a lesson on determination

I transcribed a short section of a recent lesson, since I think it gives me a good starting place to answer Michael Hovnanian's question about what I want to improve in my playing.

HR: It sounds a lot better – it doesn't sound like you're working so hard. As a matter of fact, the message that comes to me right now, and has in the past: it's that you have wonderful facility, you have tremendous training, etc. And you've taken great notes on this, you're like an encyclopedia.

MH: Yeah, if I could just get it all organized!

HR: Well you're probably more organized than anybody else.

MH: Oh maybe, I don't know...

HR: Look, I believe information floats around. It's floating in this room right now, and you can draw on it, you can draw on some of your past. And you do draw on a lot of your acquaintances, a lot of your mentors in a very positive way. I mean, you show respect to everybody and it's really fantastic the way you handle yourself. It's very upbeat and healthy. You're just a great guy to be around, and you're going to be a positive influence in all of your jobs. Because there's no obvious jealousies, and the competitive part of it – you know, it's got to be there for everybody, but it's not in the way.

So that part's fantastic... Where I was leading with this, you have all of these sources of information that you can bring up - but what I constantly want to tell you, when I think of your situation, is that your determination is both a positive and it's a negative. Your determination sometimes ends up squashing and controlling you. I think you realize it, and I think you try to find ways to get around it.

So in this instance, with this particular stroke in mind, just make sure it breathes, and you're releasing each one... But just keep in mind in everything you do, as you're working things out: think to the minimum side. What's the least I can do to get this desired way? How many extra muscles am I using, how much extra motion am I using? Which part of the bow is actually going to work the best. Which I think you do, you get there – I think you could probably get there sooner if you just consider that as an initial ingredient of all your work.

MH: If I spent more time thinking what can I take away, rather than what more can I put into it. Because I'm constantly trying to come up with more stuff to add, but I don't always clean the slate.

HR: Probably a good thing to think about.