The other day I was teaching piano and a student’s mother was not pleased with the outcome. She complained that her child was not practicing enough. Her judgement was: the child is lazy. It needs more coercion. And well, I am just not the person who would coerce anybody. It’s not productive! And certainly not the best for the child.
There are many reasons why someone does not perform well.
And in my observation 10 of 10 cases have something deeper going on.
What on the surface may look like laziness is actually something else.
Problems with motivation misjudged as laziness.
Where do they come from? Some people feel pressure through high expectations. They might be pushed too hard by others which causes inner resistance. This on the surface could look like laziness.
Sadness interpretated as laziness.
People could suffer from a loss. Someone important just walked away or died. This can cause enormous trauma and block a person in their actions.
Too much going on, overwhelm disguised as laziness.
Who does not know that? I surely do! Sometimes we might just be exhausted.
Being exhausted is not a character flaw.
Sometimes the timing is not right.
We all have times of productivity and times of rest. Just like nature. It’s not the same all the time! In fact, it’s very different every day. There are seasons. Outside and inside us. And there are seasons where we are slow. That’s not the same as being lazy!
People also could be damaged through comparison.
It’s so normal to us that we overlook how deeply many of us are wounded. Competition can kill motivation when we are compared with a Goliath – or when we get trained to compare ourselves with people that are way out of our league.
Non-inspiring tasks to do.
I know that as a child I did not like the method and pieces I was taught on the violin. This stuff was not interesting to me as a child. When I was young I disliked making music.
This is why Anselma Music exists today. As an adult, I wanted to provide appealing music for children and a learning path thats fun, gives much room for individuality and boat loads of inspiration. Not only through the music itself, but through quirky titles, illustrations and beautiful books that are low cost but last a lifetime. Anselma Music exists to provide inspiration. With music, with words, with beautiful sheet music books and with a healthy outlook on life and yourself.
You are not lazy. What might look like laziness to others, usually is something very different. People who judge others to be lazy are the ones not showing enough effort to understand the situation more deeply. They are lazy in terms of empathy.
Much love and have a beautiful spring season,
thank you as always for reading,
Anselma
There are two things that we can not see easily. But we can, when we get attentive enough and know a little bit more about human nature.
An old man and a boy were traveling to town with a donkey. At first, the old man was riding the donkey and the boy was walking. When they stopped by a little tavern, the innkeeper critizised the old man: “How can you let the boy walk for so long? That’s inhumane!” 
– Making mistakes is normal.
A colleague helping out in our company wrote, she wishes much success for all the upcoming new creative projects in 2026 but she does not like the word success, she means joy, recognition and a positive resonance with others.
The European basic idea that all state systems are based on is rooted in giving support. I was never aware of this fact – until the day my orchestra made a concert tour to India. As artists, we resided in luxurious hotels, with huge bedrooms and bathrooms all in marble. I had never been to more elegant und exquisite accommodations than in India. We were driving around in air-conditioned busses and had all the conveniences a person could think of.
Nikolaus Maler is principal bassoonist at the Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz and holds a position as professor for bassoon at the Musikhochschule Nürnberg, Germany. His YouTube Channel „Fagottmusik“ is reaching a large fan community. Prof. Maler is known for his exceptionally wide repertoire, including contemporary rarities. Quite a few pieces have been dedicated to him in the past and he wholeheartedly supports young musicians and engages in educating the ambitious bassoon youth.
The other day I read about a guy, who gave his employees T-Shirts that say TGIM.
Dag Jensen is a world-famous bassoonist, a very unique soloist and recognised virtuoso. Born in Norway, he started his career early on as an orchestra player. He won the ARD competition twice and quickly established himself as a celebrated chamber musician and brilliant bassoon soloist, playing with eminent orchestras and high-ranking conductors of our time. Through his recordings he not only introduced famous works in new elegance, he also inspires his world-wide audience with new and rare repertoire. Dag Jensen shapes new standards in the bassoon world with his artistic oeuvre and holds the position of bassoon professor on the Academy of Music Oslo, Norway, and the Musikhochschule München, Germany.
Fall is coming and with it some new opportunities.
