Music Quotes | Beyond Motive 9/61

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Music Quotes

"There was this discussion to know how long the human ear was really receptive to the music. A 74 minute CD is too long. We thought about making two CDs, 35 minutes each... But the songs need to breathe."

"There was this discussion to know how long the human ear was really receptive to the music. A 74 minute CD is too long. We thought about making two CDs, 35 minutes each... But the songs need to breathe."

Ed O'Brien, English Musician

Music, Thought, Songs

49

"It is only in his music, which Americans are able to admire because a protective sentimentality limits their understanding of it, that the Negro in America has been able to tell his story."

"It is only in his music, which Americans are able to admire because a protective sentimentality limits their understanding of it, that the Negro in America has been able to tell his story."

James Baldwin, American Educator

Music, America, Americans, Limits

49

"Music assists him in the use of harmonic and mathematical proportion."

"Music assists him in the use of harmonic and mathematical proportion."

Marcus V. Pollio, American Architect

49

"His words and music weren't just joined; they were inseparably married."

"His words and music weren't just joined; they were inseparably married."

John Corry, American Journalist

49

"So, to prepare for the role, I had to take music lessons, talk to wives who had husbands overseas, and carefully study the reactions and mannerisms of a friend who was expecting."

"So, to prepare for the role, I had to take music lessons, talk to wives who had husbands overseas, and carefully study the reactions and mannerisms of a friend who was expecting."

June Allyson, American Actress

Music, Friend, Husbands, Study

49

"The human brain can soften as a result of incessant listening to music with an intent to commit prose."

"The human brain can soften as a result of incessant listening to music with an intent to commit prose."

Donal Henahan, American Critic

Music, Listening, Prose, Result

49

"I think music sharing of any kind is great."

"I think music sharing of any kind is great."

Talib Kweli, American Musician

49

"To me, the noise of a threshing machine is better music than a lot of music I hear nowadays. I took a man's place in the threshing crew when I was only 14 years old."

"To me, the noise of a threshing machine is better music than a lot of music I hear nowadays. I took a man's place in the threshing crew when I was only 14 years old."

Clyde Tombaugh, American Scientist

Music, Machine, Man, Old

49

"I suppose any note, no matter how sour, sounds like a song if you hold onto it long enough."

"I suppose any note, no matter how sour, sounds like a song if you hold onto it long enough."

Dewitt Bodeen, American Screenwriter

49

"Miles Davis is one who writes songs when he plays."

"Miles Davis is one who writes songs when he plays."

Gerry Mulligan, American Musician

49

"Music is a language, you see, a universal language."

"Music is a language, you see, a universal language."

Sun Ra, American Musician

Music, Language

49

"One of the album's songs features Mary J. Blige, but I don't want to talk too much about it yet. I think you will hear the music that's been playing in my head when it comes out."

"One of the album's songs features Mary J. Blige, but I don't want to talk too much about it yet. I think you will hear the music that's been playing in my head when it comes out."

Chaka Khan, American Musician

Music, Songs, Talk, Want

49

"That was probably the stamp that went into my mind, because I worked in television for many years, doing that kind of music, so that really was my strong forte."

"That was probably the stamp that went into my mind, because I worked in television for many years, doing that kind of music, so that really was my strong forte."

Skitch Henderson, American Musician

Music, Mind, Television, Years

49

"You can say things a million times, but if you can't sing it, then it really isn't much of a song."

"You can say things a million times, but if you can't sing it, then it really isn't much of a song."

Justin Timberlake, American Musician

49

"Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it. You have to sweat over it and bug it to death. You can't do it by pushing buttons and watching a TV screen."

"Good music comes out of people playing together, knowing what they want to do and going for it. You have to sweat over it and bug it to death. You can't do it by pushing buttons and watching a TV screen."

Keith Richards, English Musician

Music, Death, People, Want

49

"Has it struck you that the music which is regarded as the most sublime in western civilization, which is the music of Bach, is called baroque?"

"Has it struck you that the music which is regarded as the most sublime in western civilization, which is the music of Bach, is called baroque?"

Pierre Schaeffer, French Composer

Music, Civilization

49

"The invention of Bob Dylan with his guitar belongs in its way to the same kind of tradition of something meant to be heard, as the songs of Homer."

