Playing expressively IS important

Playing correctly or playing with correct technique is much different from playing expressively. Playing with correct technique, like playing all the notes correctly, and articulations right, and expressing the dynamics is extremely important, but will only get you to about 80%, which is proficient at best. If you want to achieve the full 100%, then you have to play your instrument expressively. Playing expressively means not only playing exactly what is written on the sheet, but also playing with emotion, like you care. I think that in order to play expressively, however, you have to master the technical aspects of the piece first, and that’s why playing technically is important also. I believe that if you can't play at least most of the piece with technical accuracy, then there's no chance to play expressively, since playing expressively encompasses playing technically. On a piece like Ammerland, it is extremely important to play with expression. That piece wasn't too technically difficult, and so it was easier to play with expression. I believe that on pieces like Ammerland, where the tempo is slowed down and the rhythm isn't very difficult to read, that playing with expression could be more important than playing technically correct. Playing expressively is important; however you must play with technical accuracy in order to achieve playing with expression.