We all want to play beautifully, with expression and meaning. But what does that actually mean?<\/p>\n

To reliably play music that connects emotionally with listeners, you can\u2019t leave it to chance, or rely on being in the right mood.<\/p>\n

After all, most of us are freaking out inside when performing for others. \u00a0That’s not the mood we want to convey at all.<\/p>\n

One of my teachers had a funny story:
\nA woman came up to him after a performance and said, \u201cOh I wish I could just feel what you were feeling when you played that\u2026\u201d. To which he responded, \u201cBelieve me, Lady, you don\u2019t want to feel what I\u2019m feeling up there!\u201d<\/p>\n

To trust in feelings is a mistake. They\u2019re fickle and they\u2019ll let you down.<\/p>\n

So what should we do instead? That\u2019s what this article is about.<\/p>\n