Re: [Harp-L] Getting Good and Getting Even Better

[mark wilson <markwilson53@xxxxxxx>]

On Sep 20, 2006, at 12:21 PM, Ken Deifik wrote:

>Here's a relevant portion:
>"...Ericsson argues that what matters is not experience per se but  
"effortful study," which entails continually tackling challenges that  
lie just beyond one's competence. That is why it is possible for  
>enthusiasts to spend tens of thousands of hours playing chess or  
golf or a musical instrument without ever advancing beyond the  
amateur level and why a properly trained student can overtake them in  
>a relatively short time.


This was my favorite part of the article, because in my experience,  
if you do want to get really good, all you have to do is this one  
simple thing.  Another researcher,  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  has  
written extensively on the subject of achievement, the attainment of  
flow, and happiness.  This is his primary thesis, that in order the  
achieve these things you must regularly involve yourself in an  
activity that pushes you just a bit beyond your current abilities.

I highly recommend his book, Finding Flow, which is available at  
Amazon, and is carried at most libraries.  Recently, to my great  
surprise, I found a music teacher by the name of Andreas Burzik  in  
Germany, who is teaching using Csikszentmihalyi's techniques. He has  
some wonderful information on his website, that if diligently  
followed, will allow anyone to get into a flow state while practicing.


From his site,

"There are two main inner dispositions that get in the way of  
accessing the flow-state while practising: playing with fear and  
overambition or impatience. Both attitudes are predestined to cause  
physical tension and therefore hinder the free flow of energy in the  
body. The above described subtle contact to the instrument is  
impeded. The excessive striving for perfection and the desire ‘to get  
everything right’ is another mental pitfall...........

Here's the link to his website,

http://www.practising-in-flow.de/main.html

I'd suggest that those interested should bookmark the site and spend  
some time absorbing the information.  I hope I'm not coming across as  
too ardent, but this stuff really does work,  and is surprisingly  
simple once you get the concepts down.


Mark