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Humans are imperfect. That's one of the reasons that classical and jazz are in trouble. We're on the quest for the perfect performance and every note has to be right. Man, every note is not right in life.
Branford Marsalis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Perfection in performance is unattainable, reflecting the imperfection of human life.

Branford Marsalis highlights the struggle for perfection in music, particularly within classical and jazz genres, emphasizing that like life itself, music is inherently flawed. The pursuit of a perfect performance often overshadows the natural imperfections that make both music and life beautiful, reminding us that accepting imperfection can lead to greater authenticity and enjoyment.

Themes

ImperfectionMusicPerformanceLifeAuthenticity

In practice

Example use cases

During a music class, a teacher might use this quote to encourage students to embrace their mistakes.

More from Branford Marsalis

Walter Beasley is an anomaly: a successful performing musician who possesses the rare skill of understanding the musical process beyond the intuitive. This special ability enables Walter to communicate with aspiring musicians in a way that removes the sense of mystery that sometimes enshrouds our profession.
Branford MarsalisRead

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