Adult Learning

I’ve been thinking about the different kinds of learning that people engage in as adults. For me, there’s always been a distinction between Learning About (gathering facts, information, and understanding systems or frameworks) and Learning How (developing skills that actively involve doing things with the body). The key here is “actively involve doing things with the body.”

This distinction feels sharper than ever in our increasingly disembodied digital lives. We can spend hours on screens watching people cook, do DIY, perform music, or play sports—without moving more than a couple of muscles ourselves.

For me, disembodied “Learning About” is, at best, an appetizer for the real thing. That’s why I love the saying: “Knowledge is only a rumour until it’s in the muscle.” In other words, you don’t really know something until you’ve put it into practice.

Me, I have fooled around with the trumpet for 3-4 years - lots of five minutes blowing notes and fragments of tunes, and lots of hours spent reading about brass instruments and watching videos. This year I decided to take it up a notch or two by joining the Bath Community Big Band. Suddenly I realised how much I had to learn in order to play even a few of the notes in my parts on time and in tune.