Jazz shouldn't have any mandates. Jazz is not supposed to be something that's required to sound like jazz. For me, the word 'jazz' means, 'I dare you.'
Wayne ShorterRead
To me, a song is not finished. To me, there's no such thing as a finished anything. All of Beethoven's nine symphonies, to me, are one. I think of it as having no beginning and no end.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art is an ongoing process without definitive completion, constantly evolving and interconnected.
Wayne Shorter's quote emphasizes the idea that art, particularly music, is a continuous journey rather than a finite product. He suggests that creations like Beethoven's symphonies are interconnected parts of a larger whole, reflecting the notion that true artistic expression never truly ends but evolves over time.
Themes
ArtMusicCreationEvolutionBeethoven
In practice
Example use cases
In a conversation about the creative process, you could use this quote to illustrate the continuous nature of artistic work.
More from Wayne Shorter
All quotes →When they say 'jazz,' I'm thinking of a word called 'the creative process.' It intersects every vein and tributary, avenue, path, that everyone's living. It crosses through there, but it's been contained.
Wayne ShorterRead
There's a steady forward march of a creative process that some of us stay with and don't give up - that should be an admirable thing - from Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker to Miles to Ornette and some people who are not even known today - some kids coming up - people who are out to change the world.
Wayne ShorterRead
The arts can open the door to the imagination, pushing the envelope of how peace can be created. It takes courage to take this kind of risk, and courage is what we all need to create a better world.
Wayne ShorterRead
I think that music opens portals and doorways into unknown sectors that it takes courage to leap into. I always think that there's a potential that we all have, and we can emerge, rise up to this potential, when necessary. We have to be fearless, courageous, and draw upon wisdom that we think we don't have.
Wayne ShorterRead
Movies would be like a broad painted canvas... or a mystical process which cannot really be explained, like, 'What is electricity?' Along with the images that go on the screen, there's a corridor of dialogue that can happen through motion pictures, whether you're aware of it or not.
Wayne ShorterRead
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I keep reminding people that an editorial in rhyme is not a song. A good song makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think.
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