The Power of Thought

Image taken from one of my Instagram posts.

One day during my study days in Manchester, I was attending a performance by the best cellist in school. He had his eyes closed, apparently lost in his music making. The thought came to me: “He’s aiming to play the best he can imagine”. He seemed to be relentlessly reaching for higher levels, not just give a rendition of an interpretation he had worked on with his teacher.

I was intrigued.

I realized that so often in my playing, I would repeat myself over and over because I wasn’t reaching higher. It was not necessarily a matter of being able to execute the notes, but to not become mentally lazy.

You can experience this by playing open strings;

First, do what you usually do when you play open strings.

Then, close your eyes. Imagine how profound the sound of the strings on your cello can vibrate you into another dimension of colors and timelessness. Take a breath, and play.