Memory

The secret of superb memory is to be at peace with any new challenges in learning the repertoire.

Planning vs Over-Planning

Planning lets you impose order on the chaotic process of making something new, but when it's taken too far you get locked into a status quo, and creative thinking is about breaking free from the status quo, even from one you made yourself. That's why it's vital to know the difference between good planning and too much planning.

-Twyla Tharp

Luck

To embrace luck, you have to enhance your tolerance of ambiguity. Plan only to a point.

Twyla Tharp

Luck

The more I practise, the luckier I get.

Gary Player

Music Can Heal

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

-1 Corianthian 13: 1-3

With the love/intention to heal, you can directly see the purpose of harmonious music. Throughout human civilization history, harmonious music has been used harmonize the soul. Just like medicine to the physical sickness, music is the healing power to the soul. It can soften the hardest soul. Soul or spirit that lives in your body is supposed to be fluid like, smooth, flowing, strong, flexible, and growing. Harmonious music has been believed to be able to discipline your mind just like how gymnastic discipline you, body balance.

So, a lot of time we thought we are learning music to "have fun" we are actually healing our mind by listening to what we play. When you perform for others, you are healing others' mind. However, if you do it without your love to the audience and the music, it will be just empty sounds. You can hear the difference between a perfect performance with machinery accuracy but lack in spirituality and the humance performance with warm, flowing, and healing power.

That is why there is a music therapy field to heal certain emotional or physical pain. Next time, in learning a new piece, remember it is not just your finger gymnastic. You are healing your tired body, and your tired soul from the hectic day. Use your practice session to calm and nourish your mind.

Quote

"Obsessive determination balanced with patience, being persistent without being pushy, seeking out your own uniqueness while always being respectful to those from whom you have learned, listening with an open mind and a closed mouth, and when you finally get a chance to perform you do it with fire and passion."

-Tom Hemby interviewed by Gary Heimbauer in Guitar Lovers' Celebration in Jazz Inside NY Magazine

Quote

"Like when you are in love with a person, you do not think: Oh gee, I have to talk or spend five hours with this person. So if you are in love with music you do not count the hours you practice, compose or study. And any adversity and difficulty you might be faced with, whether artistic or business related you are going to approach with a better predisposition."

-Oscar Feldman interviewed by Gary Heimbauer in Jazz Inside NY Magazine

Yundi Li - Chopin "Fantasie" Impromptu, Op. 66

Saw a cousin whom I have lost touch with for a long time in facebook. She was my inspiration for learning piano music. And for some reason, this song plays itself in my head. I guess that is my impression of her. Free spirit, bravura, and natural.



This is my favorite piece by Chopin performed by Yundi Li. It is beautiful and it touches my heart everytime I heard it. Although the video is a little cheesy, the music is still a classic.

Yundi Li - Chopin "Fantasie" Impromptu, Op. 66

Mind Power

The mind is the limit.
As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it-as long as you believe it 100 percent.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Planting a seed

Learning a piece is like planting a seed. You need to water the seed by getting your hand on the keys, shower it with sunshine of passion, and give it time to grow.

Planting seed is thinking about the sounds in your head. How you would like it to sound. So, remember to plant the right seed. As you know you only reap what you sow :)

And don't forget to allow it to grow over TIME. You never pull a plant to hurry the growth as you will only kill it by doing that. So, you must ALLOW TIME. Timing is everything. So, be patient to yourself and let the music grows in you.

Patience

When we learn to play piano, it is like living a life. We cannot force ourselves all the time to just improve at the pace that we want. It is about patience. A lot of time, it is weird that we don't have patience with ourselves. It is Patience that let you relax and really focus and learn. It is patience that allow you time to let yourself immerse in the music and the new material grow in you. When you learn a piece, you will reach a point where you have to just face the music and play. Not just thinking about notes, actions, and sound. You have to let the music come into you to play. That requires solid trust in yourself and the music. The trust allow you to "channel" the music through your body. Or you are like the springboard of music. You are vibrating the sound of music. So, when you are performing, remember that you are radiating your good will and beautiful perception of the world similar to the composer.

Also, love is giving time. If you love the piece that you are learning, you should invest quality time in it. And remember to cherish every little thing that you learn from the piece no matter how insignificant it seems. It is the secret of happy learning :)

Quote

In a comedy, timing is everything. - Anonymous

Quote

A blend of learning and reflection is both painstaking and rewarding.
Twyla Tharp

In other words, no pain no gain.