January 2010 Archives

It was intended be just a brief, personal introduction. Last Saturday, when I took my recyclables to Recycling Services, Inc., I met the center's President, Jim Crater.  I found it ironic that the sun blinded me as I talked with this solar power and waste reduction guru.

It soon became clear that Jim was not going to let me off with a quick "hello; I'm a writer; I'll be in touch." He had stuff to say -- words that should be said -- words that I almost couldn't keep up with -- and if I was going to listen, he was going to talk.

After 10 minutes, it was closing time, and I still had items to distribute into one of over 20 different bins. And Jim's volunteers were ready to wrap it up on the 50-degree, winter afternoon, so we agreed to talk again and said goodbye.  

Afterward, his words swirled around in my head. Since 1971 he has been building this oldest community recycling center in Pennsylvania, and while he takes more types of material than any other in America, he'd really prefer we stop generating the waste in the first place. He has real solutions to our waste problems. He lives the philosophy, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"...in that order...saving recycling for the last resort.

You'll hear more about Jim from me in the near future.  In the meantime, you can learn more about Recycling Services, Inc. by clicking here. 

The last entry in my "What I've Learned from Playing the Piano" series is simply a recap. 

The end of the series does not indicate the end of learning because as long as I continue to play, I will continue to learn.

Here's what was written over the last few months:

Part I: An Intention to Pay Attention

Part II: The Crippling Power of Vanity.

Part III: Take the Time to Figure it Out.

Part IV: Put Your Heart Into It.

Part V: Take Time to Play.

Part VI: Hobbies are Vital.

Part VII: Remember What is Important.

When a performer sits down to play, it's likely that he is concerned he'll make a mistake. In Part II, we talked about the crippling power of vanity and how nervousness can ruin a performance.  In addition to controlling one's attitude, a seasoned performer can also control his focus, bringing it to the primary element of any song, so that any mistakes will have limited impact on the overall performance.

I once attended a workshop where the question was asked, "Because it can be so difficult to sing and play at the same time, which task gets more attention?"  The answer was definite: singing. The teacher explained that when a song is sung, the words take first precedence because they tell the story and capture the audience's attention. If a mistake is made on the accompanying instrument, it's less likely that the audience will notice than when words are flubbed or mumbled.

Other times, such as in the case of a classical piece, expression of the melody becomes most important. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is such a melancholy song that it can make you feel the same. It's not a technical piece, so one must use expression to make the song shine. Meanwhile, technique is the priority when playing the Flight of the Bumble Bee at the tempo needed to finish in just one minute (a feat I've never achieved).

Obviously we strive to play all the elements correctly, 100% of the time, but the truth is perfection is reserved for the experts. And whether we are talking about a child's first piano recital or your next big presentation to the board, the end result will be a more positive one if you can identify and give priority to the one thing that is most important at that moment in time.