The idea that we are always evolving from a simpler, coarser state to one that is more complex and refined is commonly held, but is it always true? I have found many cases in my short life which give evidence to the contrary, where well-developed bodies of knowledge were abandoned for new and supposedly better …
Tag: gregg hake
Dethrone the Tyrant
Rebecca Gilliver, principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra tells the story of a conversation she had with Sandro Laffrancini, principal cellist at La Scala about a particularly challenging top shift he played flawlessly over and over again in her LSO Master Class for the Cello. She asked what his secret was and he said …
Expressing Outward
When most people talk about their hobbies, they say things to the effect that: "It's what I like to do," "It makes me happy" or "It's my passion." Those who don't have hobbies tend to feel a little guilty or ashamed that they don't and for good reason (though maybe not the one you might …
Honor Bred
To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing by William Butler Yeats Now all the truth is out, Be secret and take defeat From any brazen throat, For how can you compete, Being honor bred, with one Who were it proved he lies Were neither shamed in his own Nor in his neighbors' eyes; …
The World of Tone
Schopenhauer attributed to music the power to directly portray the very essence of the cosmos. I didn't quite know what he meant until yesterday evening, when my son brought home his first violin and I my first cello. Several of my family were over for dinner and we entered at the end of the meal. …
Communion
While I was walking my dogs yesterday morning I made a special effort to come deeply to rest in myself and to being at peace with the world around me. It was a gorgeous day. The sun had just risen over the mountains to the north and the thick, fragrant air amplified the sense of …
Training for Service
There are no vicious horses, just spoiled ones. Likewise, there are no evil people, just damaged ones. In many if not most cases, the injuries can be repaired and the gaps can be filled through a steady diet of empathetic attention and thoughtful intervention. The ideal, of course, is to create a world wherein as …
Pure Arete
The ancient Greeks developed many useful concepts which we, in our current vaunted era, would be wise to revisit. One such concept, arete (Ancient Greek: ἀρετή), was used extensively by the Sophists. In its most basic sense, arete means excellence of any kind. It implies effectiveness and it is exhibited whenever and wherever full potential …
Your Microbiome: Friends with Benefits
What are you? A human being, of course, but what is a human being? Let's leave out the debate over the invisible, intangible aspect of you for the moment, that is, the "being" and look simply at the "human" part of the equation, your physical body. What are you, physically speaking? Biology textbooks tell us …
A Probing Analysis
"Indeed the development of one's riding skill lies not so much in knowing the answers as in understanding the questions." - William Steinkraus I once heard it said that if you can form the right question, you can find the true answer. It sounds straightforward but putting it into practice requires a certain perspective vision …
Gregory Hake 