Do we give up too easily? French horn player Felix Klieser overcame great adversity to become a master of his instrument. Some think problem-solving is the greatest skill of all.
The virtuoso musician who plays with his toes
Do we give up too easily? French horn player Felix Klieser overcame great adversity to become a master of his instrument. Some think problem-solving is the greatest skill of all.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="crosshead"><strong>Don't stop</strong></h2>
Every summer, dozens of orchestras descend on London for the BBC Proms, the world's largest classical music festival. Celebrated conductors and virtuosoSomebody who is highly skilled in music, or another form of art. violinists visit the Royal Albert HallA concert hall in London, opened in 1871 and named by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert. for nightly concerts.
But this year the name on everyone's lips plays a less well-known instrument: the French hornA circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long.. On Wednesday, German horn player Felix Klieser led MozartAn 18th Century classical musician who composed more than 800 works. 's Horn Concerto No. 4 to enormous applause.
Klieser has a unique technique. He was born without arms. But the sound of the French horn is usually created when a musician puts their right hand into the horn. They use their left hand to operate the valves that change the notes.
One day, aged four, he decided he wanted to be a horn player - despite having never seen one in concert. His family found him a teacher. But the questions piled up. How could a boy without arms play an instrument that relies on hands?
Many were sceptical. His teacher said: "You will never be a professional horn player. Never, never, never." But Klieser persevered. He found a new way to play with vales with his toes and create the horn's distinctive sound using his mouth.
Klieser overcame almost impossible odds. He explains: "When you have something you dream of and a problem arises, most people give up. But I think it is possible to solve every problem in the world". Klieser's life bears out this belief.
Many others believe that problem-solving is crucial for success. One survey showed that European and American children were generally less good at problem-solving than their Asian peers. "Today's 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving skills will become tomorrow's adults struggling to find or keep a good job," said the OECDThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 's Andreas Schleicher.1
Ingenuous solutions shape the world. In Greek mythology, the Trojan WarIn Greek mythology, a war waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans. ended after Odysseus filled a giant wooden horse with soldiers and gave it as a gift to the Trojans, allowing his army to sneak in. Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web to solve the problem of storing, updating, and finding documents and data files at CERNThe European Organisation for Nuclear Research is the scientific body in charge of the Large Hadron Collider..
We praise those who keep trying until they find solutions. As psychologist Adam Philips writes: "Heroes and heroines are people who don't give up".
Yet not giving up can lead to tragedy. Shakespeare's Macbeth does not turn away from his bloody path and meets a sticky end. In Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab is so obsessed with hunting the eponymous whale that he dooms himself and his crew. Some problems are too big to solve.
And it is important to be realistic about one's own abilities. Ballet dancers often suffer from severe injuries. If you realise you will never be a professional dancer, it might be wise to give up and spare your body the damage. Researchers Stephen Payne and Geoffrey Duggan say: "There is little to be gained from continued work on a problem that you will never solve."
Yes: If at first you do not succeed, dust yourself off and try again. Klieser's life is proof that, through hard work and problem-solving, we can do almost anything we set our mind to.
No: Not every person can solve every problem. If you find yourself a bad fit for a task, change tack. The key is to never stop trying to do new things, even if we give up some of them.
Or... It is all about the situation. It is much easier to persevere when you have less need to worry about failure. If Klieser's family did not support his choice, his story might have been very different.
Virtuoso - Somebody who is highly skilled in music, or another form of art.
Royal Albert Hall - A concert hall in London, opened in 1871 and named by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert.
French horn - A circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long.
Mozart - An 18th Century classical musician who composed more than 800 works.
OECD - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Trojan War - In Greek mythology, a war waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans.
CERN - The European Organisation for Nuclear Research is the scientific body in charge of the Large Hadron Collider.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Do we give up too easily? </strong></h5>
The virtuoso musician who plays with his toes

Glossary
Virtuoso - Somebody who is highly skilled in music, or another form of art.
Royal Albert Hall - A concert hall in London, opened in 1871 and named by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert.
French horn - A circular brass instrument with a large opening at the end. When uncoiled, the horn is a piece of metal around four metres long.
Mozart - An 18th Century classical musician who composed more than 800 works.
OECD - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Trojan War - In Greek mythology, a war waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans.
CERN - The European Organisation for Nuclear Research is the scientific body in charge of the Large Hadron Collider.