One Simple Question Can Supercharge Your Learning

Hmm, isn’t that interesting?

I was a sophomore at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, playing the Schumann Romances at my lesson. It was April and I was struggling with reeds. Juries were just around the corner. I was so irritated that I didn’t have a good reed and I couldn’t get it to do what I wanted. During the lesson, I became more and more despondent. I was convinced that every phrase I played sucked worse than the last. I was angry, embarrassed and felt like crying. I thought that showing my teacher how mad I was at myself would bring some understanding and kindness – a little pep talk, maybe? But when the lesson was over and my pianist left, my teacher laid into me. Instead of words of encouragement, she was furious. She told me that, because of my attitude, I had completely wasted her time for the last hour. My anger and frustration had made me completely unteachable at that moment. Wait - what? Didn’t she recognize how much I was judging myself? I left in a daze and went back to my dorm to lick my wounds. 

She was right. It was a lesson I would never forget.

Judgment does not help us learn. It has its place, I suppose, and many people with a far more philosophical bent than me can argue for or against it. But, here’s what I know: it doesn’t help you learn how to play an instrument. 

Learning a skill takes a different approach. It takes curiosity. And cultivating curiosity in your learning process is to do, too. Just start asking this question: “Hmmm, isn’t that interesting?”   

• I don’t feel like practicing – Hmm, isn’t that interesting?

• I totally botched that passage – Hmm, isn’t that interesting?

• Ugh, I am so tense – Hmm, isn’t that interesting?

By adding this simple question into your musical and daily life, you will supercharge your learning, making the process more effective and efficient. Think about the difference between “I don’t feel like practicing” and “I don’t feel like practicing - hmm, isn’t that interesting?” The first sentence stops the learning process. By adding “Isn’t that interesting?” you open the door to discover a reason behind it. 

Isn’t that interesting, I don’t feel like practicing – I wonder why? Oh, maybe I’m tired and I need a nap. Maybe I’m discouraged and I need a walk. What is my judgment body trying to tell me? I botched that passage – isn’t that interesting? I wonder why? Oh, maybe my shoulders tensed up right before that phrase. Let me try releasing them before I get there next time.

See how that works?

At first it feels superficial, sarcastic even. That’s just fine. Do it anyway. For a while, I found myself saying things like, “This reed sucks!” And then with an eye roll, I would begrudgingly mutter, “Hmmm, isn’t that (*insert your favorite swear word here) interesting?” But gradually, I’ve found myself in the habit of saying “Isn’t that interesting?” as a matter of course. For me, it is the difference between being stuck and shutting down or learning and forward momentum.