prideful identity as a musician. If one fails to do this, it is an indicator that they are not actually as accomplished as they purport themselves to be.