A Fan of Failure
A Mistake is Just Information I am a fan of failure. When confronted with failing to make the light bulb a thousand times, Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 1,000 ways that won’t work.” A mistake is just information. Failures, errors, omissions, faults, glitches, and anomalies are not defeats. In fact, the scientific method consists of isolating these things as variables to prove or disprove hypotheses. Each failure is a signal that narrows the field toward a solution. Musical Fluency and the Power of Pivoting When we start learning music, we develop the vocabulary we need to move forward. As we make mistakes, we find ways to avoid them. We find a new fingering or a place to take a breath, and every time we do, we learn something new. Improvisation is the pinnacle of this learning. A professional isn't just reciting a memorized sequence of notes; their deep knowledge gives them the ability to pivot when something doesn't go as expected. They have the fluen...