Active Learning Results in Physical Changes (Pathways) in the Structure of Your Brain

I started playing the guitar when I was a young teenager because I enjoyed the music that was being played around me. Watching and being shown (so patiently) how to break down the pieces of music I needed help with. This brought me lots of joy and was a good way to express myself. 

At a later stage I wanted more and so I began classical guitar lessons (achieving my Grade 6 Royal Conservatory with the require level of musical theory Grade 1). This taught me many things which I am thankful for today. However, it also coincided with the end to the feelings of joy I experienced when I played my guitar (with others and myself).

Slowly, the fun part has been returning and I have begun pursuing a refresher on music theory this year (encouraged by a colleague) with the goal of passing advanced theory — I have the help of an excellent tutor.

This past year I have earnestly been studying, analyzing, writing musical notations, and looking at scale patterns... and I wonder: “Will ever be able to reach my goal of letting it go and just play the guitar without hitting wrong notes”!

One of the textbooks for the PIDP 3250 course is 'Student Engagement Techniques; A Handbook for College Faculty' written by Elizabeth F. Barkley and published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Chapter 3: Engagement and Active Leaning includes a section The Cognitive Basis of Active Learning which begins on page 17 that explains what happens in the brain when we learn and how there is a state of readiness between taking in information (learning the theory of something new) and applying it with active learning. 

I now have renewed hope (motivation) that if I apply what I learn, while in the ready state, YES! I can achieve my long sought after goal — mastering my fretboard!