I saw Wynton Marsalis, the wonderful trumpet player from New Orleans, speak at the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival.
He said that as a teen he did not like Louis Armstrong and could not appreciate the way he played the horn.
One day his father sent him a tape of Armstrong. He tried to play the song and realized how difficult it was. His challenge was slowing down. He was used to playing much faster and Armstrong played these songs at a much slower pace. Marsalis said it was difficult to learn to play more slowly.
Like many of us, slowing down can be a challenge. We often feel guilty or less productive when we allow ourselves this opportunity. We want to move fast, multi-task and check things off of our list.
Marsalis actually increased his range and capacity when he learned to play differently. Sometimes we have to slow down to speed up. Or we have to hit pause and step away from a situation in order to get answers.
Pacing is an art. The difference between an amateur and professional concert pianist is the space between the notes.
Practice playing slowly sometimes. This new tune may be music to your ears!