And Now, for Something Completely Different!

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Seeking a Curriculum 

I've been struggling for several weeks with a new approach to playing piano jazz tunes. It involves taking an approach I was comfortable with and extending it: more notes in the left hand, adding more color tones, bringing out the bass lines, etc., etc. My brain was exploding. That's when my teacher said, "OK, let's work on something completely different." One of the things I like about my current teacher is that he follows a curriculum — it's one that's tailored to me, but still, there's a plan. But sometimes, I guess, completely changing gears is part of the curriculum.

When I started practicing Kokikai Aikido, I wasn't paying much attention to whether or not there was a "curriculum." Lost in a beginners' fog, I never expected to feel accomplished at any single technique, since we seemed to practice new techniques in every class. Like most Kokikai practice groups, the class had everything from first-nighters to black belt students, and techniques were never labelled "beginner" or "advanced." But the first time I was invited to test I realized there was a set of techniques I was expected to know! This was a big contrast to my son's karate class, where, at each level, students focused on practicing what was needed for their next promotion exam. It took me a while to realize that practicing a wide variety of techniques was a deliberate teaching method.

What kind of a curriculum is this, that keeps sliding the rug out from under the student?

Benefits of Avoiding Too Much Routine

I've often noticed that if I take a break from working on something I've been hammering away at,  that when I come back to it I've improved in some measurable way. A tune is easier to play, a scale is less probematic, a technique makes sense. It's as if my brain kept working in the background to smooth out my little issues.

Another benefit, in my view, involves "mind-body coordination." Neither music nor martial arts is purely mental or purely physical pursuits. They involve the coordination of the mind with the body — plus some additional element of getting beyond either — to respond to a situation on a higher level, acting without conscious thought.

If I'm training to be able to respond to changing circumstances with equanimity, then I guess I'm ok with the fact that changing the curriculum has to be part of the training. Plus, it's more interesting that way.

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