'Benjamin is My Star Hero!'
Benjamin Zander, author of 'The Art of Possibilities,' is one of those rare individuals who truly ‘Cares’. Is must be a rare gene strand of DNA? He shows this care by placing his visiting students on the stage near his orchestra so they could experience the truest form of ‘passion’ and orchestral performance. These students had already sat for a few hours in previous meetings and now they were going to sit through a concert – they might fidget and be distracting, yet they knew Benjamin was giving them a gift of a lifetime and they were perfect. That takes intuition and a lot of trust. When do we ever go out on a limb like that in the aspect of trusting someone?
And then when Benjamin shares the story of Cora his 2nd chair violinist, he really opens up his soul. He shows us that he didn’t always have this ‘Pure Care.’ He once was, let’s say, in development. Cora changed his life for the better because she stood for something that mattered to her. He lost her in his orchestra and that is what caused a paradigm shift to create the Benjamin we know today. So what am I really saying? We all need to stand up right now, put our hand over our heart, and say, “Thank you Cora.”
Hunter–
ReplyDeleteI loved these two stories as well. It seems that he was the only one that believed in the young children and their possibilities to sit, enjoy and learn about music. In his story about Cora it was nice to see that he even started on the wrong foot and forgot some of his own practices but, boy, when he corrected himself he used so many of the practices to fix what he had done. He is one of a kind that is for sure, but I believe sharing this book with others that we all can even more special than before. Have you watched any of his TED lectures? I’ve only watched one but there are many. He is as dynamic speaking as their book.
Thanks Dorreen,
DeleteYes, I've seen some of Benjamin's talks. Very inspiring for sure! This book is a gift to the world!
Hunter,
ReplyDeleteI love that we had the chance to experience this amazing piece of literature and were asked to blog about it. It is so interesting to read what others honed in on, which parts of the book hit them hard, and how they felt about the different stories. Cora's story was definitely awe inspiring. Wouldn't it be great if she was there for dinner when we go! Really love the photo that you put with this one =)
Hi Kimberly,
DeleteThank you for your insights here. Yes, it is very interesting to see which parts of the book each class member chose to write about. We are such a diverse group. Oh Cora, Cora. How did she trust someone else to relay her message of absence and that message never got relayed - and the 'Relayee' was supposed to have this happen just to become a better person for us all?!! Oh how the web of our advancement is weaved! Yes, Roz and Cora must be invited!
A major part of the charm of the book is Ben and Roz being willing to share their own doubts and less than stellar moments. They recognized when they hadn't lived up to their "A" and fixed it. They are very clear from the beginning that adopting their philosophy takes practice and some times you won't be that "A" student but you can do your extra credit work and get that "A" back. It was amazing how Ben went out on a limb for those young students and despite his doubts, he gave them all an "A" and they were "A" students. The story with Cora is priceless. We all have those moments. How wonderful of Cora to stand her ground and how wonderful of Ben not just fix the situation but make a better, closer relationship out of it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insights, Medhbh. Your phrasing shows years of wisdom. Do you have any advice for me as a writer?
DeleteWonderful observation and analysis of what helped change Zander to the man we met in the book. To thine own self be true, I'd say.
ReplyDelete