As a musician, what is your definition of success?
As a composer, success is writing a piece that I’m pleased with. The form makes sense, things fit together in a satisfying way, and the piece feels solid and cohesive, as well as being pleasant to listen to (or at least I find it pleasant to listen to). Other things that invoke a sense of satisfaction include challenging myself in some way and then fulfilling the challenge in the way I was intending to, or not quite fulfilling it but discovering something else along the way. As a pianist, success for me is mastering the technical elements of a piece, as well as maintaining a balanced equilibrium between one’s own artistic impulses and the composer’s intentions. This means allowing the piece to speak for itself while allowing for some personal artistic expression.
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