By Esther A. Lanting
Do you ever put aside (or away) a new piece of music because when you started to learn it, it just seemed too daunting? Like this was going to be too much of a struggle?
Of course it is important to have an honest conversation with yourself, asking if the music is perhaps too many levels beyond your current level. If that’s the case, setting it aside could be the best thing. Maybe a year from now you might be ready to tackle it.
If, however, that honest conversation brings you to the conclusion that the piece is something you could probably handle with hard work and stick-to-it-ness, and if you know it would improve your skills, teach you important things, and help move you toward that next level, then you need to ask if you are doing yourself any favors by putting the music away. According to Jessica Johnson, professor of pedagogy and piano at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, you probably are not.
Her article “Struggles and Failures in the Learning Process” (American Music Teacher, June/July 2024) reminds us that learning can be messy, involves taking risks, hitting plateaus, navigating setbacks, lots of mistakes, and even failing. And all of these can be responded to with mindful curiosity. Asking “I wonder” questions helps us explore with curiosity: I wonder why I keep missing the accidentals in that measure? I wonder how I can approach this run differently? I wonder what would happen if I changed my bellowing? I wonder why this particular selection is such a struggle? Any wondering questions can help us be mindfully curious. “I wonder . . .” is worth putting on your music with a sticky note!
Johnson shares a study where students were divided into two groups. The first group explored “struggle stories” of great scientists. The second group read accounts of great scientific achievements. The group that focused on struggle stories demonstrated substantial learning improvements, increased motivation, and a deeper connection with the material. Plenty of research confirms that risk-taking and failure are central to deep learning, especially if one steps back, thinks through what approaches would not work, brainstorming creative “I wonder” questions and then integrating new ideas as next steps.
By building mental and emotional room for risks and failure, we begin to understand the important part they play in problem-solving our errors. This approach also allows a new, difficult musical selection to become less daunting and more approachable. Once we are back working on the challenge before us, we can also ask another important question: What earlier practice strategies might work well with this music?
In the end, it is up to you to apply principles and ask questions. When you do, maybe that daunting music won’t be so daunting after all, and you’ll end up really doing yourself a favor.
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