Anyone Can Play Music

Cheery Friday!

Book of the Month: Anyone Can Play Music by Josh Turknett

I’m tickled to share a gem of a book with you—Anyone Can Play Music by neurologist and musician Josh Turknett. What makes this book special is how brilliantly Josh connects cutting-edge neuroscience with practical learning strategies. He explains how our automatic learning system (what he calls our “zombie subroutines”) works in the basal ganglia to create those wonderful automatic movements we need not just for music, but for any skill we’re trying to master. Josh’s insights about avoiding dependency on reading music and building true fluency by listening form uniquely counterintuitive, but useful learning insights. As both a neuroscientist-physician and accomplished musician, Josh brings a unique triple expertise that makes his teaching truly extraordinary. If you’ve ever thought you were “too old” or “not talented enough” to learn music—or anything else—this book will change your mind!

Free Speech Is Brain Food

In my latest Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Censorship Hurts Our Brains,“ I explore what neuroscience tells us about why open dialogue isn’t just a democratic value — it’s a cognitive necessity. When students (or any of us) are exposed only to one-sided messages, the brain’s habit circuits, especially in the basal ganglia, begin to lock in rigid grooves of thought that resist correction and flexibility. Cognitive flexibility, especially when taught early, helps preserve the neural agility we need for learning, empathy, and critical thinking. That’s the heart behind our course “Speak Freely, Think Critically.” 

I’ll be attending the MIT Free Speech Alliance Conference in Boston on September 25th. If you’re going to be there, please come say hello — it’s the perfect place to think together, learn together, and speak freely.

Juggling as a Part of Teaching 

One of the greatest aspects of world travel is the fascinating teachers I meet along the way. One such extraordinary teacher is Peter Bier, a Teaching Fellow in engineering mathematics at the University of Auckland—and also an accomplished juggler!

In his upcoming chapter for the book Juggling Education in the 21st Century, Peter describes a typical moment from one of his lectures:

“I’m standing in front of over 500 first-year university students, teaching them engineering mathematics, when I unexpectedly change gears and whip out some juggling balls from my bag. I juggle three balls, then four and then five, as I explain that our brains can deal with only so many ideas at once… To emphasize my point, I introduce a sixth ball and my pattern wobbles and then collapses.”

Peter’s juggling isn’t just for laughs—it’s a brilliant teaching tool. He uses it to illustrate physics concepts, anchor coding metaphors, and perhaps most powerfully, to teach students how they learn. Juggling becomes a gateway to everything from cognitive load theory to spaced repetition and deliberate practice.

His chapter, “A Positive Feedback Loop,” is full of insight, charm, and delightfully practical wisdom. And if you want to see some of that in action, check out his Traffic Light juggling trick, which brings cognitive complexity to life. (Here’s a little video showcasing his teaching approaches.) Peter Bier reminds us that great teaching doesn’t always come from the textbook. Bravo, Peter!

(Please contact the Youth Juggling Academy at YJA@juggle.org if you are interested in learning more about the curriculums and approach to juggling that the International Juggling Association is creating.)

Growing Whole, Curious, Critical Learners

In November, I’ll be back in Boston speaking at the hybrid conference Teaching Whole Learners: Applying Science to Create Social, Engaged, Thriving, Curious, Critical Thinkers (Nov. 14‑16, Boston or on Zoom). It’s a conference devoted to helping educators build learning environments where emotional well‑being, belonging, curiosity, and critical thinking all flourish. I’d love to see you there—or register for the online version and you’ll see some of my latest insights about how questioning narrows high-dimensional neural space to scaffold concepts for learners. (Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds!)

Armenian magic: Conversations with the Great Dead

What if the greatest minds in history could speak to us today? That’s the irresistible premise behind Conversations With The Great Dead, a YouTube channel created by an imaginative historian and educator. Using a blend of AI and historical insight, he brings figures like Socrates, Cleopatra, and Marx back to life — and then interviews them about our modern world. The result? Thought-provoking, surprisingly funny, and sometimes delightfully unsettling conversations. After all, the dead have nothing left to lose… and everything left to say. (On a side note, I’m looking forward to arriving in Armenia on November 1st to meet the channel’s mysterious creator.)

That’s all for now. Have a happy week in learning!

Barb Oakley

• Uncommon Sense Teaching—the book and Coursera Specialization!
• Mindshift—the book and MOOC
• Learn Like a Pro—the book and MOOC
• The LHTL recommended text, A Mind for Numbers
• For kids and parents: Learning How to Learn—the book and MOOC. Pro tip—watch the videos and read the book together with your child. Learning how to learn at an early age will change their life!