“Musicians come and go and they’re stewards of the music for a brief period of time … The musicians are there to get their goddamn hands off of it.” - Trey Anastasio, of Phish, on musicians as stewards.
What an incredibly insane idea. Thousands of hours of effort. Countless years of training. Auditions, tux fitting, spending a fortune on the perfect instrument.
To just get out of the way, for a brief moment, and let the audience experience the hallowed work you happening to be performing.
It’s such a strange idea, this concept of stwerdship, and yet it feels so right. What’s amazing is that you’ve done your best when the audience, with that last note still hanging in their air, leap to their feet with thunderous applause – not for you, nor for anyone around you, nor even, despite his ego, the conductor with his gracious bows. They applaud for the music.
Perfection is hitting all the right notes.
Perfection is being unnoticed.
What a strange and wonderful thing, to be a steward. And what a great thing to strive for, to make something worth looking after.
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