Die Zauberflöte

A Short "thanks" to Mozart and his Magic Flute!

Every Saturday morning I head out of the house for my weekly Flute lesson.  I have had an obsession with playing the flute since the age of 14.  To cut a long story short my early aspirations were hindered after only 3 months of lessons when the flute went back to the rental shop, due to a lack of family funds to finance lessons.  

My desire to play, and love of the instrument did not die there; burning away inside me ever since.   

Thirteen years ago having left America and moved back to the UK I decided to buy myself a flute - a kind of consolation prize for leaving my fabulous life in Dallas, Texas.

It is a wonderful sparkling silver Yamaha, set in its rich burgundy velvet box. There it sat for 12 years, until last January when I eventually gave myself a kick up the backside to find a teacher and start playing again.

Now all of this background is largely irrelevant here, but my flute Teacher is not!

How often do you find someone with talent you can't even get your head around?  I've lost track of how many instruments she plays, how many orchestras she is a member of or Chairperson for.  She arranges, composes and travels Europe as a guest player and teacher. 

All told she's a bit of a Music Celeb, living 3 miles down the road from me! Go figure!

Last year she opened Glastonbury playing her Alpine Horn and this year she is back, on stage with the Kaiser Chiefs!  Blimey!

Each week with her, I learn or am reminded of something important.  Something about passion, feeling,  and physical or emotional movement.  On the one hand she speaks a language of maths, quavers and scales, yet manages to translate it as she goes, into stories, quotes, funny cartoons and philosophy.

What do I learn from my music lessons (besides playing the flute)? 

I am learning about the wisdom of the heart!

Of course I also learn about rhythm, upbeats and phrasing.  I'm learning to follow whats written down on the score.  Then, just occasionally, my fingers get ahead of me and do their own damned thing! 

At these moments,  amidst the beads of anxiety trickling down my head at having in my own mind 'failed to read the score correctly' - unexpectedly it results in a compliment about my 'musicality'.  

It seems that when I stop 'trying' and stop 'following' and 'sticking strictly to the score' I am able to create and play a piece of music better than when stick to reading what's there.   It seems accuracy isn't the be all and end all in music!  

Then this morning I was coaching a wonderful French man who lives his life 'by the book'.  He is currently getting 'stitched up' by his employer despite over a decade of being a loyal and hard working guy.   So much for playing by the book again!

Back to my flute teacher!  

As we discussed the difference between reading music and playing music she reminded me that

"you don't think of the inches when you run a mile"!  

As a non runner, I wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at.  Until I thought about how I might apply that sentiment to my horse riding.  Suddenly it became clear.  So many of us 'over ride' - mentally and physically.  We "try" so hard, we set such high goals, we 'want' from our horses all the time.  We focus so much mental effort on the tiny details of  toes, heels, elbows, seat bones - like the precise crotchets and quavers of a bar.

We kick, kick and kick again.  We constantly nudge our horses sides and get after them as we trot around the menage.  Our hands fiddle, our weight isn't stable.  It's hell up there at times!

What if....? 

We didn't think about any of this (the inches) when we ride?  What if we sat there, loose limed, relaxed and enjoying the ride?  Could we ride better?  Would we be more in harmony with our horse?  Would it keep us more focused on the end in mind (the mile not the inches)?  Surely the overall trust and quality of relationship would be better?

As I analysed the style of my flute teacher, another teacher in my life came into mind.  Mario!  Mario believes as does Klaus Hempfling that 'riding is easy' if we keep it that way.  Complexity is our choice and our convenient excuse for not being at one with our horse. 

Two weeks ago in my lesson, Mario was annoyed with me because I was gripping with my thighs in canter.  "You're damned right I'm gripping" was my reply.  I too became frustrated as I couldn't explain to him the dread I felt 'letting go' on top a 17.1hh horse.

However, as with all my Mario lessons, I left wanting more.  I left determined to trust his wisdom.  I know that what he says always has the horses best interest at heart.  He knows that in placing the horse first, my best interest is served too.

So, it seems, I have no escape!  I am surrounded by teachers who find ways to unlock my brain, stretch my synapses to make new connections and leave me always wanting more and to do or be 'better'.

Today, I have to do my VAT return, but first I had to write.  My reward for completing my vat return will be a flutter on my flute, before some quality horse time.  Today I want to really start the process of letting go of the inches (my thighs), and focus on that mile ahead!

 
I think when we are ready to let the wisdom of the heart show up - it will, be that the wisdom of our own inner heart, or the wisdom learnt by others, already ahead of us on this path, who are willing to share their wisdom, if we are willing to let it in!