For a while I’ve been fascinated by the written assignments piano teachers give their students. Whether or not these are closely looked at, they are valuable artifacts of the term of study. Here is one for a chemistry major taking his second semester of lessons with me. I enjoy thinking about some of the paradoxes I find on this piece of paper — ideas that I hope to remember in my own practice and life:

• Detail work leading to more freedom, less care
• Slow enough for forward motion
• Heavy and relaxed
• Mindful repetition