How Would You Learn How to Play the Harmonica?

Be honest, you wouldn’t hire a teacher. You’d go on YouTube, or, if you’re old-fashioned like me, you’d go on YouTube AND go to the library and get some books.

That’s the curious part about being an “adult” (and presumably “expert”) learner- we learn what we want, when we want. We do sit on the other side of the novice/expert divide that kids do, though. We choose what we want to learn about. We are lucky.

We could hire a harmonica teacher, pay for lessons by the hour, and faithfully practice what the teacher gives us for next week. That’s one way to learn. I tried that, with guitar, and then quit when they tried to make me learn “Tears From Heaven”. Finding my own way was more fun-making connections between the notes at the frets, and chords. Finding what sounds sound best together. Learning music naively-as a novice.

My kids already know how to find what they want from YouTube. When they want to learn how to make a light beacon in Minecraft, they know DanTDM has the answers. Learning should never stop at the school doors. Answers are there to be found.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the question: “what is school?” The world. The world is my school. And my children’s school. Information is there to be found. My grandfather died before such abundance-he had an attic full of books, and a head full of ideas. I have an exponential multiple of the information they once collected in the Library of Alexandria, in my pocket, and I will use it.

Now, where’s that harmonica…