Right. It’s only March and this postaweek thing is getting decidedly difficult. Must. Carry. On. Even though I’m not entirely sure why. It’s not as though someone’s going to hand me a fat cheque on December 31st for doing so. Is it, WordPress? Is it?
I thought I’d post a very quick muse on my brain. I’ve never paid a huge amount of attention to it and I think the feeling’s probably mutual. It’s rarely there when I need it and flat-out refuses to remember anything more than 24 hours old.
However, a few weeks ago I mentioned on this very blog that I have started learning a number of songs on the piano for a performance with my dad’s band in September.
When you first start learning a song it’s inevitably hard work. You stumble over chords, forget which key you’re in and at times feel like flinging the increasingly meaningless collection of ebony and ivory keys out of the window.
Then, you stand up and walk away from the piano. For an hour. A day, even. During that period, something magical happens, because by the time you sit down again, the music flows out of your fingers like you’ve been playing it for years. It’s that much of a step up from your previous ham-fisted attempts that you would be forgiven for being a little shocked by it. I am, constantly.
I’ve concluded that during that period of rest, my brain is playing catch up. Silently, like a task running in the background on your PC, it computes the myriad of information you fed it earlier, and, without any cursing, shouting or head bashing to distract it, practices. Without a piano. How cool is that?
There’s probably a more scientific explanation for this process and if you know it, please let me know. I just think it’s fucking amazing, my brain.
