MusicThoughts update : inspiring quotes for music-makers
Musicians, producers, artists, and engineers, check out the newest update of MusicThoughts.
Since I was 18, I’d always save inspiring quotes about making music from interviews with my heroes.
Any time I was feeling stuck on a new song, disappointed by my career, or lost perspective on a studio mixdown, I’d lay down and read slowly through these favorite quotes.
Stuck on some lyrics, trying too hard to accurately express something, a Brian Eno quote let me be less specific, and more evocative.
Almost everything John Cage said would make me look at a dilemma in a new way.
Feeling I couldn’t match up to a great start, a Picasso quote was a great reminder that feeling is universal.
When I was trying to finish my album, but just not satisfied, it was reassuring to know that neither was John Lennon, and his records turned out OK.
Then there’s that Kurt Vonnegut quote which applies to so many things in life.
In 1999, I made MusicThoughts.com as a place for everyone to share their inspiring quotes about making music, or to turn to in those moments when they’re in need of new inspiration.
In 2008, I decided I wanted all of my future websites to be multi-lingual, so I thought MusicThoughts would be a great place to start. I hired translators to translate all the quotes into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese. I also hired three different webdesigners to make it look better.
Now I’ve approved hundreds of new quotes submitted by others, paid the translators to translate them into all 10 languages, and updated the site again.
Go to MusicThoughts.com Enjoy!
Derek;
the updated site is great. Motivation overkill. And the translation is great too. Hope I can contribute, too.
How generous of you, Derek - thanks for the inspiration! Sometimes, the right quote can change the timbre of your mood, or even your entire day.
My favorite part of your site is the "random thought" page where you can get an inspirational thought on shuffle mode.
Well done!
Carla
" I have nothing to say and I am saying it." John Cage
Fits for me right now. Many thanks Derek.
I keep a calendar on my dinner table. It was given to me by a co-worker when I worked a 9-5 job. I love those simple quotes. When I feel down or upset I will turn the page to sometime great.
The one on Chet Baker is good. Ouotations from a persons life is the best for me. I know someone is feeling human and that's great for me to learn. (wow!)
Derek, I'm always left with a sense of purpose after reading your daily blog. I love your authenticity and fearlessness in starting such a community. I don't agree with every single opinion you have, but I am a great fan of your energy and mischievous sense of humor. Like Seth Godin is to you - you are to me when it comes to indie music and it's proper place in the world.
Awwww... Thanks Deborah! I really appreciate it. :-) — Derek
My startpage is MusicThoughts.com.
What would be really great is an RSS feed that would spawn wisdom continuously at the bottom of my browser. Yummy.
You're the 21 century oracle-4-artists Derek. What next.
David Unlimbo.
I always loved the quote from BB.King where he talks about playing the blues - something like "Playing the blues is like telling the happiest and saddest story at the same time" - I'll have to go away and find it as it is well worth the read!
Oh! Just thought of another one! John Lee hooker said... "I don't play solo's, just mean licks"! So so true!
OSIRIS Magazine would like to interview you "Mr Derek Sivers". Please email us at info@osirismagazine.com
Thank You!
Layla
Speaking of feeling stuck, disappointed or losing perspective, another thing that can help, in my case, is keeping a collection of quotes that others say about me. I used to write them in a student calendar or notebook. I wasn't worried about getting a swelled head, not when my head was pretty shrunken.
I got the idea from a story from Zig Ziglar of the car salesman who wrote a "sales pitch" about himself. He would go into an empty car and read it to himself, because it measurably helped his bottom line of car sales.