Music Quotes | Beyond Motive 48/61

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Music Quotes

"I try to find little things that you can do to move the song along and things that serve the song."

"I try to find little things that you can do to move the song along and things that serve the song."

Benmont Tench, American Musician

33

"When you get to readin' about where the music and John Steinbeck and all those people like that come from, the further you go the more interesting it becomes."

"When you get to readin' about where the music and John Steinbeck and all those people like that come from, the further you go the more interesting it becomes."

Merle Haggard, American Musician

33

"That's why so much of the music today sounds so much alike, because there's no in-between. So it's kind of nice to still turn some buttons every now and then."

"That's why so much of the music today sounds so much alike, because there's no in-between. So it's kind of nice to still turn some buttons every now and then."

Alan Vega, American Musician

Music, Now, Today

33

"It used to be that creative music was most of the music that you heard back in the '30s and '40s, and now it's like 3 percent. So, its kind of a struggle getttin' it out there."

"It used to be that creative music was most of the music that you heard back in the '30s and '40s, and now it's like 3 percent. So, its kind of a struggle getttin' it out there."

Charlie Haden, American Musician

Music, Now, Struggle

33

"It was so wonderful outside that even the wild senselessness of this enormous death, whose music I hear again and again, could not disturb me from my great enjoyment!"

"It was so wonderful outside that even the wild senselessness of this enormous death, whose music I hear again and again, could not disturb me from my great enjoyment!"

Max Beckmann, German Artist

32

"That's what music is to me. Like, stuff that I really like to play loud. And I've got my quiet CDs, too, that I listen to around the house, but if you can't go there, then... Everyone gets so upset with me, I can't win."

"That's what music is to me. Like, stuff that I really like to play loud. And I've got my quiet CDs, too, that I listen to around the house, but if you can't go there, then... Everyone gets so upset with me, I can't win."

Liz Phair, American Musician

Music, Play, Quiet

32

"The bass, no matter what kind of music you're playing, it just enhances the sound and makes everything sound more beautiful and full. When the bass stops, the bottom kind of drops out of everything."

"The bass, no matter what kind of music you're playing, it just enhances the sound and makes everything sound more beautiful and full. When the bass stops, the bottom kind of drops out of everything."

Charlie Haden, American Musician

32

"I have known the fruits of strikes. The bitter and the sweet. Hunger and music."

"I have known the fruits of strikes. The bitter and the sweet. Hunger and music."

Merle Travis, American Musician

32

"It was very interesting for me because DNA made music without much technical knowledge at all."

"It was very interesting for me because DNA made music without much technical knowledge at all."

Arto Lindsay, American Musician

Music, Knowledge

32

"I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about... Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important."

"I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about... Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important."

Nina Simone, American Musician

Music, Excellence, Freedom, Now

32

"I still tune in to the radio and listen to pop music and enjoy it as much as I ever have."

"I still tune in to the radio and listen to pop music and enjoy it as much as I ever have."

Kim Wilde, English Musician

32

"I remember Tim telling me that he had an idea for a musical and he said to me that he was hoping that ABBA would be writing the music, which I thought was a pretty wild idea because they were obviously known very much as pop writers."

"I remember Tim telling me that he had an idea for a musical and he said to me that he was hoping that ABBA would be writing the music, which I thought was a pretty wild idea because they were obviously known very much as pop writers."

Elaine Paige, English Musician

Music, Thought, Idea, Pretty

32

"We went for the best overall feel on each song. There are no musical overdubs at all. It's a true live record; it's one of the few true live records out there."

"We went for the best overall feel on each song. There are no musical overdubs at all. It's a true live record; it's one of the few true live records out there."

Ben Harper, American Musician

32

"This music that was supposed to only come from tapes like in any restaurant. Something would happened. One bird will start to do a little jazz thing, and another bird will start to answer."

"This music that was supposed to only come from tapes like in any restaurant. Something would happened. One bird will start to do a little jazz thing, and another bird will start to answer."

John Hench, American Artist

Music, Jazz, Will

32

"In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters."

"In the music industry, you meet some not very nice people, some very strange characters."

Midge Ure, Scottish Musician

32

"I just finished a novel, and I'm back kind of noodling on the screenplays. Screenplays are tough. I am making music, I'm just not sure what kind of music it is or where it's going."

"I just finished a novel, and I'm back kind of noodling on the screenplays. Screenplays are tough. I am making music, I'm just not sure what kind of music it is or where it's going."

