We in the Western world suffer from too many categories and classes; we've forgotten that we all still have diapers on. We've separated music from life.
Ornette ColemanRead
You don't have to worry about being a number one, number two, or number three. Numbers don't have anything to do with placement. Numbers only have something to do with repetition.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that rankings are irrelevant; what matters is the consistent effort and practice you put in.
Ornette Coleman's quote suggests that the fixation on rankings or positions (like being first, second, or third) is misguided. Instead, he highlights that true progress and mastery come from repetition and dedication to one's craft, not by merely comparing oneself to others. It's an important reminder to focus on personal growth rather than external validation through numbers.
Themes
SuccessEffortRepetitionPersonal GrowthMastery
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to encourage artists to focus on their craft rather than accolades.
More from Ornette Coleman
All quotes →You've got to realize. In the western world, regardless of what color you are, what title the music is, it's all played by the same notes.
Ornette ColemanRead
So, for instance, if you came to me, I'd ask, 'Do you want to write? Do you want to improvise? Why do you want to play this instrument? What do you want to do?'
Ornette ColemanRead
That's what I was trying to say when we were talking about sound. I think that every person, whether they play music or don't play music, has a sound - their own sound, that thing that you're talking about.
Ornette ColemanRead
It's just someone has labelled us as having a different label to do what you do. I find that labels are the worst thing in the world for artistic expression.
Ornette ColemanRead
I decided, if I'm going to be poor and black and all, the least thing I'm going to do is to try and find out who I am. I created everything about me.
Ornette ColemanRead
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