The Spark That Started My Journey

When I was thirteen, my dad brought home a cassette tape that would quietly, yet profoundly, shape the course of my life. It was Yo-Yo Ma's recording of Saint-Saëns' First Cello Concerto. As a young cello student just a few years into my journey, I had no idea who Yo-Yo Ma was, nor did I know anything about the concerto. But as soon as I pressed the 'play' button, I was utterly mesmerized. The energy, lyricism, and sheer command of the instrument blew me away. How could anyone play the cello like that?

The $50 Dream

That moment sparked a fire in me. I became obsessed with the piece, even though it was beyond my reach. I made a long trek to a music shop that specialized in string music on Hong Kong Island and convinced my parents to spend $50 Hong Kong dollars to buy the score. Did I think I could play it? Absolutely not. I didn't even know how to read tenor clef! But the dream of playing the Saint-Saëns one day was enough to spur me into action.

For months, I would sit with the score open on my lap, following along as Yo-Yo Ma's bow danced across the strings on my cassette player. My eyes would try to keep up with the flurry of notes in the score, my mind racing to imagine what it would feel like to play those passages myself. I was, in every sense, practicing the art of possibility—allowing myself to be inspired by a goal that was, for the moment, entirely out of reach.

The Art of Possibility

Years later, as I began teaching cello, I realized I was experiencing what creativity theorists describe as an "imaginative leap"—the moment when a new possibility suddenly comes into view. Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, in The Art of Possibility, call this stepping into "the universe of possibility"—a mindset where, instead of worrying about what you can't do yet, you open yourself to what might be possible.

In my cello teaching, I encourage students to listen to masterpieces not as a source of intimidation but as an invitation to expand their sense of what's possible. Zander writes, "Unimpeded on a daily basis by the concern for survival, free from the generalized assumption of scarcity, a person stands in the great space of possibility in a posture of openness, with an unfettered imagination for what can be."

This kind of inspiration is more than merely wishful thinking. When you allow yourself to imagine, you're setting the context for possible growth. In my teaching, I have seen this approach transform how students at every level navigate challenging pieces. Zander reminds us that in the "measurement world," we focus on prevalent notions of standards and scarcity, but in the "universe of possibility," we reframe the context that brings forth possibility. It's like opening a door in your mind and inviting new adventures in, even if you don't know exactly how you'll get there.

From Imagination to Action

Action Items

Choose a piece two levels above your current ability and listen to it daily for one week. Write down three specific technical or musical features in the recording that fascinate you. Practice "air bowing" along with professional recordings, feeling the music flow through your body before your fingers can execute it.

Then, take one concrete step toward it, whether that's learning to play a small section, studying the score, or allowing yourself to dream of performing it. The question isn't whether you can play it today—it's whether you're courageous enough to let it change you.

Next week

We'll explore how reframing ourselves "as if" we could already do something—even before we can—creates the space where new skills and confidence can grow.