The challenges of developing potential to achieve high-level performance in music are
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psycho-behavioural factors in the realization of potential. Moreover, in order to
achieve success, developing musicians must negotiate key transitions between stages
of development. In order to investigate these various challenges, world-class
musicians were purposefully sampled and interviewed about their development in
music. Subsequently, key transitions within their career, as well as the skills and
characteristics needed to negotiate these transitions, were identified. Results
suggest that the ability to negotiate transitions between stages of development is
mediated by the development and employment of a range of psychological
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those employed in other performance domains and support increasing empirical
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