MsMary, you must be quite a talented woman! If I had to be great at everything right from the get-go in order to keep doing it, I don't think there's a single thing I could do! I'm usually mediocre at best when I first try something.
This is a really good discussion. It is true that some of us are naturally better than others at certain things. Some people have a pretty singing voice, for sure. I think a lot of that is genetic, just like having red hair or big feet. But it's also true that when people really excel at things, and barring any physical limitations (for example, no amount of practice could ever have made me a top basketball player, as I am simply not tall enough), it's because of a sh*tload of practice -- and usually, they are not forcing themselves to practice. The practice happens organically. They start with perhaps a small natural advantage -- an aptitude -- and they keep doing it because the rewards of their efforts spur them on. What is it, 20 000 hours to make you a master? Something like that. And for those who attain mastery aren't beating themselves up to practice every day. Some days, maybe. But mostly, they're just highly motivated.
Take drawing. Most people think they suck at it. A few are really good, and there's not a whole lot in between. People think that those who can draw are "gifted". We are not. Drawing is on of the few things I do very well. I was already way ahead of my peers by the age of ten. But guess how many hours I spent drawing between the ages of two and ten? Probably fifty times more than the average child. For whatever reason, I liked drawing a lot more than most other activities as a child. Maybe I started with a small advantage, who knows? But the thing is, by the time I was ten, most kids had decided that either they could draw, or they couldn't. Those who thought they couldn't simply gave up.
Anyone who wants to get really good at drawing (or violin, or soccer, or math) can. (Well, mostly anyone. I'm sure there are exceptions, just like my mom was almost mentally handicapped when it came to numbers!). The problem is, who, once they reach adulthood, has time to put in the 20 000 hours of practice? Approximately nobody.