You can grow up with literally nothing and you don’t suffer if you know you’re loved and valued.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the naturalness and instinctive quality of performance rather than a conscious effort.
Esperanza Spalding reflects on the art of performance, suggesting that true mastery comes from a deep integration of movement and expression into one's being. Unlike a mechanical or overly conscious approach to creating music or dance, she argues for an organic, instinctual flow where the artist embodies their craft seamlessly, much like dancers whose movements are innate rather than forced.
Themes
PerformanceArtistryEmbodimentDanceMusic
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a dance workshop to inspire dancers to connect with their movements intuitively.
More from Esperanza Spalding
All quotes →I always say that the problem with jazz accessibility is not the content of the music, it's people's ability to access it.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
There's nothing wrong with struggle. Anytime I look back at a difficult phase of my life and see what grew out of it - the creative survival tactics - I think that the good is way better than the bad.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
It's a pity that if someone who has a really profoundly potent art to share chooses not to or doesn't fit into this very thin slice of what's desirable and marketable, chances are the public will never get a chance to hear what they're doing.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
I just think music is so intrinsically linked with images in the culture that we live in that you'll be hard-pressed to have an experience with the music without a preconceived notion.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
When something in art or music piques my interest, I tend to go check it out, and most things I check out, I'm not very good at. But a few things I've gone to check out have given me back as much love as I gave them, usually much more.
Esperanza SpaldingRead
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