Every game has its secrets. And sometimes those secrets remain hidden to us until the right coach reveals them.
My first true coach was a piano teacher.
For years before I met her, at the age of 18, the true secrets of learning piano were hidden from me.
Although I had teachers before her, in truth I was relying almost entirely on gifts and not on knowing how.
My playing had no foundation under it, so its growth was limited.
But after only a year with my new piano teacher / coach, I had built a foundation under my playing.
I didn't just know how to play better: I knew how to learn piano.
This experience changed me forever, not simply as a musician, but as a learner. When I saw the difference learning could make in a skill that I was naturally good at, I became enthusiastic about learning in general!
The lesson is, if you really want to get better at any game—any subject, any sport, any art form—your first move is to GET SOMEONE REALLY GOOD TO SHOW YOU HOW TO PLAY.
