MovieChat Forums > Mr. Holland's Opus (1996) Discussion > Playing the Sunset - Stop the insanity

Playing the Sunset - Stop the insanity

posted 15 years ago by GoTheDistance
2 replies | jump to latest

I watched the movie for the 3rd time. And even before I saw reviews criticizing that scene, I thought of posting about it here.

I've known how to play piano, guitar and drums for 25 years (mostly self-taught). And I'm thrilled that scene is in the movie, because I can really relate to it.

Some explanation of Holland's technique, and what criticizers may have missed:

The movie doesn't suggest you can LEARN an instrument by Playing the Sunset. Gertrude had been playing for 3 years (so she knew - intellectually - HOW to play. Holland's technique simply got her to not try so hard; to not think about HOW to play that note, which actually impedes the physical ability to play the note.

Even when I know HOW to play something, I sometimes mess it up because I'm over-thinking and not in the 'groove', 'zone' or feel. I learned by playing by ear, then I developed most of my skills solely through having fun playing with emotion (Before anyone assumes I must suck ..... I have nearly duplicated the playing of Chuck Berry and Neil Peart).

A good metaphor would be: It's like not being able to remember something.... then when you stop thinking about it..... you remember.

[–] mattymo1990 15 years ago

i dont really understand your last part of the post, but completely agree with you on the rest. i just saw part of the movie, starting from just before that scene. and that scene really stuck out to me. made me think a lot too.

[–] estcst-3 15 years ago

I know what you mean in a different fashion: I'm 37 and have been typing now for 31 years and even at an early age I was able to type proficiently. Currently I do about 90 WPM but if I have to stop and think about typing I fall much under half that and my typographical errors increase.

I remember being at work an someone asking me what the last letter was on the first row of the keyboard and having to look at one to find out. They seem pretty surprised by this because they know of my speed typing. They made the assumption that I knew a keyboard inside out, I told them the less I think about typing the better I type. They found it amusing but there is a basic truth to it all.