Zen and the Art of Music

There is a desire I have to be the strong, silent type. A man of action, not words, with irrefutable, concrete evidence, as opposed to wordy diatribe, as my legacy. I believe, strongly, that one should engage in personal, private reflection, that unceremoniously elevates mindfulness as a means to accomplish one’s personal goals. Thusly I will expound, at length, with video and audio support, publicly, my means to honoring these basic tenets.

There are a great many varied topics that I study at length, and pursue in a methodical fashion, if, like me, you define methodical fashion as watching YouTube and hitting up wikipedia multiple times a week. It is very important to separate fact from delusion, recognize one’s own distance from the topic, and be open to the possibility that your mind can be changed in the face of important, novel thought.

So quickly, allow me to expound on what is likely obvious to most but was not to me.

The interface between practice, muscle memory and discovery is directly in my face as I gently assist my daughter in finding out who she is. Fascinatingly she is a Big Emotion person who largely remains optimistic and excited. Too often these types can get bogged down by outside forces robbing them of their joie de vivre as ever changing landscapes require ever evolving strategies to minimize plateaus or even setbacks. This constant grinding can wear on one’s soul, if they even have one, and slow the already lengthy process of achievement.

Practice for this young child is a lofty goal. There is very little interface that she wishes to have that does not, in some way, involve an audience to her herculean effort and struggle, usually me. As a people pleaser, it may be easy to conspicuously practice, but nearly impossible to buckle down and do work without witness. It should go without saying that though the origin of this behavior is, of course, absolutely foreign to me, I find it fascinating. Conspicuous practice is the thin semantic veiling of what is actually performance, which is certainly crucial to development in many fields. But only in deliberate, repetitive drill will we create a new default movement that will become reflex.

Somewhere in this building of reflex, deep within the meditative aspect of mindfulness to the task at hand, an appreciation of ergonomics develops. This is a natural by-product of knowledgeable and present attention, as healthy repetition involves reducing the amount of exertion to create each deliberate action sustainably. This type of rote learning eschews the ostentatious displays and grimaces that seem to dramatize performance as a barely controlled, even painful, super human exertion. Great theatre, but poor technique results. But it should be argued that no matter how this repetition is initiated, ultimately it serves a grand purpose.

Somewhere in this repetition the mind subconsciously begins to perceive patterns and similarities between seemingly disparate actions or forms. Deep within the brain, neural synapses initiate intellectual anastomoses, platforming, and further buffering experience and buttressing previously earned knowledge. As the amount of these experiences grows, without conscious thought, new and original thought and action form, spontaneously, miraculously, unceremoniously, covertly, and, seemingly, accidentally from the structured deliberate labor. But, indeed, this is no accident. That original and unique, individual expression comes from such humble and ubiquitous beginnings should come as no surprise to those that consider that all actions undertaken deliberately or suffered randomly combine to create that one of a kind experience that leads to innovation. Wherever experience, physiology and mental capability interface with the truth of ergonomic movement and intention, innovation is inextricably linked.

But sometimes these gains can be so subtle, as to almost go unnoticed, and only within fairly objective consideration, or under great stress, can we even detects these enhancements. (Miyagi, LaRusso, et. al, 1984)

With unwavering determination, quietly, presently and deliberately undertake these repetitions with an assuredness that the results are already palpable.

If you are teaching another, please kindly keep in mind that actual pain is a significant indicator demanding immediate reflection, and attempt a new technique simultaneously in order to remain cognizant that patient focus on the genuine effort being made, not obvious “result” is the real task at hand. Also kindly remember that mistakes are so central to the process of true learning that they should be given scrutiny, and even welcomed hospitality, but should you feel the need to adopt them, they were never mistakes in the first place. Never compare the external results of your practice with those of anyone else, because you necessarily lack the context with which to be making a viable comparison.

I hope this makes self evident that the conciseness of thoughtful deliberate action, plus the randomness of simply living, create what ultimately becomes innovation, necessarily, because you are the only entity with this exact experience. This makes your utterance into the world unique and worthwhile. Expand it at every opportunity. Listen to pain, especially, and adjust accordingly! Even critically, and objectively note the criticism from others, though, very cautiously. But always embrace where you are and let that feed you. Remember that you are exactly where you should be, so that you can let those thoughts go and get closer to what seems like the truth, which is intentional symbolic expression and thought from intellectual inception to inspired creation. Mistake, as a word, connotes poorly, Choose whether to try more relaxed, deliberate repetition, or to explore which ways that a new path may be more applicable than a wrong turn to describe what you are playing. Practice being present in the moment with your playing by being less judgmental and harsh with yourself. Plenty of others will handle that slog for you.

You may be hoping that at this point I will retreat quietly back into whichever essentially oiled, crystal bedecked, weighted blanket I popped out from under, but if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way. I need to practice.