Page 4 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - February 22, 2023

4 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK FEBRUARY 22, 2023
A SqueakyWheel
Iwanted to run away, take time off, lock out the world. While I love being busy, and fortunately also love my profession as a music professor, I some- times overcommit and be- come overwhelmed, which is exactly where I found myself in March 2020.
s readers of my column know, I always talk, com- plain or laugh about the shoe habits of my wife and daughter. But it’s not just them. Most of the
learned: Slow down, savor the moment, and give full honor to the rest note.
Thomas Yee is Professor of Music (piano) and Asso- ciate Chair at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Win- ner of over 20 International and National Piano Compe- titions, Dr. Yee has been on faculty at UHM since 2002.
Chasing The Light is pro- duced by Lynne Johnson and Robin Stephens Rohr.
women I know seem to have a sizable shoe collection — and they’re proud of it.
I’ve never had a problem with my girls wanting to buy shoes. My only issue is the storage of such shoes, as we only have so much square footage in our house. This is compound- ed by a lack of desire to get rid of shoes they no longer wear.
When the world actual- ly did shut down, my mind frantically raced to another kind of activity: What was the next step, how do I adapt my instruction, how long will this last, and how do I keep my family safe? To ease tension, I turned to ex- ercise. Institutions and busi- nesses were closed, but the roads were open for running.
I’ve seen shoes on storage shelves that have been there for years. When I urge them to donate the shoes to charity, suddenly there’s every excuse in the world not to get rid of them. “Those are the only shoes that match my red outfit!” or “My sister gave me those shoes for my birthday!” or “I wore those shoes for our daughter’s preschool graduation!” All these justify their retention.
The author learned that there are many parallels between running and music.
scured the fact that in the midst of activity, “Dr. Yee” is first and foremost “Tom- my.” As we return to nor- malcy, I ponder the lessons
This is a battle I will never win. Secretly, though, it is a distraction from my own shoe collection.
A pre-pandemic focus on making a living had ob-
Of course, mine is nowhere near the size of theirs, but in trying to be stylish I have a pretty decent arsenal of men’s footwear. Retro Converse sneakers, Chelsea boots, double monk strap shoes, Olukai athletic shoes, etc.
Running, I discovered, has many parallels to mu- sic. I run at high speed with my dog, Pickles, a shep- herd-chow. Alone, I may gently lope or merely trot. As in a musical score, the pace must match what I am trying to accomplish and what my body is capable of.
A few weeks ago, I discovered them and decided I would wear them to work. It wasn’t until I got into the office that I noticed these new shoes squeaked — loudly. I figured if I stayed in my office no one would notice.
Changing Tempo, Keeping Pace
“Musical rest notes ... keep the other notes from stringing together in a breathless and chaotic way.” — Julie J. Exline
(render the lup cheong first so the oil coats and flavors the rice, and use MSG!).
with Thomas Yee
I always receive compliments on my shoes, especially from women, so I try to keep up with classics and new trends without spending too much time obsessing over them. I figure buying good shoes are an investment, although I will never say this to my wife and daughter, as they will use it against me.
On occasion, I will try to save a few bucks and buy a cheap pair of shoes or some off-brand that is on sale. A couple months ago, I bought such a pair of brown stylish-looking shoes. I threw them in my closet and forgot about them.
In preparation for a recit- al, I bear in mind the advice of legendary piano teacher Ellen Masaki: “The slower you practice, the faster you learn.” I practice one hand at a time, one measure at a time, one phrase at a time. In preparation for a race, I build endurance and mile- age one step at a time. The slower and more gradually I learn, the faster I acquire the skill.
In the new year, one of my resolutions was to hydrate and drink more water. That translates to a trip to the bathroom at least once every hour. My path to the bathroom goes past the desks of several co-workers.
Every time I went to the bathroom, my squeaky shoes revealed to everyone that I was going back and forth. I tried walking on my tiptoes and on my heels, but to no avail. The shoes squeaked embarrassingly loud.
Being forced to slow down the last couple of years during lockdown blessed me with slowly acquired skills, including swimming, baking rum cakes, and mastery of my parents’ fried rice recipe
It sounded like I was wearing those Japanese Hello Kitty slippers for little kids. I became highly self-conscious of my loud shoes. Consequently, at my last doctor visit, he asked why I was so dehydrated. My answer? Because my shoes squeak!
rnagasawa@midweek.com