In all my time recording pianists, I've never met one who was not overly self-critical... not a good one, anyway
I hope you still get some pleasure from the playing.

Grant

I have been witness this week to an amazing series of events in Seattle called the "Seeds of Compassion." The Dalai Lama has been here since last Thursday meeting with neuro scientists, education experts, political leaders, business professionals, teachers, school children, and the general population for an extraordinary conversation on practicing compassion in all areas of our life.

One message the Dalai Lama always hammers home is that compassion and happiness are choices we make; that we must think and act that way to be that way; it does not happen by default. The scientists he met with this week, from the University of Washington and around the world, talked about the real connection between brain activity and thinking and practicing positive behaviors. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...assion06m.html

Keeping postitive, being non-critical of oneself and others, practicing compassion for oneself and others, and choosing to be happy is tremendously difficult. I have nothing but admiration for those who try to seek this path - just understanding that it is important for your own health to do so (and for the health of the communities in which you live and take part), is hard enough. Following through is the tough part, slipping into despair is easy; discussions like this one are good to remind and help us to keep making the choice to be positive.

If you want to learn more about this extraordinary event, here is the official website, followed by a link to the Seattle Times' full coverage.

http://www.seedsofcompassion.org/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dalailama/

Thanks, Tena, and everyone else for talking about this! Cheers!

(I was lucky to be part of the audience on Friday night in the Key Arena packed with thousands of hushed people listening to an hour long dialogue between the Dalai Lama and singer Dave Matthews on compassion, music and the media. This was followed by the band Death Cab for Cutie and then Dave Matthews doing a two hour acoustic set with guitarist Tim Reynolds - outstanding! It was one of only two of the several events that you had to pay to attend; otherwise, thousands of people had the chance to attend all of the events for free. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...vedalai13.html)