player of an instrument vs. musician

During my many years as a music teacher (piano, voice, choir director, Kindermusik), I have seen many students come and go.  I find myself making immediate distinctions between those that will play the instrument and those that will become musicians.

I have never associated a musician with the amount of practice time, or the information the student knows; rather a musician has a special "something" that emotionally moves you.  There is not a specific definition of the "it" factor, but I can say that even an average non-musical can distinguish the difference between those that have it and those that do not.

I've been reading, "This is Your Brain on Music" by Daniel Levitin and in the chapter "What Makes a Musician?" he describes the qualities that make an expert.  An expert usually has 10,000 hours devoted to the field of expertise (i.e. instrument, sport, etc.).  That is 3 hours a day for 10 years.  He also states why some musicians are superior to others when it comes to the emotional sense (a technical expert vs. a musician).  Of course there is a difference between a musician and a celebrity.  I am very careful to not aquire students hoping to be famous singers or performers.  I am teaching to make better players and ultimately musicians.  I am always happy with progress in each student, not holding all to one standard they must achieve.  However, it's always a particular joy when teaching a child that has the special "it" factor; the possibilities of becoming a gifted musician.

Levitin writes, "Being an expert musician thus take many forms: dexterity at play an instrument, emotional communication, creativity, and speical mental structures for remembering music...The emerging consensus, however, is that musical expertise is not one thing, but involves many components, and not all musical experts will be endowed with these different components equally - some, like Irving Berlin, may lack what most of us would even consider a fundamental aspect of musicianship, being able to play an instrument well."

Finding what true gift you have and sharing it is what life's journey should truly be about.