Madame Chaloff and The Secret of Music – Your Effortless Mastery Reminders #015

In our last post, I wrote about my new beginning at Berklee College of Music.

People were telling me about a legend whom Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock,
and Chick Corea were suppoed to have studied with in Boston.

Madame Chaloff was a mystical figure who taught the “secret of music.”
I found her to be a truly light-filled being.

She was about eighty years old when I met her, but her hair was golden
reddish blond and seemed to glow as if there was a little spotlight
following her around the room.  She spoke of the secret of playing piano.
It had to do with the pianist’s arms “defying gravity.”  We worked on
other physical actions as well.  We even worked on how my walking
could be more grace-filled.

She taught the perfect way to drop a finger.  This was my first introduction
to effortlessness.  Until then, I grunted and groaned and made all sorts
of weird faces.  People loved the faces I made because it meant I was really
into the music.  I later recognized this as tension and nothing more.

She was a real stickler for the perfect drop of the finger.  I spent months
learning to play one note.  I think once or twice I got it right and we
actually went on to the second finger!

She was very one-pointed in her focus.

It was about playing for God.

I was grateful for that message because I had been trying to meditate
under the tutelage of a popular guru at the time.  She made the connection for me
between spirit and music.  Through her I was able to merge the two concerns.

I often would go to the lessons with my own agenda and had so many
questions, but once in her chamber, so to speak, I entered another dimension.
Everything that seemed important would dissolve.  One felt as if one was in
the presence of truth, or at least that is how it struck me.  I know that
this was true for many others, though not for all.

At one point, it had been a while since I had seen her and had drifted off
her subtle path.  After a distressing breakup with my longtime girlfriend,
I was so distraught that I decided to see Madame Chaloff.  I thought to myself,
“This time she’ll see the pain I’m in and really want to listen to my sad story.
Maybe it would be good if I were crying when she cam to the door.  Yes!  That’s
a very good idea!  I’ll cry and she’ll see that I don’t need that spiritual stuff
right now, and she’ll comfort me and pity me and give me solace.”

I got to her door, sad faced and ready for sympathy.  As she opened the door I involuntarily smiled.
She took one look and asked, “Where have you been?  Come on in here.  We’ve got
a lot of work to do!”  And we went right to it.

I must say regretfully, that I never did learn to play one note right.
It was too early for me to learn that lesson.  I had the urgency and ambition
of a typical college student.  Her message was too high for me.  When I was with her,
I knew I was hearing truth, but I would lose it soon after leaving.

I must have been meant to learn this truth however, because the next place I moved to,
another teacher was waiting to show me the very same thing . . .

What experiences have you had with your teachers?

Are you nurturing those musical seeds/gifts/fruits with your Effortless Mastery practice?

Make Sure You Get Kenny’s “Living Effortless Mastery” DVD

Thank you for being here as part of our Effortless Mastery Community.

To Your Effortless Mastery,

Kenny Werner
and
Dr. Andrew Colyer

KennyWernerLive.com
and
ConsciousWorldMedia.com

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