Michael Nesmith, American Musician

32

"I slowly started to drift back into music again. I finally got the call from John... about getting the band back together again. It was so out of the blue. I almost thought that the moment had passed."

"I slowly started to drift back into music again. I finally got the call from John... about getting the band back together again. It was so out of the blue. I almost thought that the moment had passed."

Roger Andrew Taylor, English Musician

32

"Serious musicians are finding it harder and harder to have a voice in the world of music these days."

"Serious musicians are finding it harder and harder to have a voice in the world of music these days."

Kevin Eubanks, American Musician

Music, Musicians, Voice, World

32

"Now, in music, it seems more like the popular crowd suppresses anyone who is different."

"Now, in music, it seems more like the popular crowd suppresses anyone who is different."

Liz Phair, American Musician

Music, Now, Popular

32

"Sometimes the song title comes with the songs, other times you just sorta make something up afterwards."

"Sometimes the song title comes with the songs, other times you just sorta make something up afterwards."

Wayne Coyne, American Musician

Music, Song, Songs

32

"A good interpreter can take a piece of bad music and make it sound pretty decent, while a bad interpreter can take good music and make it sound cheap. I can tell that some people have a bad taste, and unlike on the piano, they smear around a lot, that is bad taste."

"A good interpreter can take a piece of bad music and make it sound pretty decent, while a bad interpreter can take good music and make it sound cheap. I can tell that some people have a bad taste, and unlike on the piano, they smear around a lot, that is bad taste."

Ruggiero Ricci, American Musician

Music, People, Pretty, Sound

32

"If I can't get a mental image from the song, I won't sing it."

"If I can't get a mental image from the song, I won't sing it."

Namie Amuro, Japanese Musician

32

"Our music over the years has been very cinematic. It's surprising we never really got into film soundtracks."

"Our music over the years has been very cinematic. It's surprising we never really got into film soundtracks."

Martin Gore, English Musician

Music, Film, Years

32

"Taking employment out of the country - now that's taking away jobs. These shows employ a lot of people: production, post-production, music supervisors, camera people. A hundred people or more."

"Taking employment out of the country - now that's taking away jobs. These shows employ a lot of people: production, post-production, music supervisors, camera people. A hundred people or more."

Corbin Bernsen, American Actor

Music, People, Country, Jobs

32

"If you already have a piece of music ingrained in your body, why would you not play it?"

"If you already have a piece of music ingrained in your body, why would you not play it?"

Keith Jarrett, American Composer

Music, Body, Play

32

"If I know you're very good in music, I can predict with just about zero accuracy whether you're going to be good or bad in other things."

"If I know you're very good in music, I can predict with just about zero accuracy whether you're going to be good or bad in other things."

Howard Gardner, American Psychologist

Music, Accuracy

32

"The Smiths was an incredibly personal thing to me. It was like launching your own diary to music."

"The Smiths was an incredibly personal thing to me. It was like launching your own diary to music."

Steven Morrissey, English Musician

32

"I was never too keen on the British music press. They've called us a supermarket hype, and they used to suggest that we didn't write our own songs."

"I was never too keen on the British music press. They've called us a supermarket hype, and they used to suggest that we didn't write our own songs."

Freddie Mercury, British Musician

Music, Press, Songs

32

"The movie Spinal Tap rocked my world. It's for rock what The Sound of Music was for hills. They really nailed how dumb rock can be."

"The movie Spinal Tap rocked my world. It's for rock what The Sound of Music was for hills. They really nailed how dumb rock can be."

Jack Black, American Actor

Music, Dumb, Sound, World

32

"I've built a solid career there, but America's ten times the size. Now that we're onto the third record, I feel like the stars have aligned and American audiences are embracing my music even more."

"I've built a solid career there, but America's ten times the size. Now that we're onto the third record, I feel like the stars have aligned and American audiences are embracing my music even more."

Chantal Kreviazuk, Canadian Musician

Music, America, American, Audiences

32

"I'm very much a traditionalist, but I think it's important to know about tradition so that you can evolve the music you are deciding to make."

"I'm very much a traditionalist, but I think it's important to know about tradition so that you can evolve the music you are deciding to make."

Chely Wright, American Musician

Music, Tradition

32

"There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there."

"There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there."

Mike Figgis, English Director

Music, Beauty, Sadness

32

"Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days. I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right."

"Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days. I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right."

