100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition

42 Well-Practiced Skills don’t Require Conscious Attention

When my children were growing up, they took music lessons using the Suzuki method. My son studied violin, and my daughter studied piano. After attending one of my daughter’s recitals, I asked her what she was thinking about while she was performing the piano sonata from memory, with no music in front of her. The dynamics of the music? When to get louder or softer? Particular notes or passages that were coming up?

She looked at me in confusion.

“Thinking?” she said. “I’m not thinking about anything. I’m just watching my fingers play the song.”

It was my turn to be confused.

I turned to my son and asked, “Is that how you play the violin in a recital? Are you thinking?”

“No, of course I’m ...