I Play Music

Vladimir Horowitz was one of the greatest pianists of all time. He had an emotional, musical expression and clarity of technique that was distinctive. He was so good that when Sergei Rachmaninoff heard Horowitz play Rachmaninoff’s infamously difficult Third Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff refused to play it again himself in public.

Some critics complained that Horowitz sometimes played wrong notes, more than they deemed acceptable. A reporter asked Horowitz what he thought about these detractors, and he replied, “I don’t play notes. I play music.”

Horowitz was more interested in communicating his soul through music than he was in playing every individual note correctly. I feel that way about my life. I don’t care much about making mistakes with individual words, sentences, or events. I care about living my life as fully and fearlessly as possible. If I make mistakes, I’ll learn from them and move on. I’d rather live freely and joyfully than be restrained by a fear of hitting wrong notes here and there.