MUSIC The muse, leisure and the importance of play

To master a musical instrument requires intense effort, many hours of practice and study. So it is not surprising that it is forgotten that musicians “play” an instrument. The whole thing, at least to musicians, seems like darned hard work. But play it is. The best musicians, indeed the best artists, often seem to toy with their art form, and it is that playing that is at the centre of their profundity. Plato is said to have commented that he would learn more from watching a person play for a few hours than from a year of conversation. We do…