How can I be a great musician?

How can I be a great musician? How can I get to be good at my instrument? How can I play like _________? These are questions that my young (and seasoned) music students often ask me. It always amazes me in our fast paced world how a person hears a song or sees someone performing and believes that they can instantly play an instrument well.

Now please understand, I have been blessed to have some very talented students who learn things easier than others or may have natural talent, but even so, it takes much more to be a successful musician than just picking up an instrument.

So, what is the first thing necessary? I would say to have a true desire to play the instrument. Loving the sound of the instrument by itself and with other instruments, the feel of the instrument, the emotions its sounds produces - these are things that are the first spark of becoming a wonderful musician.

More to come ...