Three Inward Glances

In 2002, Stephen Mattingly and I were doctoral students at Florida State University, studying with the legendary guitar teacher Bruce Holzman. Stephen and I explored a number of concentration and meditation practices at that time, including a weekly session with a local Zen group. We approached Bruce about applying meditation techniques to our guitar studies, and he suggested we read Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis. Bruce had a habit of giving somewhat enigmatic directions, and, ever the dutiful grad students, Stephen and I followed our teacher’s advice. Over two decades later, my dog-eared and coffee-stained copy of The Inner Game of Tennis still occupies a place on my bookshelf.

Bruce Holzman occupied the same office at Florida State University from 1972 until his unexpected passing in 2023. Stephen and I were two of many, many students who were fortunate to learn from Bruce, to be inspired by him, and to share his love of the guitar. Stephen Mattingly now occupies that office.

The original idea for Three Inward Glances occurred during a recent visit to Stephen Mattingly, where I noticed a familiar, dog-eared, and coffee-stained copy of The Inner Game of Tennis on a bookshelf. I cracked it open and was flooded with memories from our time together in Tallahassee, sitting with the local Zen group, being broke grad students, and studying with one of the giants of our instrument. Three Inward Glances is a series of impressions from that time, an acknowledgement that the best teachers continue to teach and inspire long, long after their office hours have ended.