I am Charles Mingus, half black man, not even white enough to pass for nothing but black. I am Charles Mingus, a famed jazzman, but not famed enough to make a living in this society.
Charles MingusRead
Just because I'm playing jazz I don't forget about me. I play or write me, the way I feel, through jazz, or whatever.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-expression and authenticity in jazz, and in creativity overall.
Charles Mingus expresses the idea that while he is engaged in playing jazz, he remains true to himself and his own feelings. He uses jazz as a medium to convey his personal experiences and emotions, highlighting the deep connection between identity and artistic expression. For Mingus, jazz is not just a genre; it is a personal voice that communicates who he is.
In practice
This quote could be shared during a jazz concert to inspire musicians to stay true to themselves.
I am Charles Mingus, half black man, not even white enough to pass for nothing but black. I am Charles Mingus, a famed jazzman, but not famed enough to make a living in this society.
Jazz music is a language of the emotions.
Let my children have music! Let them hear live music.
My music is evidence of my soul's will to live.
I never heard my music played the way I heard it in my head.
It (jazz) isn't like it used to be. The guys aren't together. They're all separated. Individuals now. Bird was a symbol. It was a clique, a clique of people. Who all believed in one thing: gettin' high. And playin'.
Most poets are young simply because they have not been caught up. Show me an old poet, and I'll show you, more often than not, either a madman or a master... it's when you begin to lie to yourself in a poem in order simply to make a poem that you fail. That is why I do not rework poems.
I think that still, for the most part, even in 2010, the vast majority of museum shows and gallery shows and gallerists are pretty much dominated by men. So having a sense of what women are up to, for me, frankly, is very, very important.
Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic far beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!
I don't think it's about playing and singing, to be honest. That seems like old news, you know? I wasn't thinking about that. I just think that's in my body now. Dancers don't think about their legs moving one way and their arms moving another. Over time, you incorporate that into your instrument.
My own physicality, not an abstract idea, makes me a choreographer.
Now very often events are set up for photographers... The weddings are orchestrated about the photographers taking the picture, because if it hasn't been photographed it doesn't really exist.
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