I am playing the violin, that's all I know, nothing else, no education, no nothing. You just practice every day.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of practice over formal education in mastering a skill.
Itzhak Perlman's quote highlights that true expertise in any art form, particularly music, doesn't solely rely on formal education but rather on dedicated practice and commitment. He suggests that the simplicity of focusing on the daily act of playing leads to mastery, reinforcing the idea that effort and perseverance are key elements to success, regardless of oneβs background or academic credentials.
In practice
This quote could be used during a motivational speech to young musicians.
I say to string players in small chamber orchestras, 'it's always easy to become a passenger on the journey in sound, just adding volume to the whole. But if you play in an individual way, it makes the difference between good and great sound in an orchestra.'
In difficult times, people just like to hear music. They like to be moved by what they hear. And music speaks different languages.
Sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.
For every child prodigy that you know about, at least 50 potential ones have burned out before you even heard about them.
Whenever I play recitals, the part where I talk about music and my experiences of music, audiences always like it. They feel more involved with an artist who talks to them. It's a nice experience for me as well.
Israel is the country of my birth. When I come here, I feel I'm coming home.
I'll be the first to admit that we're the 90's version of Cheap Trick or the Knack...
Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it.
In World War II, jazz absolutely was the music of freedom, and then in the Cold War, behind the Iron Curtain, same thing. It was all underground, but they needed the food of freedom that jazz offered.
People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die.
It's easy to get sidetracked with technology, and that is the danger, but ultimately you have to see what works with the music and what doesn't. In a lot of cases, less is more. In most cases, less is more.
If you play more than two chords, you're showing off.
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