[pianotech] Zen and the Art of Piano Maintenance

[Byron]

I find that when I'm doing something repetitive that it is best to listen to
a podcast or a book. Then I can put the task in automatic pilot and cruse
through it happily. If I just concentrate on the job at hand I seem to rush
or obsess about how mind numbingly boring the task is. There seems to be no
difference in the quality of work done - just that I've been entertained or
have learned something.

I've read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and would say that
solving the riddle of the problem with his bike was not necessarily focus.
I'd say it was being mindful of the problem and solving it after many days
of gnawing at the problem - through a myriad of his personal distractions.
How many of us have solved a problem or reached an important conclusion
after a long distance drive?

-----Original Message-----
From: John Dorr [mailto:a440 at bresnan.net] 
Sent: May-13-09 9:48 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Zen and the Art of Piano Maintenance

John Dorr wrote: I think about this sometimes when I'm doing something
repetitive but 
demanding, like shaping hammers.  Sometimes I wish I had a radio, but that 
might distract me from doing this otherwise kind of "menial" job well
enough. 
 Sometimes I find that if I just look and touch and observe with a mind
empty 
of preconceptions the answers to the diagnostic riddles seem to appear on 
their own.

How do others on the list feel about these things?  Distraction versus
focus. 
 The Zen of Piano Repair.

John Dorr
Helena, MT