Learning is not only a life-long and necessary part of development, but it can also be something that is greatly enjoyed. There are three principles to developing a deep and lasting learning experience: connecting the new information to prior learning, the variety of your deep- processing strategies, and how often and long these study habits are implemented. One thing I enjoyed learning was how to play instruments, specifically the Flute. Connecting prior information to help learn new information, in this case, is something that most people can do: following along to music.
Listening to music and following the rhythms, prior to trying to learn how an instrument plays that music, helps the brain connect the information. Deep-processing involves active exercise and practice, as well as memorization, and is, of course, best when done on a regular basis. Practicing in a variety of forms and spending adequate time performing these practices on a daily basis is also key.
Gathering the information and skills needed to learn this instrument involved a lot of time and practice in a one-on-one, as well as class-based, environments throughout the week.
Band rehearsals during and after school were daily activities to help students memorize their sheet music, and in some cases even field-show maps. During marching season, the band performs field-shows at football games, which consists of complex grids mapping the changing locations of each person during the songs. Matching the notes with the steps, and positions on the field, is one thing that helped my memorization.
To learn all this information and develop necessary skills, I also partook in daily individual practice sessions on the weekends at home and sometimes also joined group practice sessions. Rehearsal was very important, so it was a daily routine.
I would study the notes, scales and charts in every spare moment throughout the day, so that there was never a time where I was simply sitting around doing nothing. When I would set aside time specifically for practice, however, I would spend an hour trying my best. If I still wasn’t doing as well as I should, I would continue studying the sheets and find where my errors were and mark them, so that during the next practice it could be fixed. I would then practice an additional half hour, make any further necessary notes or revisions, and take a break until the next day.
I also used the feedback of my classmates, such as in group rehearsals, to get other people’s opinions. It’s important to get an outside opinion, because often times your mistakes are overlooked by your own eyes (or ears in this case). Positive encouragement from others is also a great motivational key to improving your skills.Feedback gives you an addedpush to strive for better.
When I would engage myself in learning, it would make me feel proud and accomplished that I could succeed in something I was passionate about. Even if I would momentarily get upset when I would continue making mistakes, the drive to do better was always there because I had the encouragement and support of others as well as such a strong personal interest. It gave me the confidence that I could achieve my goals in other things, as well. Learning became not only a grade for me, but an individual goal and personal enjoyment that I looked forward to every day.
Some rewards that I’ve gotten from learning the flute are interpersonal relationship development (being able to work in groups and truly help motivate each other), personal motivation to strive towards accomplishing goals, and self-satisfaction with my capabilities. I’ve also learned that in learning, it’s not simply about memorization or getting answers—it’s about the process of grasping and applyingthat information, as well as increasingyour personal motivation to alwayscontinue learning more.
Enhancing my deep-processing study skills are beneficial for all subjects in college, because it gives me the ability to study in a variety of ways, as well as have the endurance to push myself towards studying for longer periods of time and more often throughout my weekly schedule.Incorporating peers into my study times provides an additional set of eyes and another mind to help me pinpoint my errors and be able to efficiently correct them, as well as give a motivational push to strive for higher academic achievement.
Overall, I will use this knowledge I’ve learned to maximize my learning experience in college, and even after college, by relating new information to prior knowledge, increasing the quantity time and variety of individual deep- processing study, incorporating peers into a study group, and by pushing myself to stay motivated through personal goals as well as peer-influenced encouragement or positive criticism and reinforcement.
The Importance of Learning to Develop the Necessary Skills to Play the Flute. (2023, Feb 19). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-importance-of-learning-to-develop-the-necessary-skills-to-play-the-flute/