The main thing a musician would like to do is to give a picture to the listener of the many wonderful things he knows of and senses in the universe.
JOHN COLTRANEI believe that men are here to grow themselves into the best good that they can be – at least, this is what I want to do.
More John Coltrane Quotes
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There is never any end, There are always new sounds to imagine; new feelings to get at. And always, there is the need to keep purifying these feelings and sounds so that we can really see what we’ve discovered in its pure state.
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God breathes through us so completely, So gently we hardly feel it, yet it is our everything.
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All of the technique doesn’t matter only if the feeling is right.
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I never even thought about whether or not they understand what I’m doing, the emotional reaction is all that matters as long as there’s some feeling of communication, it isn’t necessary that it be understood.
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Don’t ever get so big or important that you can not hear and listen to every other person.
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When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people.
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Considering the great heritage in music that we have – the work of the giants of the past, the present, and the promise of those who are to come – I feel that we have every reason to face the future optimistically.
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The real risk is not changing. I have to feel that I’m after something. If I make money, fine. But I’d rather be striving. It’s the striving, man, it’s that I want.
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Sometimes I think I was making music through the wrong end of a magnifying glass.
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Working with Monk is like falling down a dark elevator shaft.
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I think I know what it is but don’t ask me to play it.
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The first time I heard Bird play, it hit me right between the eyes.
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Sometimes I wish I could walk up to my music as if for the first time, as if I had never heard it before. Being so inescapably a part of it, I’ll never know what the listener gets, what the listener feels, and that’s too bad.
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My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it in my music. If you live it, when you play there’s no problem because the music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am – my faith, my knowledge, my being.
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You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere.
JOHN COLTRANE -
I believe that men are here to grow themselves into the best good that they can be – at least, this is what I want to do.
JOHN COLTRANE -
Jazz is a word they use to sell our music, but to me that word does not exist.
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I think music is an instrument. It can create the initial thought patterns that can change the thinking of people.
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Change is inevitable in music – things change.
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My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being…When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups…I want to speak to their souls.
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I want to be a force for real good. In other words, I know there are bad forces. You know, I know that there are forces out here that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.
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Sometimes I wish I could walk up to my music for the first time, as if I had never heard it before.
JOHN COLTRANE -
One positive thought produces millions of positive vibrations.
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I think the majority of musicians are interested in truth.
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I’m into scales right now.
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I think I was first awakened to musical exploration by Dizzy Gillespie and Bird. It was through their work that I began to learn about musical structures and the more theoretical aspects of music.
JOHN COLTRANE