“Gifted” and “Talented” - which is which? The importance of what we tell parents and students.

Recently, I had a conversation with a parent. At the start of the lesson, she asked me, what’s the difference between “gifted” and “talented”, and is it right for a teacher to tell a parent and the child(ren), directly to them, that “A”, “B” and/or “C” is “gifted?”

When I first heard this question, a lot of thoughts sprung to mind. Indeed, this question is complex, and I think to an extent, it allows a profound psychological shift in both the parents’ and children’s perspective towards their own self-identity and musical learning process. 

To be honest, I have never thought much about the difference between “gifted” and “talented”, as a lot of people, even music teachers or music professionals, use it interchangeably. But it struck me, wondering the days after, that what we tell parents and our students needs to be accurate and most importantly, honest. 

As a music teacher, if I describe one of my students as “gifted”, this means that he or she is born with a natural musical ability that is lesser known or seen in that age or even 5-10% of that population. This could mean that a child of an early age can memorize music fast and is able to produce a melody on an instrument (which in this case, means that child has perfect pitch) and is highly sensitive to rhythm and pitch and may therefore, exhibit certain emotions or movements to it.

On the other hand, if a student is “talented”, this means that through hard work, discipline, patience and resilience, the student performs exceptionally well above the average results. A real-life situation of this if the child is interested in let’s say, piano, and practices 30 Minutes to 1 hour, on a daily basis, progresses fast, participates in competitions and wins awards within a relatively short period of time. On a fundamental level, this group of students remembers details and executes instructions accurately, delineates competitiveness and a strong desire to succeed. With all this, they see obstacles or setbacks as a challenge or opportunity to overcome and achieve new heights. 

After knowing this, it is important what and how we tell a parent that his or her child is “gifted” or “talented.” A lot of times, the first step is to educate the parents in explaining its difference. A teacher may tell the parent and in front of the student that “A” is “gifted” or “talented” but with this, it is important not to “butter up” where the student actually stands and with inaccurate praises for whatever reason. In this situation, the teacher will not be doing justice to the parent and student in all aspects: time, money and effort.