http://jeffslearningblog.blogspot.com/
Art of Possibility
The section I would like to comment about this time is that of "The way things are". What an interesting, peaceful, and intriguing perspective the authors shared. The authors shared a mixture of stories and points of view which all have the basic theme of being in control of one's own emotions and inner self by opening the mind to possibilities beyond the obvious, beyond any preconceptions.
Ben's story of having conducted one of Mahler's symphonies was intriguing. The first horn player apologized for his performance because he had made a few small mistakes. Ben was astonished because he thought that he had done a fantastic job. In fact, Mahler had intended for the symphony to be played by those willing to take risks with the technique. It was intended to be vulnerable and emotional...something that one who plays the piece perfectly as written would have a hard time doing. The whole point of this is, our world is so focused on perfection. Anything less than perfection is regarded with disdain and is scoffed at. But, herein lies the point: So many times, our humanity can be defined by our weaknesses and mistakes. Perfection sometimes leads us to being cold, unfeeling and, well......less human. In fact, learning from our mistakes and trying harder the next time and succeeding in our hard work is the crowning jewel of humanity.
"The risk the music invites us to take becomes a joyous adventure only when we stretch beyond our known capacities, while gladly affirming that we fail. And if we make a mistake, we can mentally raise our arms and say, 'How fascinating' and reroute our attention to the higher purpose at hand" (Zander & Zander, p. 103).
Ben's story of having conducted one of Mahler's symphonies was intriguing. The first horn player apologized for his performance because he had made a few small mistakes. Ben was astonished because he thought that he had done a fantastic job. In fact, Mahler had intended for the symphony to be played by those willing to take risks with the technique. It was intended to be vulnerable and emotional...something that one who plays the piece perfectly as written would have a hard time doing. The whole point of this is, our world is so focused on perfection. Anything less than perfection is regarded with disdain and is scoffed at. But, herein lies the point: So many times, our humanity can be defined by our weaknesses and mistakes. Perfection sometimes leads us to being cold, unfeeling and, well......less human. In fact, learning from our mistakes and trying harder the next time and succeeding in our hard work is the crowning jewel of humanity.
"The risk the music invites us to take becomes a joyous adventure only when we stretch beyond our known capacities, while gladly affirming that we fail. And if we make a mistake, we can mentally raise our arms and say, 'How fascinating' and reroute our attention to the higher purpose at hand" (Zander & Zander, p. 103).
Shawn McKeown said...
Jeff,
I agree with your statements and views on perfection. Especially in an educational environment, we tend to focus on the A+, not the growth of an individual and their journey along the way. Striving for perfection is a human characteristic, but we should not be disappointed when we do not reach perfection, we should be encouraged by how far we got.
"House Lights...Go"
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