River Phoenix, American Actor

Music, Time, Goal, Actors

32

"It's like a dream to come to Spain and stay for a couple of years and get somebody to teach me Spanish music."

"It's like a dream to come to Spain and stay for a couple of years and get somebody to teach me Spanish music."

Lenny Kravitz, American Musician

Music, Dream, Spain, Years

32

"The Americans are more honest about it and just call it college rock."

"The Americans are more honest about it and just call it college rock."

Malcolm Wilson, American Politician

Music, Americans, College

32

"I try to look at this music career thing as the means to an end. And really, at the end of it, I see myself on a sailboat, sailing off the edge of the world."

"I try to look at this music career thing as the means to an end. And really, at the end of it, I see myself on a sailboat, sailing off the edge of the world."

Michelle Shocked, American Musician

Music, Career, End, World

32

"I didn't want to be told what to do. I don't want to water down my music to fit into their formats. I know what rock and roll is to me, but everything's turning into one big commercial."

"I didn't want to be told what to do. I don't want to water down my music to fit into their formats. I know what rock and roll is to me, but everything's turning into one big commercial."

Chris Robinson, American Musician

Music, Want, Water

32

"When I use the Internet, it's pretty much strictly for music. Checking out other people's web sites, what's going on, listening to music. It's pretty much a musical thing for me."

"When I use the Internet, it's pretty much strictly for music. Checking out other people's web sites, what's going on, listening to music. It's pretty much a musical thing for me."

Liz Phair, American Musician

Music, People, Internet, Listening

32

"Jazz is not the kind of music you are going to learn to play in three or four years or that you can just get because you have some talent for music."

"Jazz is not the kind of music you are going to learn to play in three or four years or that you can just get because you have some talent for music."

Wynton Marsalis, American Musician

Music, Talent, Jazz, Play

32

"I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music world and have been able to play exactly what I have wanted the way I have wanted."

"I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music world and have been able to play exactly what I have wanted the way I have wanted."

Pat Metheny, American Musician

Music, Play, Pretty, World

32

"It really is no different in the way that we make records and shoot music videos. I don't think of the movie as being a great leap out of my current profession."

"It really is no different in the way that we make records and shoot music videos. I don't think of the movie as being a great leap out of my current profession."

Wayne Coyne, American Musician

Music, Being, Profession

32

"I don't know anyone who would be exclusively working on game music, per se."

"I don't know anyone who would be exclusively working on game music, per se."

Nobuo Uematsu, Japanese Composer

32

"Me and my father went through a war period where we wasn't talking. He wanted me to go to theology school - I didn't want to go. I wanted to do music. I told him I was a minister through music."

"Me and my father went through a war period where we wasn't talking. He wanted me to go to theology school - I didn't want to go. I wanted to do music. I told him I was a minister through music."

Wyclef Jean, American Musician

Music, War, Father, School

32

"It's part of the calling to at least do a few songs in the show that give people some hope. There's so much hurt in this world and... music is such a great healing balm and a great way to forget your troubles."

"It's part of the calling to at least do a few songs in the show that give people some hope. There's so much hurt in this world and... music is such a great healing balm and a great way to forget your troubles."

Ricky Skaggs, American Musician

Music, People, Hope, Forget

32

"Classical music's ability to translate emotional themes is fantastic."

"Classical music's ability to translate emotional themes is fantastic."

Alan Price, American Musician

32

"The ideal situation would be to bypass all of the drama and mayhem and just get the music right to the people. I'm confident that we'll eventually figure it out."

"The ideal situation would be to bypass all of the drama and mayhem and just get the music right to the people. I'm confident that we'll eventually figure it out."

Debbie Gibson, American Musician

Music, People, Drama, Right

32

"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Music, Loneliness, Space

32

"I remember when I was coming up, the music stores where you could get guitar strings was where I got my records from. Now the place where you get your records from is where you can get your DJ mats and your mixers."

"I remember when I was coming up, the music stores where you could get guitar strings was where I got my records from. Now the place where you get your records from is where you can get your DJ mats and your mixers."

Jam Master Jay, American Musician

Music, Guitar, Now

32

"And there's some Latino music I like, and some reggae music."

"And there's some Latino music I like, and some reggae music."

Merle Haggard, American Musician

32

"I don't write poems and put them to music. Just let things flow."

"I don't write poems and put them to music. Just let things flow."

Martin Gore, English Musician

32

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