Letters to my Mentors 2. Swing.

Dear Mentor,

 I could extoll the experimental aspects of your choral direction that incorporated movement or your patience with me as I went through the personal toils and petty tribulations of the very early stages of my music education.  Recently, I was reminded of one lesson that pervaded our entire time together: golf.

Golf seemed to be your obsession.  During the countless hours that our choir worked with you, there were comparisons to swings, slices and the joys of being out on a beautiful day.  There were explanations about being in "the zone" and hitting ball after ball down the fairway only, the next day, to be out of the zone and butcher the game on the same course.  We heard about the nuances of stance and preparation and how, once you swung the ball, that preparation

I remember being amazed at your capacity to apply your love of golf to the art of making music and, despite my lack of knowledge on the sport, make it relevant and meaningful to me.

My background did not include much sport.  There was a soccer team briefly as a child.  Swim Team happened.  I did long-distance running in early high school. I think the gap was that I never had a physical activity that was wholly a part of my life and that I looked forward to.  Everything was a function of getting exercise and rarely did it happen with a whole lot of joy in my heart.

This winter season, everything changed and I was reminded of your obsession with golf.  With my recent relocation to Denver, I bought season passes for my family at a mountain very close to the city.  It is very small (only about 5 slopes), but it is a great place for kids to learn to ski.

As for me, I went skiing for the first time since, well.. after a choir tour that you led.  It was exhilarating and it was my very first activity that I had where I could relate.  Each run was practically the same and yet totally different.  Skiing out west was a revelation compared to my east coast skiing.

For now, thanks for sharing your love of a sport and for teaching me that you can apply an experience like that to music.  I had to hold on to that lesson for a number of years, but the lesson was learned.... eventually.

Sincerely,
Eapen

Golf Swing... Obsession with Sport. Only now Many years later, am I getting it.  (Skiing to follow)