Collaboration – Pianodao

Contradiction and Connection

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

In her acclaimed novel Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus cleverly puts into words the observations of the character ‘Six Thirty’, who happens to be the main protagonist’s dog. Here’s an example of Six Thirty’s canine wisdom:

“Humans were strange, Six Thirty thought, the way they constantly battled dirt in their aboveground world, but after death willingly entombed themselves in it.”

A fair point! But perhaps it is our contradictions that both define us, and prove the quality of our connections with one another…

A Piano Teacher’s Foibles

Fermata • Pause and Reflect

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

Which of the incredible teachers in this picture would you like to sign up to have piano lessons with?

Finding the “right” match can certainly prove challenging for some. Writing in a recent issue of Pianist Magazine, Warwick Thompson sagely advises:

“A teacher is actually a human being, surprising as that fact may sound, with foibles, prejudices, blind spots, strengths, and wonders within them.
If those foibles and wonders don’t align with yours, it doesn’t mean you’ll never progress at the piano. It simply means you’ve had the wrong teacher (or rather, to spin the mirror, it means your unfortunate teacher had the wrong student).”

Relief all around, then!

The Wisdom of Trust

Fermata • Pause and Reflect

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

As I return to the Fermata Series after a summer break, some readers will be aware that in the last month I received eye surgery.

The removal of a cataract (even a large, dense one) is usually regarded as a relatively straightforward procedure, and this latest operation was certainly less traumatic than my previous retinal surgeries, even though those added to the risk this time.

Two weeks of rest were recommended, but I opted for just one, only then wondering at the intensity of the ensuing headaches and fatigue. I eventually realised that capping my early return to work with a day trip to speak at a conference in Birmingham would be rather foolish, a point that had already been repeatedly stressed by my ever-patient wife Louise and others.

A sensible colleague reassuringly and rather conclusively suggested,

“Given the surgeon’s advice, it seems wise to consider whether attending the event is the best decision for you right now.”

A Fresh Perspective

Fermata • Pause and Reflect

Supporting Your Piano Pathway
Reflection by Andrew Eales

We often hear self-help gurus encouraging us to stop worrying about what others think of our choices, opinions, abilities, behaviour, or work.

And they have a point: many of us become trapped in the mindset of the “people-pleaser”. If we allow ourselves to be manipulated or bullied by others, we can easily lose sight of our own worth and core values. A decision not to care what others think about us can be emancipating.

But wait. If we stop caring about what others think, how long before we stop caring about them at all?

Mutual understanding of each other’s ideas, feelings and perspectives is a crucial foundation for building empathetic, honest relationships. If we limit ourselves to our own perspective, ignoring the opinions, ideas, insights and beliefs of others, we can quickly become arrogant and indifferent.

As the Chinese saying goes,

“However good your eye-sight, you still can’t see the back of your own head.”

We may not always agree with the opinions of others, but shutting them out fundamentally isolates us, and can limit our potential for growth. Clearly a balance is needed, along with an ability to accept the perspectives of others without feeling belittled.