Occupy Bach
I found this blog post so insoirational: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/its-just-a-fking-little-16th-note-but-you-have-to-play-it/?mbid=ob_ppc_science
Wait, he said. This is Bach. And Bach, more than any other music, and these pieces, more than any other Bach, is music complete. This doesnt just mean its beautiful. This means you can play this music all your life, even just this Allemande, and no matter what you do, it will expose you. It will expose everything you are and everything youre not. It will expose everything you can do and everything you cant. It will expose everything youve mastered and everything youre scared of. And I dont mean just about the violin. I mean about everything. Itll show all that today and itll show all that when you play it again in 10 years. And people who know music, whove seen you play it both times, they will see you play it and know who you were and who youve become.
There is nothing you can do about this. Or actually there is only one thing you can do about it. And thats to play the fucking music. To not play scared, even if youre terrified. To not rush. To not short anything. Inhabit this thing. Play it full.