Nikkan San “The Way of the Pianist”

Pat Yourselves on the Back!

Nikkan San "The Way of the Pianist" /

In the Middle Ages, when few people were literate, they still needed to record events, such as marriage and negotiations between powerful families, etc. According to neurobiologist Dr. James L. McGrough, they would take a child of about seven years of age to such events. They would have these children observe the event, and then throw the child into a river. This becomes a trauma, cementing the memory of events leading up to the trauma.

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The Show Must Go On!

Nikkan San "The Way of the Pianist" /

Please take a big breath in as you raise your shoulders to your ears, and drop them as you breath out completely. End smile, even if you have to force, and sing. You can hum to yourself, or really sing out loud. Any song. Too much focus on the source of the stress can be destructive. It can lead to an excess induction of the stress hormones and adrenaline, undermining your executive functions.

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Add Rhythm to Homeschooling with Some Musical Cues！

Nikkan San "The Way of the Pianist" /

How about little musical cues before the beginning of every online classes, or time to to their homework? Maybe a chime? A little call-and-response? It could even be a ringtone. It does not matter what it is as long as there is an understanding between you and the children. It’s like a very small ritual of conditioning, like Pavlov’s dog.

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On History and Culture: On the 75th Anniversary of the First Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima.

Nikkan San "The Way of the Pianist" /

The phrase “history is written by the victors” rang in my ears during a recent conversation with a friend. He asserted that history, as a narrative, needed simplicity; and that its need for simplicity prohibited it from embracing all perspectives and that there will always be the voiceless. In reaction, I thought that may be one of the powers of culture, art and creativity was to give voice to the voiceless.

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