Technique and Musicianship

According to Beethoven, one of the greatest musicians in the history, music is the most important invention, even more important than philosophy. Its true, to most of musicians that music is everything.

So far as I know, music is not a thing could only be measured by its technical part.Lets take instrument players as an example. No matter what instruments you play, ultimately, you are playing music not showing technique. I know many peoplo who put all their attention on the technical part. They practise Major scales,Minor scales,etc thousands of times a day. They are really hard-working, but when they play a score, it sounds fade or over emotional, even though their technique is ok or even great. No doubtly, a good instrumental performer needs strong playing technique, but like I mentioned, its not to show technique but to play music. It always need to put the musicianship in the first place.

I heard of a seemingly strange thing from internet once, a guy, who was considered as a brilliant performer when graduated from a chinese music college and then he went abroad continued his music study. At his final performance exam of first semester he got A on his technical part, but D, the lowest grade, on his musicianship part. " I cant feel music in your performance." the professor said to him.

To my opinion, music is a thing that is more sensitive, its more about one's feelings. That's why Mozart could compose scores at 6, better than adults which had engaged in music for years. To enhanse one's musicianship is even more important than to enhance one's instrumental technique. especially for people who want to become composer.

However, we should never ignore the technical part. A really good musician could always combine the two very well and creat beautiful music. Further more, a strong instrmental technique could always help with your composing.