Dear Students,
It is great to get back into the fall routine and to see those folks who took a break from lessons for the summer. I am also excited to resume “Notes from the Studio”. Today I want to talk about the idea of “information overload” and how that impacts the process of learning to sing and play music.
Our brain is wired towards efficiency, and as we learn information and form neural pathways, it works to organize information so that it can process quickly and with the greatest possible accuracy. Many small pieces of information tend to require more brainpower, and as a result, become overwhelming and difficult to process. Therefore, as we learn pieces of new information, our brains categorize these pieces into larger chunks of information that are easier to digest and implement. The process of disseminating smaller elements into larger chunks takes time but occurs nearly subconsciously and automatically. A great example of this is the way that we learn to read: when children first learn to read, they start by recognizing and piecing together individual letters into vowel sounds and consonants. Sounding out an entire word in this way is a slow and rather painful process. Therefore, over time, the brain begins to recognize syllables, which allows reading to speed up. With practice, we begin to recognize entire words and even groups of words. As experienced readers, we rarely have to sound out individual words and the ease and speed with which we read is exponentially improved. This process, while taking time and effort, works because the brain prefers to work efficiently.
The individual elements within music include pitches, rhythms, durations, dynamics, phrasing, articulation, emotional expression, as well as more singer-specific skills, such as pronunciation of words and acting. Furthermore, because of the level of attention to detail necessary in mastering music, we must often initially break down skills to a greater degree than we might when doing those same tasks in day-to-day life. For example, in singing, we often must at first cognitively break down words that we can easily speak into individual syllables (or even consonants and vowels!) to be able to sing them with ease. When a musician is first learning their craft, it will probably be easier to confine practice to one or two elements at a time, but we do ultimately have to put these elements together to form a complete piece of music. Even seasoned musicians may run into this experience when they try something new, such as singing while playing an instrument or singing while dancing. Singing might be easy, dancing might be easy, but putting them together? Forget about it!
So how can we facilitate the necessary process of translating individual elements into music? Here are a few tips that have helped me out tremendously as a musician and teacher:
1) Recognize and honor the process. It can be easy to become discouraged in the face of a thousand small elements that you have to remember and implement all at once. Trusting that your brain will ultimately achieve this level of multitasking – that it WILL get easier - removes much of the emotional burden of worry or stress. The process takes time, but persistence and patience will bestow their reward.
2) When putting elements together, start small and apply nonlinear repetition. This means combining a few elements at a time, in short sections, slowly. As you gradually add more elements, recognize that you will initially make more mistakes, by all appearances sliding backwards in the process. Adding ANY element is likely at first to cause you to make more mistakes. Therefore, it can be useful to increase difficulty nonlinearly. Add the element, remove it, and add it again. Speed up, slow down, speed up again. Build on small successes and don’t be afraid to take a breath (or a break) when you become frustrated.
3) When first putting many elements together, you will experience a sense of overwhelm: your brain has not yet formed neural pathways. You may find yourself trying to focus on too many things at once. Start by regulating the feelings of overwhelm and panic – don’t forget to breathe! Remind yourself of the process and try to take a more birds-eye view towards what you are doing. Rather than micromanaging each element, broaden your focus to a more “managerial” role, becoming the observer of the elements you are trying to bring together.
4) Remember that you can only sing or play one moment at a time: while there is some value both in anticipating what comes next in a song, or gathering feedback from what you just did, make sure not to get caught up to the point that you lose the present moment. An entire piece of music may seem daunting, but you only have to play one chord or sing one note at a time!
5) Make sure you’ve got the right attitude about the process: This past week, I had the opportunity to canoe the Allagash River in Northern Maine with Ray Reitze of Earthways Guide Service. A veteran, philosopher, and wilderness guide, Ray was keenly attuned to and eager to share the lessons of the river. Addressing my anxiety regarding braving the upcoming rapids, he told me “Start by realizing that the river has you beat. At some point, you will hit a rock. Now you don’t have to worry about it.” How easily this might be applied to the inevitable mistakes that will occur in music-making! In sharing a canoe with Ray, I observed him pick a route through the rapids by looking ahead, yet as he made his way through the often narrow channels between rocks, his focus was on what the river was telling him in the moment. He was able to take both the challenges the river offered, and his own mistakes with a calm stoicism and good humor that I hope to bring both to my own paddling and my own musicianship.
Once you get the hang of managing almost too many elements, you may find yourself in the much sought after “flow state” artists, musicians, and athletes describe. You will find yourself engaged, nearly to the point of overwhelm, but will observe yourself meeting each challenge and somehow putting it all together. It’s an exhilarating feeling, and one that you may find yourself chasing and using as motivation to pursue increasingly higher goals. As Ray told me, “it feels like you’re riding on the back of a fish.”
Have you ever felt overwhelmed while learning music? Have you been able to achieve "flow state"? Share your experiences in the comments section, or shoot me a message or email - I'd love to hear from you!
Warmly,
Dr. Jane
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