Some Questions Answered

I’ve had some questions regarding the half-day ‘intensive’. Specifically people want to know what I have in mind for them. Well, let me shed some light here.

What I’m finding is that many players have difficulty experiencing ‘flow’. They can’t experience it because they are prevented from attaining full consciousness when playing.

And they cannot be fully conscious because inefficiencies (bad habits) in their playing make it impossible to be so.

Think of it this way. Technical inefficiencies are like faulty connections in an electrical circuit. Until the connections are completely cleaned, the potential flow of electricity through the circuit is diminished.

Unfortunately for most of us, I include myself here, the power of resolution needed to seek out and eliminate that resistance (and enable ‘flow’) is simply beyond our experience. I was fortunate, however, and had three years with Milstein to put me a good way down the road.

Simply put, then, the ‘intensive’ is now in place to give players the power of observation needed to eliminate inefficiencies, and enable ‘flow’. Of course, there is quite a bit of pedagogy that will be included, but more importantly, it is the way in which the mind ‘observes’ the process of playing that is critical. And that is the primary focus.

Yes, you hear me talking about this on the DVDs (visualization). And I provide mental tools (breathing and counting) and technical details that are essential to the mix. But it’s a fact that most players require some measure of personal inter-action to Maximize the utility of all the above.

These are the gaps the Masterclasses, and now the private ‘intensive’, are there to fill.

I’ve also had questions about the logistics involved. Well, for some it may be possible to fly here in the morning, have an afternoon session, and get home the same day. For most, I imagine, an overnight stay and one-day car rental is unavoidable.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. Don’t forget, the DVD courses are what make the difference between a one-on-one session being just another ‘lesson’ and being something that pulls it all together in a major way. As I said yesterday, I won’t even schedule a private session, or allow a player into the masterclass, that doesn’t at least have Vol. 1 of ”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery”.