Starting in the middle of a musical sentence and moving in both directions at once.
John ColtraneRead
My goal is to live the truly religious life, and express it in my music. If you live it, when you play there's no problem because the music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am - my faith, my knowledge, my being.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the idea that true musicianship is a spiritual experience that reflects one's inner beliefs and existence.
In this quote, John Coltrane articulates his view that music transcends mere sound and becomes a profound expression of one's faith and essence. He emphasizes that living a deeply spiritual life enriches the musical experience, allowing the musician to connect their beliefs with their art, thereby creating music that resonates on a spiritual level.
Themes
MusicSpiritualityExpressionFaithArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of music in personal development.
More from John Coltrane
All quotes →When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people.
John ColtraneRead
I'd like to point out to people the divine in a musical language that transcends words. I want to speak to their souls.
John ColtraneRead
I start from one point and go as far as possible. But, unfortunately, I never lose my way. I 'localize,' which is to say that I think always in a given space. I rarely think of the whole of a solo, and only very briefly. I always return to the small part of the solo that I was in the process of playing.
John ColtraneRead
In the year of 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening, which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life.
John ColtraneRead
Sometimes I wish I could walk up to my music for the first time, as if I had never heard it before.
John ColtraneRead
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