Multi-Tasking

Multi-tasking is not a thing. Let me say that again differently–we can’t multi-task. Our brains are wired to perform one task at a time. It is superb at switching between tasks in less time than it takes an eye to blink.

Reach your cognitive load limit, and that eye blink takes more time. The appearance of someone doing two or more things at once is just that–an appearance.

I play the piano. I also sing while I play the piano. People have told me I’m pretty good at it. Their next question often goes, ‘How do you play and sing simultaneously?’

Is that multi-tasking? Nope, my frontal cortex constantly switches back and forth. It contacts my working memory to decide which one to focus on–singing or playing. If I’ve played the song often enough, the switch happens on auto-pilot. I know where the tricky parts are and compensate for them by switching early.

If it’s a new piece, the switching is slower, and I make mistakes. Errors are fine. Better learning is the outcome during rehearsal. Listeners don’t hear it; they hear the polished piece.

The thing is, I either concentrate on the piano sound or the voice sound. I can’t focus on both at once. The piano feeds information to the voice and vice versa.

If I’m anxious, both piano and voice sound crappy. Why?

I’m at my cognitive load limit. My amygdala has taken control, and the executive functions of attending to aural kinesthetics are switched off.