Im doing a dissertation/thesis for university and i need peoples opinions on what talent is. I would appreciate peoples responses by way of answering the following questions or just reply with your comments. all info given is confidential.promise.

1, What do you think talent is
2, How would you define talent
3, Is the definition of talent for todays music industry, the same definition for, say the beatles era or Elvis era? (ie has talent changed)
4, Do these reality talent shows eg pop idol seek out to fulfil the industries perception of talent
5, Do these shows seek to fulfil what they think the public perceive as talent
6, Can a band be manufactured and still have talent
7, Does real talent come only from 'original bands'
8, Has the music industry changed overtime to accommodate peoples changing perspectives on talent?
9, If anyone is familiar with Theodore Adorno, would you say that his view that new music is just a reinvented version of classical music.

Any other comments would be greatful. please respond, i haven't had any responses yet from other postings.

Hi Geri,

There are many talents out there in the music industry, and it doesn't just stop at the artist/s.

The people that work behind the scenes [ie. Songwriters, composers, producers, managers, graphics designers, advertising specialists, video production staff, stylists, lawyers, etc.] Are who makes anyone famous, from the original concept of the song to the finished product complete with video and world-wide advertising and tours etc.

It is very rare for an artist to do much of the work themselves.
Although there are some out there who do, for every singer that also writes or does any kind of behind the scenes work, there are multitudes more that do not.

Examples... Kylie Minogue - Singer [has no say in what she sings or how she sings it, no writing abilities, no say in styling or video concepts, she does not contribute anything more than time and vocals]

Westlife - Singers [again, no control over anything, they sing how and what they are told to and that's it]

S Club Juniors - Singers [Okay, they're kids, but they got great voices - If they could start co-writing and then eventually write their own material, they could be much better]

Managers, vocal coaches, stylists and the advertising team.... these people are what makes an artist a house-hold name. Without them, the artist would fail.

However, they can also catapult a talentless loser into the mainstream and make us endure a few months of rubbish.
Dj Ozzi, Scatman, etc.

Some artists out there do have talent, and I mean real talent. Alicia Keys, Madonna, Michael Jackson [yes there is alot of taboo surrounding him at the moment, but the guy is a musical genius! He sings, writes, dances, designs his own videos, stage-shows, costumes etc. He administers his own advertising campaigns and chooses how his work is to be presented to the world....His private-life may or may not be a mess, but his musical career is an inspiration to all, because he can do everything himself]

Obviously these are just the private views of a humble songwriter, and you may or may not agree with any or all that I have said here, but then every single person on this planet has a different view of what true talent really is....for me, talent is...

The ability to captivate a person's heart and fill it with joy, or to wrench it out and break it in two....with nothing more than a song. A melody of music and words, words that make each person listening feel like the song was written especially for them and no-one else. Plus the ability to deliver that song as if it were a special present, a piece of information [like a secret] that could change people's lives.

Think...
Call The Man - Celine Dion,
To Deserve You - Bette Midler
My Vietnam - Pink
Always - Jon Bon Jovi
Heal The World - Michael Jackson
Fallin' - Alicia Keys
I was made for Loving You - Anastacia
Everytime I Close My Eyes - Vanessa Amorosi




Good luck with your paper Geri
Tania Jaye

A difficult question.

One which I gave up trying to answer years ago. These days, if *I* like an artist they are talented. Purely subjective I know, but its the only definate answer I can give.

There is no absolute criteria imo.

its even hard trying to define exactly the meaning of the word 'talent'.
eg. Jordan has a talent for getting tabloid headlines and has made a very good living out of having large breasts. Is this talent?. if not, why doesnt every girl with large breasts have Jordans public profile.(quiet at the back! )).

yes, not many people would say she has talent in the artistic sense, but she has a talent for getting herself noticed.

so, are we talking about artistic talent, the ability to move people emotionally, or are we talking about an ability to get to the top of your chosen 'celebrity' profession?.
is Jordan lucky?, a roll of the dice?...or is she a skilled media manipulator?. ie has she a talent for media presentation?
I know its a trite example, but I'm using someone who most people wouldnt say is talented by any stretch of the imagination, but is very successfull in their chosen profession.


a final thought.

'anyone could do that, they are'nt talented'
'Yes...but they did it FIRST'.

1, Talent is being very very good at something.
2, For me things like anyone who can play guitar or any instrument has a talent.
3, Yes because it appears anyone can be a pop star nowadays.
4, Probably.
5, I suppose so.
6, Yes, people say Linkin Park are manufactured. I'm not the biggest fan, but they do have a talent. If the label can bring together a bunch of people who can play well together then fair play.
7, For sure.
8, Dunno.
9, Never heard of 'em.