With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me. Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years.
The thing that influenced me most was the way Tommy played his trombone. It was my idea to make my voice work in the same way as a trombone or violin-not sounding like them, but "playing" the voice like those instrumentalists.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Frank Sinatra expresses how deeply he was inspired by the musical style of others, particularly how they used their instruments.
In this quote, Frank Sinatra highlights the significant impact that Tommy's trombone playing had on him as an artist. He articulates a desire to mirror the expressiveness and technique of instrumentalists by adapting his vocal style to incorporate similar qualities, suggesting that inspiration can come from observing and learning from others in the creative field. This interplay between voice and instrument emphasizes the interconnectedness of different forms of artistic expression.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on vocal techniques, you could use this quote to illustrate the importance of drawing inspiration from other musicians.
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