"The invention of Bob Dylan with his guitar belongs in its way to the same kind of tradition of something meant to be heard, as the songs of Homer."

Robert Fitzgerald, American Author

Music, Guitar, Invention, Songs, Tradition

49

"One of the great virtues, apart from the pleasure of performing these works, is that it's opened up an entirely new, expansive repertoire of American Jewish music."

"One of the great virtues, apart from the pleasure of performing these works, is that it's opened up an entirely new, expansive repertoire of American Jewish music."

Neville Marriner, English Musician

Music, American, Pleasure

49

"My mother played piano so we always had music around the house."

"My mother played piano so we always had music around the house."

Johnny Winter, American Musician

49

"Well, yeah, I wanted to resist the urge to thicken everything up with instrumentation, because I just felt like I was interested in seeing how the songs did on their own."

"Well, yeah, I wanted to resist the urge to thicken everything up with instrumentation, because I just felt like I was interested in seeing how the songs did on their own."

Joanna Newsom, American Musician

49

"After all, in today's music scene every band seems to steal from other bands."

"After all, in today's music scene every band seems to steal from other bands."

Maynard James Keenan, American Musician

49

"If something bothers me, it bothers me for a long time until I find a way to work it out. Music provided me with a means of working things out."

"If something bothers me, it bothers me for a long time until I find a way to work it out. Music provided me with a means of working things out."

Iris DeMent, American Musician

Music, Time, Work

49

"Music is a gut thing. You're working in a medium which is more in touch with the primal than the modern. A gig is a ritual. There's a congregation."

"Music is a gut thing. You're working in a medium which is more in touch with the primal than the modern. A gig is a ritual. There's a congregation."

Siobhan Fahey, British Musician

49

"If Music is a Place -- then Jazz is the City, Folk is the Wilderness, Rock is the Road, Classical is a Temple."

"If Music is a Place -- then Jazz is the City, Folk is the Wilderness, Rock is the Road, Classical is a Temple."

Vera Nazarian, American Writer

Music, Metaphor, Creativity, Art

49

"Being in Blur has allowed me to travel and hear the music that's being made all over the world."

"Being in Blur has allowed me to travel and hear the music that's being made all over the world."

Damon Albarn, English Musician

Music, Travel, Being, World

49

"Napster hijacked our music without asking. They never sought our permission. Our catalog of music simply became available as free downloads on the Napster system."

"Napster hijacked our music without asking. They never sought our permission. Our catalog of music simply became available as free downloads on the Napster system."

Lars Ulrich, Danish Musician

49

"What I took back, because of my exposure to the Jewish music of the 30s and the 40s in my upbringing with my father, was that kind of theatrical songwriting. It was always a part of my character. This desire to make people laugh."

"What I took back, because of my exposure to the Jewish music of the 30s and the 40s in my upbringing with my father, was that kind of theatrical songwriting. It was always a part of my character. This desire to make people laugh."

Pete Townshend, British Musician

Music, Father, People, Character

49

"The only truth is music."

"The only truth is music."

Jack Kerouac, American Novelist

Music, Truth, Expression, Art

49

"Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch."

"Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Music, Heal, Wounds, Medicine

49

"Explicit material is available in a variety of forums - from popular music to television to the Internet."

"Explicit material is available in a variety of forums - from popular music to television to the Internet."

Tipper Gore, American Celebrity

Music, Internet, Popular, Television

49

"You have to insulate yourself - I'm talking about from everything, people can be talking to you and you won't hear 'em - that's how you write a song. And I haven't been able to do that over here 'cause I'm so busy and then, when I am off, I want to get away from music."

"You have to insulate yourself - I'm talking about from everything, people can be talking to you and you won't hear 'em - that's how you write a song. And I haven't been able to do that over here 'cause I'm so busy and then, when I am off, I want to get away from music."

Mel Tillis, American Musician

Music, People, Song, Talking

49

"I seldom play in a trio, but acoustic music is likely to be lighter, quicker, and quieter."

"I seldom play in a trio, but acoustic music is likely to be lighter, quicker, and quieter."

Bill Bruford, British Musician

49

"My first interest was always music, and somehow that channelled itself into films and acting. I don't know what the natural transition of it was. I mean I acted a little bit when I was young and like any kid would in a community theatre."

