It was the year 1978 when my very first student came over for a bass lesson.  I was only 17 years old. At the time I lived in Gustavsburg near the German city of  Mainz.  I had only been  playing bass for two years, but already showed some talent and promise in that direction.  This was the beginning of  a long career in music and a genuine interest in teaching.   Being self-taught for many years turned out to be a blessing because early on I learned to follow my own pace for the love of music .

I found my own style on the instrument early on thanks to many lonely hours of solitary practice.  Ironically I lost some of that with the onset of my college education.  It was as if the new-found   knowledge made me second guess myself all of a sudden. Today I understand that my struggle to integrate new information into practice was actually the beginning of a new insight into how the human mind works together with the body. The light-bulp moment came when I began to notice that my mind is capable of different modes of operation and that learning happens in stages.

The secret to a successful integration of mind and body is not found in the amount of new stuff we learn.  Nor is it found in the amount of hours we practice an instrument.  For knowledge to become real skill, certain proportions  have  to be observed and guarded.  What I came to understand is this:  A mysterious three-way relationship is always at the center of every learning experience.  Even though the world is constantly changing,  this invisible 3-way dynamic of creativity always remain the same. at the core.  I discovered this from careful self-observation. 

This has many implications.  One is that we can always find the best possible way forward under any given situation by observing everything from three angles simultaneously.  These angles show up again and again in different forms. In the realm of behavior we can observe these 3 modes as:  active, receptive and passive. In the realm of time they appear as future, present and past.  In electrical terms, plus, minus and ground. In physics we observe protons, neutrons and electrons.  The heartbeat is a triplet. 2 beats and a rest.   These are only a few examples of how every situation and every process can be reduced to three essentials.  Looking at music this way has opened new doors for me and I am keen to pass on what I know.

My training in music is a summary of traditional jazz harmony, instrumental techniques and lessons learned from working with great musicians from around the world.  But my true passion has always been to probe into the mysteries of the connection between music and nature, between mind and body, between the human being and the planet on which we live.  As a result of this natural curiosity the psychology of practicing an instrument has been as important as the material itself. 

What I want my students to come away with is a solid understanding of how to develop a technique that relates to their emotional state. In other words, I want them to connect to life itself through the voice of their instrument.  Often there is a big misconception that evolution in music is only for the talented, the accomplished, the brilliant and the smart.  This is not the case.  The art of practicing has a lot more to do with a small amount of choice material,  diligent repetitive practice and a worthwhile goal for you to pursue. Three elements in a nutshell.

For that reason everyone is welcome in my program. I have a vast library of knowledge, exercises and practice techniques at hand but will only guide you towards those elements that speak to you intuitively.  I guide and you choose. If you get stuck, lost or discouraged we will find the lesson inside the failure, for the benefit of greater self-knowledge. With this approach you will always do well.  I encourage you to  remain flexible and to modify your  evolving routine  over time.    

                  This is the essence of  "teaching you to teach yourself".   

                 -Kai Eckhardt