What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.
Interpretation
Ray Charles emphasizes the importance of versatility in music and creativity.
In this quote, Ray Charles highlights his unique approach to music by showcasing his versatility across different genres like jazz, blues, and country. He describes himself as a 'utility man,' indicating that his ability to adapt and blend different musical styles is what sets him apart in the industry, suggesting that diversity in creativity is valuable and enriching.
In practice
This quote can inspire musicians to explore different genres during an interview.
I suppose I've always done my share of crying, especially when there's no other way to contain my feelings. I know that men ain't supposed to cry, but I think that's wrong. Crying's always been a way for me to get things out which are buried deep, deep down. When I sing, I often cry. Crying is feeling, and feeling is being human. Oh yes, I cry.
I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
To me, music is entertainment - what else can it be? In fact, it's the only language I know of that's universal.
Just because you can't see anything , doesn't mean you should shut your eyes.
Any artist, when he goes in to record, should have the feeling that any song he records can be a hit. This may sound egotistical, but it makes sense.
When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while - when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. It was very controversial. I got a lot of criticism for it.
A grain of poetry suffices to season a century.
I have been very lucky to work in so many new ballets, but that is what a dancer's work is.
The first time I started choreographing was in the dark, in my living room, with the lights completely out, to some popular music on the radio. I put the radio on full blast and I started moving. I didn't know what it looked like. I didn't want to see it... I had to start in the dark.
You need to keep something for yourself. As a writer, I feel that even more strongly. I feel like I need to be able to freely observe the world. That's the way I like to move through the world; I don't need to be the focus of attention. If I am, it impairs my ability to write and to do what I do.
True alchemy lies in this formula: ‘Your memory and your senses are but the nourishment of your creative impulse’.
Performing live in front of an audience is such a matter of will - all of those things you can do just fine in your basement, suddenly you have to do them in front of hundreds or thousands of people, and it becomes a different matter entirely.
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