We were joking on the Experts team about old school reports when we met this week. One of us commented that many reports said ‘could do better.’ We quipped, how did they know if we never did?
So with that thought in mind, how could I possibly title an article Why most sound engineers never reach their full potential? Here’s why…
Learning takes time. It doesn’t matter if you learn from books, audio or video, time is necessary.
Realtime Checks Are Never Fast
This morning I had to check several training videos for any issues that may need correcting, be that the information or technical aspects, each of them lasting around 15 minutes each. Now here’s the fact, to check each of those videos is going to take me at least 15 minutes, it’s almost certainly going to take more, but it is a fact that it won’t take less.
As I pondered this fact it made me realise that we all want to try and learn things, but we don’t want to put in the time. We live in a world where we are being offered a quick way to lose weight, get rich, or build a successful business - the simple fact is that there isn’t a quick way to master ANYTHING.
Whenever I need to find out how to do something I often rush to YouTube. The search result will throw up half a dozen videos on HOW TO X. If I’m mid-project then I’m hoping to find the answer fast. The first thing I do to judge which one to watch. It’s NEVER the one with the thumbnail of someone pulling a stupid face while pointing to oversized title text that determines this. The first thing I do is look for the shortest run time, is it the best one? Who knows? I just need an answer NOW!
“Hey this is X” Skip…
“Don’t forget to subscribe…” Skip
“Before we get into this 25 minute tip…” Skip! Honestly that was a tip video I came across last week.
So, here’s me fast forwarding along the timeline to try and find the pertinent section of the video for the nugget of ‘press this button’ or ‘do this!’
Then I’m hoping my problem is solved and move on.
If you asked me who solved my problem I couldn't tell you the name of the presenter or the video channel, that didn’t matter. I used the YouTube video as a means to an end. Depressing isn’t it?
I Have A Problem - Solve It NOW!
Today it was to find out how to remove a quick release connection on a water pipe. I had to replace the connector to the hot tap on my sink.
First I had to Google to find out what those things are called, apparently it's a push fit fitting. I did the job having watched the video. I’ll probably watch the video again next time I need to do it, I skimmed it so fast it’s bound not to have gone in. One thing is sure, I’m no more a plumber than I was before I watched the video. I simply solved a problem with a fitting… I think.
Instagram memes with filter charts, quick Facebook tips on killer vocals, videos and all that stuff have their place, but we are fooling ourselves if we think they help us really hone our audio craft.
The same can be said for reading, most of us simply try and speed read our way from one problem to the next, it’s the learning equivalent of whack-a-mole.
The writer Adam Grant says this;
“Speed reading is a way to consume more content while gaining less insight. The faster you digest, the less you grasp. The point of reading is to enjoy and learn. It's about quality, not quantity. A great book should be savored like a gourmet meal, not inhaled like fast food.”
Learning a subject takes a great deal of time, that’s why you don’t get a Degree in a week. Expertise is learnt over weeks, months, years and decades, there are no shortcuts.
I’m writing this mainly because it’s something that has hit me like a ton of bricks. If I want to get better I need to make time to learn. As we only have a finite amount of time each day then that means making some choices.
If I want to watch Netflix then it means I can’t read a book. If I want to spend hours surfing aimlessly on social media then that’s time I’m not able to invest in learning.
What Is The Answer?
So in answer to the question Why most sound engineers never reach their full potential? Simple. We don’t make time. We think we can rush from one thing to the next, then we find another day, week, month, year or decade has passed and we’ve missed so many opportunities to become all we hoped to be.
You might be reading this and think that you find it it hard to read books, if that is the case then try audio books. I do this when I’m running, it helps me kill two birds with one stone. Of course this isn’t always appropriate of you are trying to master complex theories, but there are many things you can learn from audio books. Of course there are also excellent online resources from companies like Groove 3 and PureMix.
However, in all cases, I think some discernment and focus can go a long way. Take time to master one thing at a time rather than trying to learn a little of this and that. Expertise is underrated in some places today, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need experts, craftspeople and artisans. On the contrary, I want to suggest we need them more than ever.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, put it this way;
"The world contains far more information than any single person can learn in their lifetime.
The question is not whether you are ignorant, but what you choose to be ignorant about.
Few topics are worth your precious time. Choose what you pay attention to with great care."
We need to cultivate a habit of making time to learn and in doing so having a better chance of reaching our full potential.
In closing consider this. Spending an hour each weekday evening studying would achieve 5 hours a week amounting to over 250 hours of study a year. Imagine what you could achieve focusing on one subject for that amount of time? Netflix, gaming, social media, or focus on perfecting your skills… it’s your choice.
Photo by Jeremy Enns from Pexels