If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something different, to find out what people are going to think about it, you're going to limit yourself. That's a very strange way to live.
Jessye NormanRead
I like so many different kinds of music that I've never allowed myself the limitations of one particular range.
Interpretation
Embracing diverse musical styles leads to a richer experience.
Jessye Norman's quote highlights the importance of openness to various musical genres, suggesting that limiting oneself to a single type restricts personal growth and enjoyment. By appreciating a multitude of styles, one can cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of art in its many forms.
In practice
During a music appreciation class to encourage students to explore various genres.
If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something different, to find out what people are going to think about it, you're going to limit yourself. That's a very strange way to live.
My parents said to us, practically on a daily basis, that we were as good as anyone else on this earth, and that we would simply have to work harder in order to show that.
Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself.
I am grateful that my horizons were not narrowed at the outset.
As for my voice, it cannot be categorised - and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic, mezzo or spinto range.
It is still more likely that a woman's power would be seen as aggression, and a man's power would be seen as assertion.
There must be a story within him/her that wants to come out. That's the reason why 'Dil Chahta Hai,' 'Lagaan,' and 'Rang De Basanti' worked so well: Ashutosh, Farhan, and Rakesh had a story inside them. It's very important that the director should have the fire in the belly to tell the story.
What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.
One can be a great poet and be politically stupid.
How quiet the writing, how noisy the printing.
Painting is not made to decorate apartments. It's an offensive and defensive weapon against the enemy. (about Guernica).
I am always worried that over-planning and outlining will kill the magic of writing; most of the world I created in 'California' occurred via good old sexy sentence-making.
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