Play in practice: Evelyn Glennie

As she put the finishing touches on her application, a teenager named Evelyn Glennie felt butterflies in her stomach. Growing up on a farm in Scotland, she had dreamed of becoming a musician. 

- Adam Grant 

She was drawn to the rhythm of the sounds around her: the beat of the tractor, the low hum of the cows, the clanging of the blacksmiths, the rustling of the trees in the wind. After four years honing her percussion skills and several more practising the piano, Evelyn felt ready. She applied to one of the most prestigious conservatories in the United Kingdom. The Royal Academy of Music accepted only the cream of the crop. Alumni included Elton John and Annie Lennox.

When Evelyn arrived in London for her audition, she had 20 minutes to demonstrate her skills. She played the Overture to William Tell on the timpani, various pieces on the snare drum and the xylophone, and a Mozart sonata on the piano. The academy didn't accept her. Multiple expert panellists voiced concerns about a lack of ability. They concluded she had no hope of making it as a professional musician.

Less than a decade later, Evelyn became the world's first full-time percussion soloist. Normally, drummers aren't the musicians crowds flock to see. They play in the background of an orchestra or band, like Ringo sitting in the shadow of John and Paul. But Evelyn was so talented that when she toured the world alone, she routinely sold out 100 concerts a year.

She has won three Grammy Awards, for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Best Chamber Music Performance and Best Classical Crossover Album. She has performed with Björk, played on Sesame Street, and was made a dame by the late Queen Elizabeth. In 2015, she was the first percussionist to win the Polar Music Prize - the musical equivalent of a Nobel Prize - joining the company of Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder.