Ellis Amdur

What the heck. To throw in my two cents, on top of some really wonderful replies. Consider music. Let's say you decide to learn to play the piano, and the only thing that is around is the edited versions of classical pieces that are used to teach kids. The intricacies of harmony, of counterpoint, etc., are all pared off so that the child can learn the melody of something classical - rather than a simple, unlovely piece. Even very simplified Bach is quite fine compared to pedagogical pieces composed by hacks. Now let's say you are walking down a street (let's make it an alley in Venice just for fun) and from a window - somewhere - you hear someone playing the Goldberg Variations in all their glory. You don't even heard it all, but you realize that somewhere, there is something more - that includes all you thought that music was up to this time - but it is so much bigger. That's my position, at least - and I believe some others as well. I do not believe trying to find out all that Ueshiba et al could do - and learn to do it myself - in any way conflicts with Mary's goals. It's just a desire to play the music on the entire keyboard.

Best