“I write a song to be recorded. And to some extent to be performed, but definitely more to be recorded than performed, because the recording will last longer than a performance.” WritingLastsSongPerformances Author:Will Oldham
“If I'm focusing on playing and enjoying the song, then it always goes well. I get lost in the song, and the performance is so much better. If the focus becomes not making a mistake, then it just feels rigid to me.” IfsFeelsWellsSongLostEnjoyMistakeFocusPerformancesMaking Mistakes Author:Marketa Irglova
“A mockingbird... was heard to blend the songs of 32 different kinds of birds into a 10 minute performance, a virtuoso display that served no practical purpose, falling, therefore, into the realm of pure art.” KindArtDifferentPurposeSongFallHeardMinutesPureBirdPerformancesPracticalsRealmsDifferent KindsDisplayImitationMockingbirdVirtuoso Author:Tom Robbins
“It seemed like an impossible task to do full justice to all Luther classics. And yet these landmark artists have done just that. Memorable performances of wonderful songs that ensure Luther's legacy will live on forever.” DoneArtistSongJusticeForeverWonderfulImpossibleTasksPerformancesLegacyMemorableImpossibilityLutherLandmarks Author:Clive Davis
“I was doing these performance art pop music pieces in the city. And they were a bit on the eccentric side I suppose. So people started to call me Gaga after the Queen song 'Radio Gaga.'” PeopleArtSongBitsSidesCitiesPiecesPerformancesRadioPopsQueensCall MeEccentricPop MusicGagaPerformance ArtQueen Song Author:Lady Gaga
“It's got to be hard to be a band that's trading on your 40-year-old hits, where there's a certain thing that's expected of you. But that's why I admire Bob Dylan's live performances - he's steadfast about mixing up the songs, not just sticking to his greatest hits, and reinterpreting them to the extent that you really can't recognize them until halfway through. It's like, I DARE you to sing along.” YearsHardCertainSongBandPerformancesDareExpectedAdmireBobTradingDylanHalfwayMixingSteadfastLive Performance Author:Amy Argetsinger
“We live in a world with "free" content, and this freedom is not an imperfection. We listen to the radio without paying for the songs we hear; we hear friends humming tunes that they have not licensed. We tell jokes that reference movie plots without the permission of the directors. We read our children books, borrowed from a library, without paying the original copyright holder for the performance rights.” WorldChildrenBookSongRightsDirectorsJokesPerformancesOur ChildrenOriginalsLibraryRadioTunesPlotImperfectionPermissionBorrowedCopyrightHummingChildren BookChildrens Book Author:Lawrence Lessig
“The main things to rebel against - over-production, too much technology, overthinking. It's a spoiled mentality; everything is too easy. If you want to record a song, you can buy Pro Tools and record four hundred guitar tracks. That leads to overthinking, which kills any spontaneity and the humanity of the performance.” IfsWantSongHumanityEasyTechnologyRecordsToo MuchFourHundredToolsPerformancesGuitarTrackProductionsRebelMentalitySpontaneitySpoiledOverthinking Author:Jack White
“My last public performance for money was in 1967. For free, it was 1972, with the exception of two little one-shot, one-song things. But that's just for friends, out of friendship for the people involved, and also because it was fun.” PeopleLittlesTwoLastsSongFunInvolvedShotsPerformancesException Author:Tom Lehrer
“I was very impressed with Hanson's performance. I thought that little drummer was a kick-ass drummer, and uh, that they sang great, I mean I didn't know either, y'know, that these little boys, y'know, I was very impressed. I think they'll probably be around in 20 years writing good songs, and being a great band.” ThinkingKnowsWritingYearsMeanLittlesSongBoysBandPerformancesAssKicksImpressedDrummerLittle BoysKick Ass Author:Stevie Nicks
“I would enjoy venturing into music, as I do write songs and compose music! And, of course, dance, rhythm and performance are in my blood, so eventually I see myself doing something in that area, surely!” WritingSongCoursesEnjoyBloodAreasPerformancesRhythm Author:Jiah Khan
“There are more similarities than differences when it comes to preparation of a performance. You're using some lyrics, you have a relationship with them, they apply to different parts of your life and different circumstances, different memories, different stories you have in your head. You form personal relationships with the song. I think that's very similar, in a way, to prepping a character. You pour your own personality, in a sense, into the character, you sympathize with a character in a way that's similar to the way you might sympathize with a song.” ThinkingWayDifferentCharacterStoriesMightFormSongDifferencesMemoriesPersonalityCircumstancesPerformancesPreparationSimilarityPersonal Relationships Author:Scarlett Johansson
“If you were a performer that only had an acoustic instrument, back in the day you couldn't hide behind your guitar pedals or the production or the vibe. There was performance and then there was the song, and that was all that you had.” IfsSongBehindsPerformancesInstrumentsGuitarProductionsPerformersAcousticsBack In The DayPedals Author:Will Sheff
“Whether it be current or past, every single song that I recorded is about me. It's a peek into my life, past and present. Maybe it's coming from my theater and performance background, but nothing felt right unless I could relate to it.” PastSongFeltPerformancesTheaterCurrentsBackgroundsRelatePast And Present Author:Lea Michele
“I feel I have a responsibility to myself, a responsibility to explain where we're coming from. Because a song or the performance of a song is a lot like a work of art.” FeelsArtSongResponsibilityPerformancesWorks Of Art Author:Axl Rose
“If you give it good concentration, good energy, good heart and good performance, the song will play you.” IfsGivingHeartPlaySongEnergyPerformancesConcentrationGood HeartGood Energy Author:Levon Helm
“Yoga has had a profound effect on my songs and performances. I don't meditate in the traditional style of sitting and doing nothing. I prefer the zen of paying attention, such as the meditation of yoga flow, or walking meditations. I also consider singing, surfing and gardening to very meditative.” SongAttentionMeditationEffectsStyleWalkingSingingYogaSittingFlowPerformancesProfoundTraditionalPay AttentionGardeningSurfingDoing NothingWalking Meditation Author:Jason Mraz