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Mental Discipline  145 JOHN DEWEY’S SPIRIT OF CHANGE AND OTHER GUIDING PRINCIPLES When I was a student at the University of Illinois, I took an education class that focused on the philosophies of John Dewey. Only one of his sayings stayed with me over the years, and it is this: “Without change there is no learning.” There was little, if any, explanation in the classroom of this powerful and positive statement. It haunted me. Therefore, I took the following steps in trying to understand the full impact of that simple directive. To apply this quotation to various situations, let us make a checklist and find the meaning of the two key words, “change” and “learning.” Change: To make different in some particular way To transform To give a different position, course, or direction To reverse To replace with another To make a shift from one to another To become different To transfer To alter To substitute Learning: To gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction , or experience To come to be able To come to realize To acquire knowledge or skill or a behavioral tendency 146 Inside John Haynie’s Studio The first step is to develop short-range and long-range goals, which are likely different for each of us. Long-range goals: To become a world-class trumpet player, symphony orchestra, studio recording, recitalist, service band, jazz soloist To become a teacher at some level—public school or college band director , college trumpet teacher, private studio teacher To become a fine player and let the chips fall where they may To become an adequate trumpet player for the pleasure and enjoyment of music Short-range goals: Improve and maintain excellent physical health Develop and maintain embouchure, breath, tongue, and fingers Work on music reading skills Listen to trumpet recordings and live performances regularly Listen in particular to your preferred venue of performance Listen to vocal recordings both popular and classical Read to understand the pedagogical beliefs of any given teacher or author Determine which concept is best for you through trial and error * * * THE THEORY OF PARADOXICAL INTENT For many years in my teaching as I tried to change a specific physical facet of performance, I would have the student go back and forth from attempting the new idea to the use of his previous habit. Some would call this doing it right and doing it wrong, with the idea that if you can do something wrong on purpose it Mental Discipline  147 aids in the discovery of how to do it in the newly conceived manner. Going through this routine with a graduate student many years ago, the student mentioned that at last he understood the meaning and use of the theory of paradoxical intent he had encountered when he was a psychology major. It was good for me to know the proper terminology for a teaching technique that I had used for years, to learn by change. An article that focused on this technique appeared in Parade Magazine (November 22, 1987). Written by Norman Lobsenz, it had the catchy title, “Don’t Eat the Peas.” In great detail Lobsenz described several examples of paradoxical therapy. I learned from reading that this concept of concentrating on a negative to create a positive was first suggested by the Viennese psychiatrist, Dr. Viktor Frankl. This technique is also called reverse psychology. I call it a trick in telling someone not to do something that you really want them to do. It works. Relating this technique to trumpet pedagogy, it is the student who is performing the trick upon his own anatomy. My point is that if one can figure out what he is doing incorrectly and can do it on purpose, he very likely can turn it on and off at will. Now learning has happened through change as a skill, and knowledge is acquired. A behavioral tendency has been replaced. Change = Learning. Now you’re ready to learn a piece of music by applying change = learning and paradoxical intent. First, warm up the breath: Select notes from music at random Play a note and hold for at least four slow beats Remove the mouthpiece from the horn Buzz the note for four beats Let the eyes focus on another note 148 Inside John Haynie’s Studio Continue this routine until you have played one note per line of the entire solo Second, warm up the embouchure: Look through the music and find notes...

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