Originally Posted by Notes Norton
I've been playing sax since I was a kid, I do this for a living, so I figure I've put a lot of hours at it. Have I mastered it? What does that even mean?
You’ve got a great story.

Note that he’s talking about the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert. When I combine “mastery” and “world-class expert”, people like Beethoven come to mind but also a select few that are less accomplished musicians; but not a whole lot less. The bar is high.

On page 193 he says:
The ten-thousand-hour theory is consistent with what we know about how the brain learns. The strength of a memory is related to how many times the original stimulus has been experienced. Memory strength is also a function of how much we care about the experience. Caring may, in part, account for some of the early differences we see in how quickly people acquire new skills.

What is instrument “mastery” you ask?

One definition is a deep understanding of the instrument that has come from significant study and experience. A “master” understands the strengths and limitations of his instrument such that he/she is able to reliably control it to express what they want, when they want, such that others admire their talent and place them in a rarified, lofty group of elites. I would also say that to have mastered an instrument that others would favorably compare them to other “greats” that have come before. And almost by definition, a world-class master is rare and often are sought after (around the world) for their performances and teaching. Additionally, other masters and highly accomplished people will publically acknowledge their talent, be it in books, film, TV, podcasts, college course material, etc.
[Others may have their own definition(s), but this is what comes to my mind.]

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For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.