0The way you see yourself and the way you see who you want to become will create fundamental shifts in your thinking and in the ways you feel about your progress.
For example, if you see yourself mainly as an instrument player, you may approach your practicing with a certain mindset. Most of your efforts would focus on improving your physical qualities of instrument playing skills.
On the other hand, as a musician, your focus will span a wider range of activities in addition to your instrument playing, such as developing your musical skills (aural skills, understanding of how music works, song writing, composing….etc.).
Finally, as an artist, self expression becomes the most important goal and everything that you know about music and become mere tools to express the art that is inside you (and self expression becomes the pinnacle of what you do).
Now, I am not saying that any one of these 3 things is better than the other 2, but you need to become aware of where you fall on this continuum NOW
Making the shift from a being an instrument player to becoming a musician or an artist will definitely change ways in which you think and feel about your progress and practicing in general.
