Re: [Harp-L] Re: Rostropovich

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On May 13, 2007, at 12:34 PM, Bob Loomis wrote
> Thanks! (I calculate that I spent about 4,500
> hours practicing flute over the 12 years or so
> that it was my main ax. That means that at age
> 67, I have another 5,500 hours to go till I
> master it! At one hour a day, the MOST I would
> ever be likely to spend at it, it will take
> another 15 or so years ... so that by the time I
> am 82, I ought to be master of the flute ... but
> perhaps if I take Malcolm's approach I can have
> other good flute players practice with/for me and
> ... no? Oh, well ... )
>
> Bob Loomis
> Concord CA
Funny, this subject came up on another list and the figure given to  
reach the elusive 'mastery' was 2,ooo hours.
A term that I labeled ridiculous. Since the levels on ALL things in  
our world keep going up, it only serves to prove that mastery is  
NEVER reached. I took a lot of heat for it.

There was a program on TV many years ago called This Old House where  
there was a fellow named Norm Abrams, and this fellow was billed as a  
master carpenter. He was , in fact, a cabinet maker. I watched the  
program religiously. I found mistakes being made. When one reaches  
the level 'Master Mechanic' the pay scale at that level doesn't allow  
mistakes. If you make mistakes, you are a 'Journeyman'.

It's like Segovia said when he was in his late 80's (paraphrase?) "I  
think I'm close to getting it".

smokey-joe