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 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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Learning and performing should be driven by passion rather than obligation.
In this quote, Yo-Yo Ma emphasizes the intrinsic motivation behind learning and performing. He argues that true fulfillment comes from the desire to engage with one's interests rather than from external pressures or necessities, highlighting the importance of passion in the pursuit of knowledge and art.
Themes
LearningPassionMotivationPerformanceIntrinsic
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to inspire students to pursue their passions.
More from Yo-Yo Ma
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The role of the musician is to go from concept to full execution. Put another way, it's to go from understanding the content of something to really learning how to communicate it and make sure it's well-received and lives in somebody else.
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