Phrase!!!

One tendency of a lot of players is to equate soft playing with timid playing. P does not mean passive. I always recommend getting more confident as you get softer. One thing that happens when you start playing timidly in soft dynamics is that you forget to phrase. If you stop thinking of the phrase moving forward, you also stop thinking of the air moving forward. When playing soft music, make an extra effort to think about the direction of the phrase. Phrase direction equals air direction.