Originally published August 30, 2005
Professor Harold Hill of “The Music Man” fame and I have a lot in common. We both believe in the think method of music. Of course, there is one difference between us: my method works, at least for me, and his was a scam artist’s dream.
If you’ve seen the Meredith Wilson musical, you know that Harold Hill entices the people of Gary, Indiana, to purchase musical instruments with which to create a brass band for their young. It doesn’t matter than finding teachers or conductors for the band is a crucial element for success; nor does it matter that it takes great time and patience to weave a uniform sound from discordant musicians. Hill subscribes to the think method of music; that is, if you think the tune, you can play it. Basically, he’s out to sell instruments and then skip town.
I’m not planning on skipping town.
But I do use a variation of the think method when it comes to practicing for my weekly piano lesson. Case in point. This week I’m to practice a simple C major piece whose melody moves from the left hand to the right and back again. It’s different from most of the pieces in my lesson book, because they have chords in the left hand and the melody in the right. And I’m a whiz at chords in the left with melody in the right.
So I approached this week’s homework with skepticism, assuming it would be difficult. At the same time, I also approached it from a thinking point of view whereby I spent the first couple days imagining how my fingers might approach such a difference in style.
And it worked. I managed to move from left to right and back again without getting too offbeat. I managed to pretend that my two hands were really one giant hand that hit notes from the F below Middle C to the A above it. And I managed to think of Harold Hill, the music man, and give him some slight credit. After all, if it weren’t for him, I might never have considered the think method.
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