I played flute tonight on our final rehearsal before tomorrow night’s Oratorio and came away with the thought that maybe playing flute is similar to riding a bicycle.
What I’m referring to is the saying that “you can never forget how to ride a bike.” Because tonight I was actually able to play flute moderately well despite months and months of hardly touching it due to my shoulder issues (after years of playing only occasionally with no serious practicing).
Which must mean that one can’t forget how to play the flute either.
I started to feel curious about it, so I did a little search on the internet. Here’s an excerpt from an interesting article I found:
Learning to pedal is no easy feat. But forgetting is harder. For most people, even after decades-long hiatuses, cruising still feels like a breeze. The key is how the brain remembers the task.
Mastering cycling requires a ton of higher-level thinking: Your noggin’s motor cortices plan and execute precise muscle control, the cerebellum helps you balance and time your pedal strokes, and the basal ganglia keep these movements fluid rather than jerky.
It’s precisely this colossal load of cerebral coordination that ensures the skill sticks around.
Well, it’s certainly true that mastering flute took a ton of higher-level thinking and lots of effort (back in the day)! And I guess that “colossal load of cerebral coordination” is why the skill has stuck around.
Whatever the reason, I’m very grateful!