> Participants were first asked whether they play an instrument (or actively sing). Those who responded positively were questioned about the number of years the

> Participants were first asked whether they play an instrument (or actively sing). Those who responded positively were questioned about the number of years they practiced during four age intervals (ages 0–5 years, 6–11 years, 12–17 years, and 18 years until the time of measurement) and how many hours a week during each of those intervals they practiced. From these estimates, a sum-score estimate of the total hours played during their lifetime was calculated, with nonplayers receiving a score of zero. I'm a lapsed clarinetist. It's been a few years. I wonder if I would have answered "no" to the first question, and been scored as someone with zero hours of practice. Yet I have a couple of thousand lifetime hours of practice. (But no, most of that practice time did not really drill the skills measured by the SMDT.)