As a child, you respond physically, tactically. You're delighted by sound, you're delighted by recognizing something. It's like hide and seek. Is it there? Is it not there? Is it this note? Is it not this note? It's one fantastic game.
Yo-Yo MaRead
A composition is always more than the sum of its parts. In other words, a really good piece of music is more than itself. It's sort of like a prism, which you can see from each facet a single totality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A great composition transcends its individual elements and creates a unified experience.
Yo-Yo Ma's quote suggests that a musical composition, much like any piece of art, is not merely an aggregation of its components but instead embodies a greater significance and emotional impact. It emphasizes the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, inviting listeners to appreciate the interconnectedness and unity within the work, which can be perceived from multiple perspectives, similar to how a prism reveals different colors while remaining a singular object.
Themes
CompositionMusicArtUnityWholeness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a music appreciation class to emphasize how various musical elements contribute to a whole.
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I learn something not because I have to, but because I really want to. That's the same view I have for performing. I'm performing because I really want to, not because I have to bring bread back home.
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