Practice Failure for Success

This booklet represents a print version of a 10-minute BIG Idea Talk presented at the 2016 College Music Society Summit for Change. The innovative idea is that, since 21st Century students need experience dealing with failure, 21st Century higher education programs should provide training in this area. If they have opportunities to practice dealing with failure they will get better at it. The author argues that, as part of their training, student should be taught how to risk failure; to identify failure and accurately attribute its causes to things that are within or beyond the students’ control; and to address those causes that are within their control to avoid future failures.