As a child, you respond physically, tactically. You're delighted by sound, you're delighted by recognizing something. It's like hide and seek. Is it there? Is it not there? Is it this note? Is it not this note? It's one fantastic game.
Yo-Yo MaRead
I think the purpose of a piece of music is significant when it actually lives in somebody else. A composer puts down a code, and a performer can activate the code in somebody else. Once it lives in somebody else, it can live in others as well.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Music gains its true purpose when it resonates with an audience, surpassing the initial intent of the composer.
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of music, suggesting that its significance is realized not just in its creation but in its ability to connect with listeners. Once a piece of music is performed and felt by someone, it becomes a shared experience that can inspire and affect others, highlighting the communal nature of artistic expression.
Themes
MusicComposerPerformanceAudienceExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of arts in education.
More from Yo-Yo Ma
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I think anybody who goes away finds you appreciate home more when you return.
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When we enlarge our view of the world, we deepen our understanding of our own lives.
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I learn something not because I have to, but because I really want to. That's the same view I have for performing. I'm performing because I really want to, not because I have to bring bread back home.
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