The perfect musical rendition is one that captures our soul and connects us in a way only music can. Which means, of course, that the perfect performance—one without any flaws, note-for-note true to the score—may not be perfect. Not if it doesn't connect with us. Often, the perfect performance is one with just the right number of imperfections: the emotional slip of a note, exaggerated vibrato, the extended hold on a note. Those imperfections are what make it work. The perfect mistake happens when all the elements together (including just the right imperfections) is what connects us to music. Perfection equals connection.