With my hands on the keys, I realized how much I had loved music - and how much I hungered for it. To be able to perform music for yourself is a wonderful thing…it occured to me that I had never once played for myself. I had always been trying to pass a test, or practice an assignment or impress somebody. Those are all important things, of course, if you are going to master an instrument. But after a certain age you have to start performing for youself. That’s what music is.
”
- Haruki Murakami,
Norwegian Wood(Source: quote-book)