Inspiring as well as educating
One of the first things students want to know when they meet perhaps the world’s most famous cellist is how often he practices, or, more specifically, how much he likes to practice. Yo-Yo Ma admitted during a recent visit to Harvard that sometimes, even for the most accomplished musicians, practicing can feel like a chore. Ma told a crowd of educators and artists in Harvard’s Farkas Hall last Friday that when he asks his young questioners if, at times, playing for “20 minutes feels like eight hours,” they responded with a knowing groan. But when he inquired if, when they are deeply engaged with a piece of music, playing for “20 minutes can feel like 30 seconds,” the students smiled and nodded. The difference between the two practice sessions, said Ma, involves the ability to find that “internal switch,” fueled by passion and engagement, that helps players to transition from feeling like...