While we all experience head on collisions with tricky measures despite our best efforts to avoid repeated catastrophes, (through careful, methodical practicing) there comes a time, to let go, and give the whole undertaking a rest. In my case, it was at least a year before I revisited the last part of Mozart’s Rondo: Allegro, (suicide-tripping measures 68-73)

In hindsight, if fingering choices were at the heart of my original problem, they had played enough of a role to force me to beg for various options from respected East Coast colleagues. Still, in the longterm, I endured ongoing mishaps as I careened into the final cadence.

Last night, I thankfully experienced a long sought reversal of fortune by tapping into my mental state as the best resource for change.

It wasn’t as much relaxation and composure that altered the inevitable, but a form of self-deception that finally smoothed out the terrain.

Thinking close to the keys through the last parallel thirds, that formerly locked my wrists and forearms, I thought LEGATO (connect them) at least as a mental construct to stay grounded. And then preserving that security blanket of notes in whatever form they took, I synched my breath to the outflow.

There’s no doubt that edginess, in any form will gut a tricky set of measures, and naturally the quickened pace can intimidate the most well-prepared pianist.

But add in some sane blocking routines to the mix, and the prognosis improves. But it’s not enough. The mental games a pianist plays are as important as the nuts and bolts of fingering choices and pedantic rehearsals.

So hopefully, this new turn of events captured step-by-step on video, will inspire others to preserve a positive outlook even in the worst of times. (so Never say Never!)