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Quote by Joanna Newsom

“Around eighth grade I decided I wanted to be a composer and that's what I went to college for. Just a few years back, I switched out of composition and into creative writing so I could work with words.”

Quote by Joanna Newsom

Author

Joanna Newsom is an American pianist known for her unique musical style and emotive singing voice. Born on January 18, 1982, she began learning the piano at a young age and started composing her own music in her teenage years. Newsom's music blends classical, folk, and experimental elements, often characterized by dreamlike atmospheres and profound literary themes. more

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“There's something fundamental to the harp that has retained its appeal my whole life. It's an instrument I am just in love with.”

Whole Fundamentals Instruments Whole Life Appeals Harps

Author:Joanna Newsom

“I didn't really know a lot of the history when I was younger. I didn't realize that the harp is coded in such a specific way in musical circles. It's kind of this society instrument because of its history as a young woman's parlor instrument.”

Knows Way Kind Young Realizing Instruments Musical Circles Young Women This Society Harps Parlor

Author:Joanna Newsom

“Families of privilege and money would have harps in their parlors, and their cultured daughters would learn to play. It's got such a strange history. But that wasn't the context that I learned it in, so the inherent friction between that history and the more humanist folk-y history wasn't in my conscience at all.”

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Author:Joanna Newsom

“I never thought people would be mortally offended by the sounds I was making.”

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Author:Joanna Newsom

“I don't look at people's expressions, because I still get nervous when I play, especially when I first put the harp up there. I just try to tune - it takes me a half-hour to tune, and I get nervous if I look at anybody when I do it.”

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Author:Joanna Newsom

“I've been unaware of how people react to the instrument. People have ideas of what a harp is supposed to sound like, and a lot of them are negative ideas.”

People Ideas Sound Negative Instruments Harps

Author:Joanna Newsom

“I had known that people would probably have strange reactions to my voice, because I have kind of an unwieldy, difficult voice, but I never thought that anybody would have a problem with the harp. I just assumed... C'mon, it's a beautiful instrument.”

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Author:Joanna Newsom

“I have a voice that's obviously untrained - and I think untrainable - so I kind of secreted it away for a long time. Actually, I would write songs with lyrics when I was younger, but I would just sing in my head.”

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Author:Joanna Newsom

“I don't quite understand what Tolstoy's actual personal view of Anna is - whether he likes her or hates her, whether she's the heroine or the antiheroine.”

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Author:Keira Knightley

“In terms of creation, I have never thought of suiting any system or abiding by any rules. In this respect I have remained free. The necessity has grown, as we have gotten bigger, to think about commercial aspects of the business more and more, because of the responsibility we have toward our staff and our factories.”

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Author:Rei Kawakubo