Pragmatism And Learning to Play the Trumpet

“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”

-Niels Bohr (Creator of the Bohr model of the atom)

Pragmatism in Skill Acquisition

Pragmatism is the philosophical approach to problem solving where the truth of a practice or belief is determined by its successful application in practice. In other words, if it works it works. Adopting this “proof is in the pudding” approach to learning is great for getting the results you desire while learning new skills.

As intelligent human beings we sometimes get in our own way with idealist attitudes. We imagine how our end result will look in its “ideal” state and we contemplate the best course of action to get there. These idealist thoughts are not only often times unrealistic; they can lead to over analysis which tends to thwart activity. Without this activity we achieve nothing.

“Paralysis by analysis” is a laughable psychological phenomenon stemming from a fear of loss. By thinking we can make a wrong choice we fear that we will lose the opportunity to have something in the future. Yes, that’s right, we are afraid of losing something that we don’t have! Cure this irrationality by having faith in your ability to handle things no matter what (because you can).

Where do I Start?                            

Understand your objective, review your storehouse of learned information, call on your intuition for future projections and make a decision about what you’re going to do. Then do it! With the proper mindset it is impossible to make a “wrong” decision. Any course of action followed through will create a multitude of opportunities to learn the valuable lessons needed to move forward. In this way literally EVERYTHING works.

Experimental outcomes become irrelevant when viewed as opportunities to learn. These are the little tidbits that pop up along the way to help you achieve your goal. It’s what you learn and then apply that is important.

Figure it out as You Go

Goals are achieved by starting at point A (where you are) and making your way to point Z-  not by a quantum leap of understanding but rather by the piecemeal approach of working your way to all of the points in between. Do not expect to follow a straight line. The learning process is about forward movement and course correction.

In his book “Peak Performance,” Charles Garfield reports that the Apollo moon rocket was off course 90% of the time! By committing to their goal, expecting deviations, and regularly correcting course, the astronauts successfully made their way to the moon.

Understanding your errors is critical for developing the skills required to meet your goals. View each correction as a milestone of growth and maturation.

For the Trumpeters

There is no perfect exercise, no magical daily routine, or mystical mouthpiece/horn combination that is going to just “give it” to you. There are a number of excellent choices and your willingness to choose a path and stick to it until you realize that it is or is not working becomes imperative to your success. It is important to learn why something does or does not work. In this way you’ll be able to solicit positive results from a wide number of approaches.  Applying ideas you learn and being ready and to let them go if they become outdated is the foundation of pragmatism. The more comfortable you become with this approach to learning the easier it will be for you to learn new skills and enjoy the process.

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