The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a professional musician, a retired piano teacher of 25 years. In October of 2004, I produced my first cd of pre-Baroque pieces into an album called, "Carry the Light." Recently, I found out about "The Perfect Wrong Note" by William Westney from a friend. The book is stunning, progressive and suffice it to say, it will rub some traditionalist the wrong way. Westney totally challenges traditional teaching methods and rightly so. There is a revealing "Question and Answer" section in the book on pp. 95-97 which provides an astute summary of Westney's teaching philosophy. I found the following Q and A challenging to some very traditionalist teachings on using the metronome; "Is it a good idea to use a metronome?" Westney's replies, "Only for short periods, as a check of tempo consistency. If we use it too much we become passive slaves to it, and our inner rhythm stays dormant." Westney emphasizes that playing the piano is a "whole body, whole brain" experience. In terms of Westney's approach being a "feel good" philosophy, nothing could be further from the truth. When asked (p. 97), "Can your approach be simply stated as, "Just don't fret about wrong notes, after all nobody's perfect.?" Westney's response is clearly direct; "No. This isn't a feel good philosophy: it's a pragmatic problem-solving plan along the road to artistry. Control, accuracy, and refinement are still the goals." Westney takes a groundbreaking approach to teaching piano without killing the hope and aspirations of the student. That is to be herald and this work will be deeply respected by teachers willing to take on new and exciting challenges that take heed to an important ethos Westney holds for anyone practicing the piano. "As you practice sense that you are taking care of yourself at every moment. Expect musical performing to be fun and feel good. Question any part of it that doesn't feel that way. Think of yourself as a healty athlete. Relax frequently and take stock." (p.227) I can't think of any performing philosophy that is more hope filled than that.

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The Indwelling Life of Christ: All of Him in All of Me Review

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(More customer reviews)As in his other books, Major Ian Thomas challenges us to go beyond the fire-insurance type of salvation into a deep abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A relationship that acknowledges "I can't" but also embraces "Christ can".
Herein is the key, we cannot live the Christian life in the power of our own strength. God never asked us to. He always promised He would do it for us. Major Thomas will show you how.
A must read for every person seeking life abundant.

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"Christ in you, the hope of glory." —Colossians 1:27Why do we keep failing even in our best efforts to live the Christian life? Because no one other than Jesus Christ can live it, for the simple reason that He is the Christian life! And only He can live it in our lives as well. Major W. Ian Thomas takes a refreshing look at the pure thrill of living victoriously as you embrace the living Savior's presence within you. The more you become genuinely and relentlessly available to Christ, the more He can take over so that your Christian walk becomes vibrant and effective! This inspiring devotional, along with the application questions at the end of each reading, will help you focus consistently on Jesus Himself so you can serve and enjoy Him at an entirely new level and dimension. You can try to steer clear of sin. Avoid temptation. Refuse to steal, lie, or use drugs and alcohol. You can indeed try to be sinless. But that is still you. And you are still trying. Jesus Christ was not holy because He focused His efforts on avoiding sin. Instead, "He refused to allow there to be any possible explanation for the quality of His life but the Father, as God, dwelling in Him, as Man," writes Major W. Ian Thomas.So whom do you want dwelling in you? More of you? Or all of Christ?Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 Story Behind the BookMajor W. Ian Thomas was twelve years old when he accepted the Lord with a simple prayer. But by nineteen, "I had been reduced to spiritual exhaustion," he says, "with no hope or reason for going on." It was then that he discovered the life-transforming secret of the indwelling life of the living Lord Jesus Christ. God gave him a message through Galatians 2:20, where he learned to say, "Lord Jesus, I can't—You never said I could—but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know." Major Thomas came to understand it was Christ Himself living through him who would do His work. This is the message he has been passionately proclaiming all his life.

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