The importance of Attention in Music Learning

In my Reflections post I shared my experience of how my own strong desire to get better in piano & intrinsic motivation sparked a real drive & determination necessary to push on with my musical journey. In this post I will take the opportunity to explore ways to improve Attention, a crucial ingredient to the process of music learning.

Attention is the prerequisite condition for learning, a student simply cannot learn until he first pays attention. But in this age full of digital distractions, millions of Instagram posts and YouTube videos are trying to get a share of our attention in every second. A good-old half-hour piano lesson or practice session would seem like a lifetime to a young kid, time would literally go into slow motion 'Tik......Tok' (Most likely the app is the preferred choice to past time rather than practising piano). That's why music learning apps like Simply Piano rose to a great success, taking the music learning app market like a storm, gamifying everything about learning piano. Looking at animated scores & colourful interactive piano keys makes practice as fun & addictive as video games. But what are the more natural and healthy ways to sustain the learner's attention if you wish to skip the almost $200/yr subscription?

In my opinion Emotion & Desire, Intrinsic Motivation and Setting Goals are the keys to improving attention in the music learning process. Any ordinary human with functioning brains can choose to switch on Executive Attention by exerting one's free will but only when inspired to do so by Desire. Learners must first want to pay attention before they truly can. As mentioned in the last post, what sparks desire in the first place is emotion, then ignites attention. According to Lynn Helding (The Musician's Mind), research in neuroscience reveals that emotion plays a critical role in memory consolidation, which is the cognitive term for learning.

I guess I can relate to young kids in their way they react to virtual music learning apps embedded with tons of gamification elements & enticing features. When I first played Need for Speed 3 when I was 10 years old on a Windows 95, I was so into it and felt fascinated with a sense of awe and admiration: how animated super cars, real-world tracks and virtual engine sounds blended together to create Electronic Arts (the publisher of the game). Heck, at this moment the game menu's techno music is still playing in my head loud & clear. The deep emotion I experienced in video games impacted me in a profound way, which inspired me to start a YouTube channel 'Be an Inspired Gamer' to share my love of video game & life philosophy. I have nothing against video games to be honest. Those gamified learning apps could be a great tool to get young children into learning piano, they also include strategically-designed addictive rewards to keep the learner's incentive going. But I just don't think that's the long term solution, it could be a means to get a learner hooked to practising piano longer for a while, but by no means it will be an end. Without the iPad the learner could go down a spiral of regression and stasis, there's a danger that the learner will become over-reliant on technology and further decreases his capability to pay attention, in the mind's Default mode. The most valuable and profound piano playing experience for the learner is being able to connect with the mind, body, spirit & instrument through expression of music, not through an app that requires in-app purchases or Wi-Fi connection.

Desire is the ignition of attention, most musicians can recall an event or experience that first sparked their desire to learn an instrument. The early learning experiences with a fun teacher could lead to a period of joyful exploration. But how do musicians keep desire burning during the long and painful journey towards mastery? How do they stay motivated to commit to a practice routine?

Certainly it could not be some superficial physical/virtual rewards, it is human nature that we tend to take things for granted. Once we receive a reward, the next time we'd expect more. External rewards like sticker, treats, higher player level and financial incentives are quick fixes but don't contribute to long-term and proper practice habits. If external rewards are not true forces that nurture creativity, what are?

In my own experience, I was driven by intrinsic motivation, the satisfaction of staying disciplined-I had to feel a true sense of joy and accomplishment in seeing myself grow in piano. To experience a deep sense of meaning while staying focused in the flow of practice, the freedom to chart my unique musical teaching and creative publishing path. These are profound experiences that changes my life, and I value creativity, wisdom, love of music & games and a deep sense of meaning more than anything money can buy.

In the next post I will be writing about how goal-setting can be used to improve attention.