Perfection or artistry

As I was driving to Kansas City n March, squeezing n sum of two units days of the MTNA National talk between ballet and symphony rehearsals and teaching, I was suffering from burn-out as well as trying to gainsay the fact that I was injured from too abundant performing and too little repose I was hoping that in sum of two units days, I'd gain something to help me procure through to the end of the academy year, when I could repose from teaching and performing for a two of weeks. I got a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of more than ever imagined.

When I learned that my former piano professor, stay Duckworth, was going to receive the MTNA Achievement Award, I was hoping to diocese him for a bit. We worn out most of Sunday laughing and remembering, discussing learning and teaching an(] comparing the differences between artistry and perfection. As we chatted, I began to understand for what cause [i]or[/i] reason I was injured (though still not willing to admit I was anything other than "sore"). I had been working for perfection, not artistry. What is more agonizing, painful and brutalizing than trying to play perfectly? It's impossible. It certainly brings on the outside the worst in us, technically, emotionally and musically.

Between chats Sunday afternoon, I went back to my space to polish up my ballet parts for my nearest rehearsal when I returned place of abode We were doing Bernstein and Prokofiev. As I was working upon some particularly wretched passages, it dawned upon me that I was not solely focused, but riveted on just getting the notes--in melody and with good tone. I wasn't thinking about the music, just "Get those pitches, for Pete's sake!" Naturally, things were not improving abundant I thought back to something shore had said over lunch. "Mistakes will always be with us. We ne to make artistry our goal. Artistry impels us to a better product" Of course that's veritable We all know that. AND, we procure busy trying to get things done well, and the focus goe awry. by what mode glad I was he had reminded me Nevertheless, with my concentration where it was, I felt incredibly stuck I couldn't appear to be to get to the phrase. I flashed back to something other Guy had said over luncheon He asked me it I played in "mirror." He was referring to the piano, when individual divides the keyboard in sum of two units at D above middle C Then you use the same finger upon both hands to practice passages, to secure both sides of the brain working at one time I did what I think I've always done with Guy; I applied what he said about the piano to the violin. (I gues that's in what manner he managed to get a professional violinist without of his piano studio. He always had similar great ideas because he thinks about the individual and the music, as oppos to just the instrument.) in the way that I gave it a whirl. It was amazing! I felt like I had flipped a switch in my brain. My focus went to the phrase immediately. At that second I was working on Fancy unrestrained by Bernstein, with a drawn out passage that was simply a tone file for a page, with miserable shifts. Before, all I had seen was this tone rank that went on for a page. After working in "mirror," I got the phrase, instead of the tone file When I went back to normal playing, I got the passage, not because I was trying to nail the pitches, on the contrary because I knew what Bernstein was trying to say. That horrid feeling in the pit of my stomach started to pass away. I started to take delight in myself again. It was like main after a drawn out drought.

It was similar a relief to have set the switch, in my brain, as well as to have plucked it. In the last six month I've been pondering for what cause [i]or[/i] reason I'm so exasperated with teaching and performing. I have affection for it, yet lately, I'm not enjoying it like I used to. for what cause [i]or[/i] reason am I doing it? I delight in music. Somewhere along the line, in the proces of performing, my focus changed. Not intentionally. Not all at one time Little by little, I forgot my final cause I'm here on earth to make music, to use the language of the spirit to speak to others, spirit to spirit, and make this world a little bit better place to be. And here I am, trying to realize the right notes. Guy is right. Artistry impels us to a better proceeds And it allows us to take delight in and love what we are doing. When we work for perfection, it will not ever be good enough and we always will be unsatisfied with the yield When we work for artistry, we always will continue to improve. At the same time, the horizontal of satisfaction can be actual high, because we know when we have communicated something worthy and when our audience hears it. We know the world is a little bit better because of what we do. And that makes music worth making.

Esther associates NCTM in violin, viola, and piano, teaches privately in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is president of Tulsa Accredited Music Teachers Association. She performs regularly with Signature music and the Tulsa Ballet Orchestra. 5he received a bachelor's step from the University of Colorado, where she studied with shore Duckworth and Abraham Chavez associates is listed in Who's Who in America.

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