Hybrid Experience Rudiments or the Rhythmics of Hybrid Learning ??

Did you know that the drum set as we know it today is the result of a crisis? In the early 1900s, there was a high demand for percussionists, but with a shortage of stage space to accommodate those instruments—coupled with a low budget to pay all those musicians—band leaders had to maximize what they could from the percussion section.?

This meant that many different rhythmic instruments were distilled into one set to be played by one person. The rhythmic interpretation was now dependent on one human body.

At this point, you might sense where this is going, right? But what I really want to share is not another post-pandemic story on how things have changed. This is a story of how human skills adapt and transcend into new art forms.

My name is Ivan Aguilar and I have been taking drum lessons through zoom for the past couple of years, almost at the same time as I started a new job position as a manager and faculty of one of the most renowned software skills development programs in the industry.

I’ve always been a big fan of good analogies; they really help to an effective learning experience. I will try my best as an amateur drummer/LinkedIn article writer to share the lessons learned from my short drumming journey and how it has impacted my professional career:

First Things First: Keeping Up the Beat or How I Discovered That Crises Are More Bearable While Learning

In early 2020, I had just landed my dream job and I was getting ready to move to the U.S. to start a new life and career in the iconic Bay Area. I was already feeling the spirit of Silicon Valley in me, the energy, the hunger to innovate, and to lead! Then, we all know what happened, suddenly we started overstocking on toilet paper, turning our living rooms into improvised offices, and adopting weird new hobbies.

Plans changed and without thinking about it too much, we transformed (in a matter of weeks) our world-class enterprise software development program into an inter-time-zone virtual learning experience for colleagues around the globe.

The challenge? Not only waking up early enough to coincide with our associates in Europe, or staying up late to make sure our team in Asia-Pacific was up to speed, but how could we deliver a top-class learning experience to our teams remotely?

Before even thinking about this, I needed to make sure I was able to learn something that was considered nearly impossible in a virtual setup to convince myself that we could train the next generation of enterprise software professionals to become exceptional executives.

Call me old fashioned but I always need some kind of proof of concept before convincing myself that something is possible (maybe it is an I.T. endemic chronic illness?).

Heartbeat, remotely?

Drumming is the oldest musical activity. People of Africa and India used drums for long-range communication between villages. The recreational playing of drums lowers stress hormones in our bodies. ?It is a natural aspect of our humanity, even our lives depend on the proper beat (from our hearts). How could something that is so instinctive and physical be taught over a computer screen and delayed audio?

It is simple: emotions transcend space and even virtual barriers.

Think of that movie that always makes you cry, laugh, or even have nightmares. Human emotions connect with others independently of the format. Virtual is just a different channel to communicate, with its highs and lows.

One of the things that I am most proud of is that I learned how to read music, and I also learned how just following the music sheet won’t make you sound like a real musician, you need to incorporate those feelings and emotions to transmit what that musical piece is intending to communicate!

Imagine just delivering a presentation reading whatever your slides say, with monotone and flat expressions. We need to spice things up!

“You only get better by playing” – Buddy Rich

Practice, Practice, Practice as The Growth Mindset Metronome.

“There is an app for that “– no there is not. Technology helps, but there are no shortcuts to the learning process and skill development efforts. Learning is not a linear process.

I need to be honest, learning how to use my limbs independently was a tortuous process. Having to practice whenever I didn’t feel like it, stagnation and frustration are crucial ingredients for playing that song stuck in your head. Developing a new skill set needs practice, virtual or not.

From Virtual to Real Life

The first time that I sat on a real, acoustic-wooden drum set, I sounded as if my pan pantry had fallen on the kitchen floor: loud, disproportioned, chaotic. My entire percussion education has been virtual through an electronic drum set, connected to my computer through a latency reduction software program.

Skill adaptation to the real world is not seamless, other elements that do not exist in the virtual world should be considered and respected. ?The good news is that the foundation of the skills is the same, the core of your knowledge remains, it is the execution part that needs to be adapted to your environment. As we move more and more towards a hybrid workplace, adaptability to both worlds needs to be conquered, we are “bilingual” now.

“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” - African Proverb.

For the drums are not one instrument, but many. The drum set is a hybrid of instruments from around the world, from cultures that were assembled in port cities like New Orleans. The snare and bass drum were once slung over shoulders in European militaries. Chinese immigrants brought with them their own centuries-old theater traditions, highlighted by colorfully painted tom-toms that made a beautiful full sound, distinct from snares or bass drums. Cymbals evolved from bronze cisterns made in places like Turkey and China.

Just like the drum set, having a multicultural and inclusive team enhances the learning experience, even if it is virtual. But it is not just about the diversity of the “sounds” and “materials”, understanding the nature and cultural background of each component will help us to harmonize, blend and achieve greater masterpieces. A sense of community has always been key to the success of our program and luckily, we have been able to create it despite of the virtual environment.

After two years of this amazing journey and witnessing success stories from colleagues all over the world, I can tell you firsthand that learning and developing new skills is more connected to our humanity, emotions, and resiliency rather than a specific channel, technology, or methodology.?

Learning how to play the drums has taught and guided me during my professional journey. The drums are the backbone and framework for every song, it is about making the most of the few elements that you have while having the most fun. I try to apply that to my job.?????????

While I keep learning, I hope that my drumming gets to be as good as our associates’ performances!

Thank you for reading.

#learning #growthmindset #SAP #SAPacademy #hybrid #software #presales