I was grading listening assignments yesterday, and writing brief responses to their reflections.
One thing that struck me as I responded to a couple dozen short essays on various artists: I didn’t need to re-listen to know what the music meant to me. I could write intelligently on every album that they mentioned, including referencing specific styles or tracks, without looking them up.
It isn’t that I’m a super-genius, or that I have a fantastic memory or singular insights.
It’s just that I’ve been doing this awhile. Real knowledge takes time.
If you want to reach the point of insight, of encyclopedic knowledge, or even of comfort talking off the cuff about a topic: it’s going to take more than a survey course or two. It’s going to take passion, time, and focus.
Real knowledge takes time.