So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.
Aaron CoplandRead
Music that is born complex is not inherently better or worse than music that is born simple.
Interpretation
Complex and simple music are both valuable and valid in their own ways.
Aaron Copland's quote emphasizes that the quality of music is not determined by its complexity but rather by its ability to resonate with listeners. Both complex and simple forms of music can evoke deep emotions and serve meaningful purposes, suggesting that artistic expression transcends technical difficulty.
In practice
In a discussion about different genres of music, you could share this quote to highlight that all forms have their own merits.
So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.
I hope my recordings of my own works won't inhibit other people's performances. The brutal fact is that one doesn't always get the exact tempo one wants, although one improves with experience.
Someone once asked me... whether I waited for inspiration. My answer was: "Every day!"
To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.
The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking "Is there a meaning to music?" My answer would be, "Yes", And "Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?" My answer to that would be "No."
You compose because you want to somehow summarize in some permanent form your most basic feelings about being alive, to set down some sort of permanent statement about the way it feels to live now, today.
I don't believe that poetry is in danger because nobody wants to read it or appreciate it. There is a tremendous audience for it on any given day or night. You just have to know where to look.
There were so few examples of Asian or Asian-American lead characters on American TV or even in the movies. And the ones that have existed for so long were either stereotypical or offensive in some way, or just not reflective of the lives of people in the community.
Composing is improvisation slowed down.
Stand up for yourself and fight for your right to be the artist that you want to be. There's plenty of pressure from outside; people tell you how to dress and how to sing or what to sing, but I always felt like if I'm going to fail or succeed, I want to do it on my own terms.
So when I realised I could sing for a living - do what I loved and be paid for it - I thought, 'This is unbelievable. Unbelievable!' And that feeling has never left me.
I don't live for the accolades. I'm more so about the music. Making it, and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings.
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