Radical Acceptance

In just two days, now I’ll be sequestered with a small group of violin doers looking deeply at the process of playing the violin. I wish you were going to be here.

There is, however, one concept that will be central to the weekend that I can share with you right here and now.

It’s the title of this newsletter.

The concept of personal acceptance is certainly not new; one can find it in any number of self-help books. What may be new, as it was for me, however, is to hear it paired with the adjective ‘radical.’

Yet to make real, substantive progress on the violin I think it very true that a radical acceptance of what is, in this moment, is essential.

To RADICALLY accept a way of playing something is to know it and take possession of it at a very deep level. The ‘wishful thinking’ type of violin playing gets checked at the door.

Radical acceptance implies owning up to and indeed taking possession of that which is, in an inspired and creative way.

Surprisingly, many violinists, those raised in a censorial environment particularly, have difficulty doing this.

The self-criticism born of this reaches such heights, in fact, that often fear and denial preclude any real creativity and enjoyment from the process; meaningful growth, as you can well imagine, quickly grinds to a halt.

Well, happily, this will not be the case for those spending the weekend with me. The violin, like life, is a game to be played for fun and enjoyment. And knowing ‘what is’ is just the first play in the game.

All the best, Clayton Haslop

P.S. One of the secrets of practice is knowing how to find out what you really know versus what you fool yourself into thinking you know. For an intermediate player this secret is revealed in Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, my best-selling course to date.