Musical performance. A few things I think are rationality-enhancing:
Realizing the difference between what your perception and others’—and between your perception and your recall. A confident, assured performance that has many mistakes you are aware of will often be impressive to an audience who is not expert or does not know the music—presentation goes a long way. But an expert will often perceive mistakes that you don’t. And hearing yourself recorded will very sharply inform you of the difference between what you recall and what you actually did.
It’s also useful for learning to understand others—especially playing in a section. (Orchestral winds usually play 2-4 to a section, with parts partially independent and partially in harmony; the first player is the “principal”, while the 2nd and subsequent players generally attempt to match the tone and playing style of the principal so that when the parts harmonize, it sounds like a single player. Orchestral strings play in larger sections--8 or more—all playing the same part as the principal.) Learning to model and anticipate others’ musical behavior—how they will react to conductors’ gestures, to unfamiliar music—and imitate it. How will they think about the music; what do their physical gestures indicate that their future actions will be? Get it correct and be rewarded by making beautiful sounds and impressing those around you.
Self-improvement through imitating and analyzing successful techniques: when I want to play better, it often helps me to consciously imitate people who are better, and then am able to identify what it is I’m doing that is causing the improvement. If I want a richer wind sound, I’ll try to imitate a college friend’s style and mannerisms; in doing so, I realize, I’ll sit straighter, take deeper breaths, relax more, be less hesitant at the beginnings of notes. If I want to be more agile in a tricky string passage, I’ll try to imitate a different person, and realize I’m not tensing up as much, I’m using less bow motion, and moving my fingers faster.
Instant feedback: you can hear when you have or haven’t mastered a task. You can try again continually until you reach success. (Also, not-so-instant feedback: will strangers will pay to hear you more than once?)
Emotional control under stress: performance can be very emotionally stressful. Learning to control this through practice is valuable. (In my first college recital, I had to stop halfway through because I was in a full panic: I’d forgotten the music and I was shaking too hard to continue. I left the stage to calm down before returning. I’d panic similarly when forced to give speeches in public. Through sheer repetition I’m now mostly unfazed by giving recitals or speeches in front of large crowds.)
No upper bound: I’m not going to exhaust the available material, as new challenges always exist and new ways to further refine existing skills are always possible.
And not a lesson but a benefit: status-raising (as some Overcoming Bias posts tickle the back of my brain). It has pretty much always been a plus in my personal and professional life to mention that I am a classical musician, particularly as many high-achieving people had some musical training. It makes people think both that I come from a higher social class than I do, and that I am more diligent and conscientious than I actually am...
Not to mention the warm-fuzzies you probably get from playing and being surrounded by beautiful sound. I sing in a church choir, which isn’t exactly status raising; I tend to get odd looks from my university-age friends. However, I started out as a tone-deaf eleven-year-old and can now sing solos in front of the entire congregation, which contributes hugely to a self-image of ‘I can accomplish anything that I’m willing to work hard enough on.’
Have you studied theory? Do you compose any music of your own?
Musical performance. A few things I think are rationality-enhancing:
Realizing the difference between what your perception and others’—and between your perception and your recall. A confident, assured performance that has many mistakes you are aware of will often be impressive to an audience who is not expert or does not know the music—presentation goes a long way. But an expert will often perceive mistakes that you don’t. And hearing yourself recorded will very sharply inform you of the difference between what you recall and what you actually did.
It’s also useful for learning to understand others—especially playing in a section. (Orchestral winds usually play 2-4 to a section, with parts partially independent and partially in harmony; the first player is the “principal”, while the 2nd and subsequent players generally attempt to match the tone and playing style of the principal so that when the parts harmonize, it sounds like a single player. Orchestral strings play in larger sections--8 or more—all playing the same part as the principal.) Learning to model and anticipate others’ musical behavior—how they will react to conductors’ gestures, to unfamiliar music—and imitate it. How will they think about the music; what do their physical gestures indicate that their future actions will be? Get it correct and be rewarded by making beautiful sounds and impressing those around you.
Self-improvement through imitating and analyzing successful techniques: when I want to play better, it often helps me to consciously imitate people who are better, and then am able to identify what it is I’m doing that is causing the improvement. If I want a richer wind sound, I’ll try to imitate a college friend’s style and mannerisms; in doing so, I realize, I’ll sit straighter, take deeper breaths, relax more, be less hesitant at the beginnings of notes. If I want to be more agile in a tricky string passage, I’ll try to imitate a different person, and realize I’m not tensing up as much, I’m using less bow motion, and moving my fingers faster.
Instant feedback: you can hear when you have or haven’t mastered a task. You can try again continually until you reach success. (Also, not-so-instant feedback: will strangers will pay to hear you more than once?)
Emotional control under stress: performance can be very emotionally stressful. Learning to control this through practice is valuable. (In my first college recital, I had to stop halfway through because I was in a full panic: I’d forgotten the music and I was shaking too hard to continue. I left the stage to calm down before returning. I’d panic similarly when forced to give speeches in public. Through sheer repetition I’m now mostly unfazed by giving recitals or speeches in front of large crowds.)
No upper bound: I’m not going to exhaust the available material, as new challenges always exist and new ways to further refine existing skills are always possible.
And not a lesson but a benefit: status-raising (as some Overcoming Bias posts tickle the back of my brain). It has pretty much always been a plus in my personal and professional life to mention that I am a classical musician, particularly as many high-achieving people had some musical training. It makes people think both that I come from a higher social class than I do, and that I am more diligent and conscientious than I actually am...
Not to mention the warm-fuzzies you probably get from playing and being surrounded by beautiful sound. I sing in a church choir, which isn’t exactly status raising; I tend to get odd looks from my university-age friends. However, I started out as a tone-deaf eleven-year-old and can now sing solos in front of the entire congregation, which contributes hugely to a self-image of ‘I can accomplish anything that I’m willing to work hard enough on.’
Have you studied theory? Do you compose any music of your own?