I once saw the composer György Kurtág teach a masterclass during which he reduced one student to a puddle of tears. His wife Márta, who was sitting in the audience, came up to him and said ‘György! György! Stop now!’ Only then did he see that the student was upset. ‘Why are you crying?’ he asked. ‘We’re just working on the music – we’re one musical family. Why are you crying?’ Once you can remove the personal and just concentrate on the music, you’ll be much happier and much more relaxed.
Recently my t’ai chi teacher told me, “You’re using too much desire and not enough intention.”Thinking that way opens a lot of doors because it gets rid of the personal – things aren’t tied to your feelings in the same way.’
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