Large Fierce Mammal

“A man cannot understand the perfection and imperfections of his chosen art if he cannot see the value in other arts. Following rules only permits development up to a point in technique; to advance further the student and artist must learn and seek other knowledge. It makes sense to study other arts as well as those of strategy. Who has not learned something more about themselves by watching the activities of others? To learn the sword, study the guitar. To learn the fist, study commerce. To only study the sword will make you narrow-minded and will keep you from growing outward.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings (previously quoted here in Art, Science, Life, and Reality – Certified Organic)

The “About” page of his official website describes Itzhak Perlman as, “Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to the irrepressible joy of making music, which he communicates.”

If you were watching The Ed Sullivan Show on the evening in 1958 when he first performed for a North American audience at the age of 13, you’ll have no choice but to remember him. If you watched the movie Schindler’s List, you experienced Itzhak Perlman’s artistry whenever violin was heard in the score. Not one to limit himself to the classical violin sound, he’s even been known to keep more exotic company.

So, what does all this have to do with the tag line in today’s title? The quotation from Musashi at the top should provide a clue. And here’s another one:

“No organism can afford to be conscious of matters with which it could deal at unconscious levels.” ~ Gregory Bateson – Steps to an Ecology of Mind

To wrap it all up for us, let’s turn the stage over once again to the Goode Maestro Perlman in his role as Mentor –

Absorb the proper technique. Train with an agenda, and not for the sake of the hours you put in. Accuracy first, absorbed by the Spirit. Speed will come when it’s ready, and not by decree of the practitioner.

Whether the instrument you play has strings; a mouthpiece;  an edge and/or point; lock, stock, and barrel; only flesh, blood, and bone; no matter what. I’ll leave you to consider this common ground as well as the innate Truth of the quotation we started with today. To assist you in your musings, here’s Itzhak Perlman in a CLASSIC fM piece titled Itzhak Perlman gives us his five ultimate pro-tips for practising. Attend to the point by point video breakdown of the Maestro’s advice and measure it against your own experience.

Until next time.