How to Keep Music Feeling Fresh Through Repeated Performances

It's probably fairly common for our minds to go on autopilot when we're brushing our teeth, mowing the lawn, or folding laundry. And that's probably not all that big of a problem. But have you ever found your mind going on autopilot in a performance, when you're playing something you've played for years, and it's begun to feel a little too familiar...or even a bit stale? Or maybe this happens in the practice room, when you're working on music that you've already been playing for years or de...