Re: Re: Re: Nerves?!


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Posted by Rick F. on December 21, 2003 at 15:54:57:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Nerves?! posted by Joseph on December 21, 2003 at 12:49:58:

"A Soprano on Her Head" by: Eloise Ristad

"...I kept my antennae out for ideas that might be valuable for either sight-reading or memorizing music on a page. I picked up an unusual one from a visiting daughter who was learning how to juggle. "Funny thing, Mother," Rhonda said, "I practiced juggling the other day for half an hour or so, and then went to the piano to practice. I don't know whether there is any connection, but I swear my sight-reading was twice as good as usual."

You can imagine my reaction. Before the day was over I had a good start on learning how to juggle. Though I felt a noticeable difference in my sight-reading, I wasn't ready to credit the juggling yet. "Power of suggestion, probably," I thought dubiously, but went back to juggling because it was fun. The next time my threesome appeared I greeted them with my new act. Barry shook his head. "Bonkers. Really bonkers. She's supposed to be teaching us to sight-read," he said to the others.

"Oh, but I am!" I insisted," Can't you tell?" The studio got a little wild that day with balls flying every which way. I was interested to find that after only 15 minutes or so of working with the balls, Ruth and Barry already noticed a change. Pam, who had settled for being a poor sight-reader for the rest of her life, could see no immediate improvement in her sight-reading, but reported later that juggling improved her tennis serve dramatically!

The people who have found the juggling helpful find it hard to describe what happens. Ruth said she felt less frantic, more gathered together and present. One man, a university teacher and performing artist, marveled at how his eyes could sort out patterns more easily, especially in the complex interweaving lines of something like a Bach fugue. Another man mentioned that his peripheral vision loosened up enough to allow him to give his attention more fully to the written music.





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