My philosophy comes from a martial arts prospective and background. The Three Stages of Cultivation — The first is the primitive stage. It is a stage of original ignorance in which a person knows nothing about the art of playing the musical Instrument. The new bassist may piddle, he or she may not even know how to hold the bass. They fumble awkwardly without any idea of what is right and wrong. They will hear a riff or even a simple song and try to play it. This is good. This method help train the ear. You can't play bass and be tone deaf. The second stage — the stage of sophistication, or mechanical stage — begins when a person starts his training. He or she is taught the different ways of playing notes and patterns. They learn counter point and harmonies, timing and scales. This inspires thinking outside the box and creativity.— unquestionably, he/ she has gained the scientific knowledge of music, but unfortunately his original self and sense of freedom are lost, and his action no longer flows by itself, not yet...Performance or stage presence is paramount. You have to compliment your situation. The third stage — the stage of non-confinement or the spontaneous stage — occurs when, after years of serious and hard practice, the student realizes that after all, music is nothing special in the scheme of gifts and talents. You have to make it special. And instead of trying to impose on their mind that it must be done to a specific letter, they adjusts themselves to the piece of music like water pressing on an earthen wall that flows through the slightest crack. There is nothing to do but to be solid and fill the pocket like water in a pool. Freedom is liberating and to be able to perform a piece of music is spiritual!