Paso Robles, CA - The setting could not have been more idyllic, amongst the high hills of the central Californian coast, surrounded by vineyards and forests. I was with my first group of only amateurs, all extremely accomplished in their own fields - architecture, computer science, interior decorating, jazzman - and all totally devoted to the idea of improving their piano-playing by learning how to not practice at the piano.

The fact that there were no professionals or aspiring music-school students created an atmosphere that was slightly different than the usual DPS groups, which definitely lean towards the professional pianist and their particular issues. There was an immediate social comfort and an almost joyful desire for immersion that usually takes time to establish itself.

The Scarlatti Sonata we worked on presented some unusual challenges, given the very diverse background in musical training of the participants. Our jazzman moved easily into talk about harmonic basslines, while others struggled more with the process of transposition and thematic analysis, subjects that the music schools indulge in, to the dismay of many students!

However, the mental challenge of learning the piece without the music is only a stepping stone to the higher awareness of the emotional and physical work, and the effects of the struggles to learn without the keyboard were just as vivid, and perhaps more so. Opinions about the individual emotional maps came fast and strong, less inhibited by technical concerns, or by long-standing stylistic traditions.

The cooking was top-notch, which was to be expected from a group of experienced food and wine-lovers. This was perhaps the first time that certain aspects of the dinner on the first night were actually superior to the second night. This is not to say that the second night’s dinner was bad, far from it. But that the bar on the first night was set extremely high! We tried using spelt flour this time for the pasta and the crumble. I think the unanimous opinion was that it was a good choice for the crumble, less good for the pasta. Well, that’s why we experiment, right?  

Despite the heavy work schedule, we made a small window of time to go to Denner Vineyards for a wine-tasting. There, I knew I was in the company of professionals - professional wine connoisseurs! Perhaps it was the fact that I was immersed in the DPS work and its focus on observation, awareness and consciousness, or perhaps it was just the stunning setting itself, but the Syrah and the Ditch Digger wines were stunning - rich, fruity, smoky, with hints of coffee and chocolate. I was happy to knowing I was bringing home a small souvenir of Paso Robles’ idyll in a bottle.