Getting ready to play some of the Mozart Theme and Variations in G, piano four hands, for assembled families, the young players were asked to consider the purpose of playing for others. I was fascinated to hear one of them talk about entering into Mozart's game of constant trickery with this on-the-surface-of-it simple material.

Their purpose in playing is to show that they are up to the challenge: that Mozart cannot intimidate them (their words, not mine).

And so they dig ever more deeply into the mysteries that make artists want to get up and practice every day.

Having tasted this level of intention wrong notes will not be enough to derail them--and there will be wrong notes, as we all three know.