I used to think of myself as being very musical - but I never played any music.

For most of my adult life, I have been quietly able to give people the impression that I know a great deal about music; but no-one would have ever heard me making any music because I never did.

As a child, I was taught to play tuba by a rather splendid musician called David Honeyball. I played for ten years, and progressed fairly well - but I only reached Grade 5.

At junior school I was considered very able, polite and well behaved. But my secondary career went steadily downwards, and I left without completing my A level course. I never understood why until I read Prof. Dweck's material.

At secondary school, I never did any homework. You may find this hard to believe, but it happened - and I was still considered a top pupil! This meant that by the time I finished my O-levels, I had almost no skill at self-studying. I literally could not revise - I had no idea how.