"My first interest was always music, and somehow that channelled itself into films and acting. I don't know what the natural transition of it was. I mean I acted a little bit when I was young and like any kid would in a community theatre."

Andy Garcia, American Actor

Music, Acting, Community, First

49

"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."

"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."

Gustav Mahler, Austrian Composer

Music, Trying, Words

49

"It's easy to get next to music theory, especially between your peers and music classes and so forth. You just pay attention. I had a good ear, so I realized that printed music was just about reminding you what to play."

"It's easy to get next to music theory, especially between your peers and music classes and so forth. You just pay attention. I had a good ear, so I realized that printed music was just about reminding you what to play."

Quincy Jones, American Musician

Music, Attention, Play, Theory

49

"It really is, to see that this kind of music is still so popular."

"It really is, to see that this kind of music is still so popular."

Wanda Jackson, American Musician

49

"It's just different in the music world. You come more with an entourage."

"It's just different in the music world. You come more with an entourage."

Taryn Manning, American Actress

48

"Doing something like that, quite radically changing your approach to sound in one go, could leave you high and dry. It's happened before where people have changed direction and then everyone's stopped liking their music."

"Doing something like that, quite radically changing your approach to sound in one go, could leave you high and dry. It's happened before where people have changed direction and then everyone's stopped liking their music."

Tom Jenkinson, English Musician

Music, People, Direction, Sound

48

"I am a person who thinks about the music first in trying to achieve something musically valid."

"I am a person who thinks about the music first in trying to achieve something musically valid."

Sonny Rollins, American Musician

Music, First, Trying

48

"Now, music almost feels naked in my mind."

"Now, music almost feels naked in my mind."

Sean Lennon, American Musician

Music, Mind, Now

48

"I didn't write this song. Someone was talking in a room. I just wrote down everything they said."

"I didn't write this song. Someone was talking in a room. I just wrote down everything they said."

Jeff Ament, American Musician

Music, Song, Talking

48

"I just think people should find the music that helps them through the day and enjoy that. I've never felt like, if somebody does or doesn't like what I'm doing, it's a morality issue."

"I just think people should find the music that helps them through the day and enjoy that. I've never felt like, if somebody does or doesn't like what I'm doing, it's a morality issue."

Amy Grant, American Musician

Music, Morality, People, Day

48

"Frank was the BOSS and was not open to anything that was not from his head. There were no arguments about music because if you did, he would show you where the door was. Period."

"Frank was the BOSS and was not open to anything that was not from his head. There were no arguments about music because if you did, he would show you where the door was. Period."

Jimmy Carl Black, American Musician

Music, Boss, Arguments, Open

48

"I think that the jazzy approach that I have is based on the way that I hear music and in the way I play a supporting role to the other people in the band."

"I think that the jazzy approach that I have is based on the way that I hear music and in the way I play a supporting role to the other people in the band."

Jimmy Chamberlin, American Musician

Music, People, Play

48

"Because the casual music listeners are the ones who turn on the radio and they don't really care what's playing, they just know that they kinda like it or it's easy to drive to or it's easy to sing along to or whatever."

"Because the casual music listeners are the ones who turn on the radio and they don't really care what's playing, they just know that they kinda like it or it's easy to drive to or it's easy to sing along to or whatever."

Michael Stipe, American Musician

48

"High school music teachers... nobody makes a living off it."

"High school music teachers... nobody makes a living off it."

David Ogden Stiers, American Actor

Music, Living, School, Teachers

48

"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music."

"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music."

William Stafford, American Poet

48

"Acting kind of pays my bills more than music does."

"Acting kind of pays my bills more than music does."

Marla Sokoloff, American Actor

48

"Younger players in this music often turn out to be middle aged; it is not a young music."

"Younger players in this music often turn out to be middle aged; it is not a young music."

Derek Bailey, English Musician

48

"So, essentially my contribution was to introduce repetition into Western music as the main ingredient without any melody over it, without anything just repeated patterns, musical patterns."

"So, essentially my contribution was to introduce repetition into Western music as the main ingredient without any melody over it, without anything just repeated patterns, musical patterns."

Terry Riley, American Composer

Music, Repetition

48

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