So...you think good music typically comes 'by accident.' The 'machine' being our brain or mind and that to release good music means to not think about it? Hmmm. Maybe I'm putting too much into your words - but i heartily agree. I mean, for singers it is much simpler than pianists. They have a song. They sing it. They have to phrase it or they'll run out of breath. If they rush - they'll have a heart attack on stage. With piano - the temptation is to sometimes get nervous and everything starts going downhill from there. The leg starts shaking up and down (making correct pedalling a little harder), the mylination of the pyramidal cortex feels like it need some caffeine stimulant, and perhaps the phrasing goes downhill a little with advancing speed.
Yes. The best music is played at quarter til midnight, when noone is around. Music means to me, probably, privacy. The freedom and privacy to play in a very perceptive and auditory way and not worry about who is around. To completely and utterly abandon oneself in the process and yet still have thought about the interpretation ahead of time so that one doesn't surprise oneself too much.
One last thing, for those who enjoy jazz as well as classical music - i have to say that settings which encourage a sort of laid back feel rather than everyone in the audience judging you is a much different atmosphere. For instance, you can release that little bit of yourself that makes the piece yours fully and completely.
Perhaps 'the machine' is also the process of learning music. For children, it's all in fun - and a little at a time. In college, you are learning a skill that you want to use for job purposes - so the speed at which you learn is determined to be crucial. Some cannot 'keep up' with the pace and find themselves disillusioned by comparison. But, in an ideal world/school - nobody would be compared with anyone but themselves. I think you have to be your own cheerleader in college and just say to yourself 'i can do it' and maintain enthusiasm no matter the level you wish you were or how others play better. It's actually a good exercise in learning not to be jealous but taking your personal time to get to your personal best. It doesn't have to be a race, either. For some, it's really a growing process that must work itself out over decades.