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
The thing that I've always been slightly frustrated with, was that the idea of a CD is kind of confined to a material possession that you can put on a shelf. And the idea of music, for me, is always about both the communication and the sharing of content. And so the interactive part is missing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses frustration with how music is often viewed as a physical object rather than a shared experience.
Yo-Yo Ma highlights the limitation of traditional music formats, like CDs, which reduce music to mere physical possessions rather than focusing on its essence as a medium of communication and connection. He emphasizes the importance of the interactive aspect of music, suggesting that true appreciation of music comes from sharing and engaging with it rather than simply owning it.
Themes
MusicCommunicationSharingExperienceArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of art in society, I might say, 'As Yo-Yo Ma once expressed, the essence of music lies in its ability to communicate and be shared, not just collected.'
More from Yo-Yo Ma
All quotes βThere's a part of me that's always charging ahead. I'm the curious kid, always going to the edge.
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I think that peace is, in many ways, a precondition of joy.
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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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