A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside... I'm going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I'm very shy, and I shy away from people. But the moment I hit the stage, it's a different feeling I get nerve from somewhere; maybe it's because it's something I love to do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the transformative power of passion, where fear diminishes in the pursuit of what one loves.
Ella Fitzgerald articulates her personal experience of overcoming shyness when she performs on stage. This transformation highlights how engaging in a beloved activity can bring out confidence and a sense of purpose, suggesting that our true selves often emerge when we pursue our passions despite our fears.
Themes
ShynessPerformancePassionConfidenceArt
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote to inspire shy individuals during a public speaking course.
More from Ella Fitzgerald
All quotes →It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
Once, when we were playing at the Apollo Theater, Holiday was working a block away at the Harlem Opera House. Some of us went over between shows to catch her, and afterwards we went backstage. I did something then, and I still don't know if it was the right thing to do—I asked her for her autograph.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I've had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn't work out. I don't want to dwell on that and I don't want to put people down, but I think all the fabulous places I've been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I've met - that ought to make a story.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
Some kids in Italy call me 'Mama Jazz; I thought that was so cute. As long as they don't call me 'Grandma Jazz.'
Ella FitzgeraldRead
I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.
Ella FitzgeraldRead
Similar quotes
I don't read music. I don't write it. So I wander around on the guitar until something starts to present itself.
James TaylorRead
There is an art to the business of making sandwiches which it is given to few ever to find the time to explore in depth. It is a simple task, but the opportunities for satisfaction are many and profound.
Douglas AdamsRead
I know I'm not the kind of music that's going to have tons of screaming fans, and I'm not gonna be everyone's cup of tea. I just want to do as good a job as I can.
HozierRead
I come from the place where I am thinking 'I have put my blood on the pages.'
Albert BrooksRead
Poems, novels - these things belong to the nation, to the culture, and the people.
Joseph BrodskyRead
Sound has spoiled the most ancient of the world's arts, the art of pantomime, and has canceled out the great beauty that is silence.
Charlie ChaplinRead