Though it's important to learn to read music and interpret what is written on the page, for me that's just the starting point. … When I'm being creative like this, I don't critique or stop. I just go in a stream of "trying things out". I particularly listen for mistakes, because often my best ideas come out of them. Even if you don't change a note, having fun with the music means letting the song have its own personality. If it's a bouncy piece, make the rhythm dance and feel it in your body. ... If it's a scary piece, give yourself and your audience the chills! When you are playing a love song, feel those lyrics and try to phrase them as a vocalist would. Being an artist and a musical explorer does not mean tamely following the printed page. It's feeling the music inside you and not being afraid to express it.