A connoisseur, a prodigy and an undergraduate walk into a bar..

Well, I don’t expect them to even acknowledge each other, because each of them though might be interested in the same topic let us say music, they have very different perspectives in approaching it. This is fundamentally a result of the difference in the learning mechanisms each employs to approach the same topic.

A connoisseur according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is someone who is highly competent in the techniques and details of an art. But becoming a connoisseur is no cake walk. They generally reach this level of expertise by a process known as ‘perceptual learning’. In perceptual learning the repeated experiences with a stimuli leads to distinguishing it from the rest. So when you think of a music connoisseur you can expect them to be a seasoned adult well exposed to the intricacies of music over the years.

In contrast prodigies are people who have developed mastery of their field, for example music, at a very young age. Just to give you an idea on how young, Mozart began composing music at age 5. While there is much debate on the nature vs. nurture front regarding prodigies, a recent study concludes that the magic lied in ‘working memory’. The study by Ruthsatz and colleagues revealed that prodigies showcase a superior working memory. Working memory like it sounds works with our memories (representations of information) to help us carry out complex cognitive tasks.

Since prodigies possess an enhanced ability to remember, they do not have to go through rigorous practice for arriving at the level of expertise as a connoisseur. An undergraduate studying music on the other hand, relies on enhancing the short-term memory through practice to even keep up with the former two . They go day and night to classes, practicing ceaselessly to touch upon the fine nuances of their discipline. The undergraduate has all the reason to be at a bar I would conclude.

References:

Gluck, M. A., Mercado, E., & Myers, C. E. (2009). Learning and memory: from brain to behavior. Aprendizaje y memoria: del cerebro al comportamiento (No. Sirsi) i9789701069523).

Ruthsatz, J., & Detterman, D. K. (2003). An extraordinary memory: The case study of a musical prodigy. Intelligence, 31(6), 509–518.

Hambrick, D. Z. (2015, September 22). What Makes a Prodigy?. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-a-prodigy/