Synthesis and Reflection

This chapter provides my own personal insights and opinions on how we might synthesize and interpret what is currently known, along with some of my hopes for future research. First, I explain some seemingly common confusions about internal focus and external focus in music learning, especially during early stages with novices. I hope future research can address whether we can accomplish both implicit and explicit learning simultaneously, and provide musicians with more tangible examples of external-focus cues for early learning. I confirm and discuss my belief that, while using external-focus cues, some coordination of metacognition seems necessary and beneficial. I discuss various viewpoints on this topic alongside my own. I briefly discuss my thoughts about automaticity and especial skills. I talk about the roles of variable and repetitive practice, especially about the extent of variation we use and the proper role of repetition tied to other best-learning techniques. In the end, I believe everyone should embrace the concept of challenge-with-success for all learning. Our own authentic music interpretation is the most important gift we have to offer, and we create that ourselves. Finally, I note that employing all the currently known methods is not only optimal but is also a fully human and creative approach for musicians.