Hey Derek you do not know me and what I have or have not achieved is of no relevance to this thread. I will not lower myself down to your level by listing any of my achievements. You show ignorance and a total lack of understanding of the points I was making. Personal banal insults just illustrate this ignorance. First of all your point about my trophy lined walls shows a lack of understanding of our business. Even you should know that talent has little to do with achievements in the music industry. It is not what you do but who you do.
Music can be learned to a pro standard without having any natural aptitude is complete and utter nonesense. The point I was making I will repeat again for the hard of thinking. To sing anything to a high level you first need natural ability. Yes you can always improve and learn things from tuition and coaching but the spark to go a step further cannot be taught. If you have little or no natural ability then you cannot expect to achieve excellence. That principle applies to just about anything. The best teacher in the world cannot turn a moron into a genius and a genius does not really need a teacher to express his genius. The Einstein, Roger Waters and Bon Scott anecdotes are totally irrelevant and neither add any credence to your comments or disprove mine. If you have to try to counter my statements you will have to come up with something a lot better.
Re the young girl. I was correct for the following reason. She did not want vocal coaching as a hobby or to improve for open mic nights or karaoke. She wanted to become a pro singer. Hell would freeze over before that happened. I just pointed out that she was tone deaf or had no sense of rythmn could not sing and probably never could reach her goal. It is nice to have ambition and a goal and I would help and encourage most but sometimes you have to be honest and tell folk the truth rather than be nice or lie just to be nice.
The kid at school who could not kick a ball could get the best sport coaches in the world but he would still be a duffer compared to the kids with ability.
Talent cannot be taught only nurtured.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055