Long live teachers of children, because they can show children how they can save the world.
Pete SeegerRead
The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and sing. What a mistake that would be.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Avoiding mistakes by not participating leads to missed opportunities.
Pete Seeger's quote highlights the importance of taking risks and embracing the possibility of failure. It suggests that the fear of making mistakes should not deter individuals from expressing themselves, particularly in creative endeavors like singing. The true mistake would be to remain silent and not share one's voice at all, as that leads to unfulfilled potential and missed experiences.
Themes
MusicExpressionRiskFailureCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about creativity and the arts.
More from Pete Seeger
All quotes →According to my definition of God, I'm not an atheist. Because I think God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes, I'm looking at God. Whenever I'm listening to something, I'm listening to God.
Pete SeegerRead
Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.
Pete SeegerRead
Well, normally I’m against big things. I think the world is going to be saved by millions of small things. Too many things can go wrong when they get big.” — Pete Seeger (on how he felt about attending his big 90th birthday bash last year)
Pete SeegerRead
I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me a chance to join in - as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human race.
Pete SeegerRead
I write a song because I want to. I think the moment you start writing it to make money, you're starting to kill yourself artistically.
Pete SeegerRead
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