Mastery vs. Perfection

Are you striving for perfection or mastery?

I've been thinking a lot about the idea of mastery vs. perfection lately. The idea was sparked by this Instagram reel that came across my feed last week. 

The two points that Gregory Agid makes in the video that stick out to me the most are: 

1. The concept of what is "Perfect" is subjective to the perceiver

2. Mastery is a process of learning something that you don't know. 

Through years of performing, I've come to understand and accept that I will make some mistake at every performance. I can't remember a performance where I played everything exactly perfectly. The performances which I feel the best about are the ones where I've demonstrated mastery over the work, and have been able to express myself in service to what the composer has written and what the conductor has asked. 

As my students approach our Spring studio recital, I'll be reframing their performances as demonstrations of mastery. They've mastered x, y, z aspect of playing the oboe, and the recital is a chance for them to show those aspects of their playing to their families and the rest of the studio. It will also be interesting to see if this mastery mindset will relieve some feelings of performance anxiety that they might have otherwise experienced.  

I’m curious to hear from you - do you work towards mastery or perfection? How does this show up in your musical life?