piano addict blogYou’re reading this blog on a computer, or some other sort of personal electronic device, which is where most of us interact and exchange ideas these days. Maybe you’re at Starbucks, stuck in traffic, between lessons – it could be anywhere. Social media forums designed for musicians, music lovers, and music instructors provide an opportunity for meaningful interaction, and it’s (largely) wonderful! Exchanges with individuals halfway across the world are as simple as a click of a button, which as we all know is unprecedented in the course of human history.

As much as the digital revolution has made it easier to communicate with our peers, there’s still no substitute for real time interactions with professional colleagues gathering together from near and far at a conference.

Which brings me to the topic of this blog post – what do we gain from face-to-face interactions that are missed in the digital world?

Flying out to Orlando, Florida for the recent MTNA National Conference, I was seated next to a finance attorney fluent in copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws. He was curious about my music career (aren’t they always, the civilians among us?) and I tell him about all the innovative features of my music education company SountracksYouPlay and our first book Sarah and the Magic Piano. He displays a keen interest and enthusiasm, asking great questions while apologizing for his ignorance of musical matters (there was no need). 

He’s a great sounding board and in the course of our conversation, he makes an Honest-to-God original suggestion that I’d never considered up to that point. Pride kept me from acknowledging his original idea, and I hope readers don’t think less of me for sharing this. 

Imagine spending months, years even, creating a new and innovative approach, consulting with all manner of friends, colleagues, musicians, artists, teachers, students, even attorneys. Imagine the feeling of thinking you had it all figured out, only to discover some new approach made in an off-hand comment by a stranger sitting next to you at 30,000 feet.

This was a meaningful connection on both a personal and professional level, which never would have happened had I not stepped away from the computer screen, gotten out of my comfort zone and had an in-depth conversation with a stranger on a plane.

Just 15% of my trip completed and already I was calling it a victory. 

What do we gain from the echo chamber of similar opinions? What do we gain from siloed knowledge, untested by the experience and perspective of others? What ideas and other insights do professionals in other fields possess that we deny ourselves access to, and what is the cost of this denial, both in the short and long term?

We all need to step out of our comfort zones and talk about our lives and career paths with colleagues and with non-colleagues alike. As educators and seekers of knowledge, we desperately need as many perspectives as possible. We all need to get past our usual way of doing things and learn lessons from people outside of our fields. Enhance the lessons learned from others with knowledge in fields that are not directly related to your own.

What are you willing to learn at 30,000 feet?

Share