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"ONE POINT" RELAXATION FOR BETTER RESULTS

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HIRATA METHOD OF PRODUCIN... HIRATA METHOD OF PRODUCING A BEAUTIFUL SOUND
I learned something new today about how my friend, Michi, teaches her piano students to be able to play in Carnegie Hall. She also taught her grandson how to be one of the top pitchers in high school and on the Dodger’s watch list, with the same technique. She says, “It’s learning how to make your arm heavy and relaxed so you have more power, control and endurance in your fingers."

In the martial art of Aikido, Michi’s brother, Paul, who was a master teacher of violin as well, once taught me how to let my body become so heavy, a strong person could not lift me. He used the same idea for teaching his violin students to make their arm heavy as they drew the bow on the violin strings.

He called it, “One Point”. It is one of the seven Chakra points. I was taught to concentrate on a spot two inches below my navel. take deep breaths and relax; sending my thoughts to the basement or underground (even to China :-).

My friend, Michi Hirata North, is a concert pianist who studied at Julliard College of Music under Mme Rosina Lhevinne with fellow student Van Cliburn. Now at age 90, Michi still performs concerts, with at least three sonatas, using her relaxed technique. Therefore, she is able to bring out the colors of the compositions more vividly.

Today, as I dropped her off at her home in Somerset, she explained a technique she used at workshops for piano teachers, saying, “At this one workshop, half of the teachers had light arms.”

Curious as to my own "heavy arm" ability, I asked her to lift my arm. Holding my wrist, elbow and lifting, she said, “You are not bad.”

Then, I lifted her arm, and was surprised at how heavy it was.

I am excited to teach myself, my daughter and granddaughters how to apply this technique to enhance many of our physical and skill building activities.

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