[email protected]

In a message dated 01/22/2004 4:30:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,
wifetovegman2002@... writes:


>
> John Holt learned to play the cello at age 50. If you
> want to learn it now, you can. There wasn't a time
> limit set on when you could learn.
>

And he wrote a wonderful book about it, called Never Too Late. I'd
describe it as self-led-learning in the sense that he immersed himself in a
fulltime "life of the cello" of his own personal design.

BUT part of this was seeking out various experts and teachers (and
talented, experienced peers to make music with) -- he didn't just figure it all
out by himself from scratch. <eg>

In tennis there is a principle that says you should practice against
all three kinds of opponents for maximum improvement: those above your level,
those below it and those right on it, with whom you're compatible and
competitive at the same time. It seems to me that John Holt instinctively did this for
himself in learning to play the cello as an adult.

And oh, by the way, he makes a wonderful unschoolish point of
explaining that he always thought of himself as actually "playing" the cello rather
than "learning" or "practicing" -- he was playing (albeit very poorly) from Day
One. :) JJ


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Wife2Vegman

--- jrossedd@... wrote:
>
> BUT part of this was seeking out various
> experts and teachers (and
> talented, experienced peers to make music with) --
> he didn't just figure it all
> out by himself from scratch. <eg>
>

That might be something for Rachel to point out to her
hubby too, that unschoolers use the community and
other resources too, they don't just "do it on their
own".



=====
--Susan in VA
WifetoVegman

What is most important and valuable about the home as a base for children's growth into the world is not that it is a better school than the schools, but that it isn't a school at all. John Holt

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unschoolfun

--- In [email protected], jrossedd@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 01/22/2004 4:30:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,

> wifetovegman2002@y... writes:
> > John Holt learned to play the cello at age 50.

> explaining that he always thought of himself as actually "playing"
the cello rather
> than "learning" or "practicing" -- he was playing (albeit very
poorly) from Day
> One. :) JJ
>

It sure is more satisfying to play and enjoy than to be taught and
tested. So much more of life can be "played" as an art form when I
look at it this way! Thanks!

This may apply to reading, too. Like the toddler who saw the arrow
in "FedEx" because seeing is still play?

Onward and upward!

*~*~*~*~EM~*~*~*~*
*~*~mom of three~*~

"Schooling as we know it, is a powerful expression
of the sickness of this society, not a cure for that
sickness...our schools are a liar's world."
John Taylor Gatto, May 15th 2003