I dedicated all the time I had to it. The 10 hour workout was just what I put in the magazine at the time, but for me it was every waking moment.
Steve VaiRead
When you get down to it, the way that the music affects you individually is the most important thing, and when you let things like the location of a band get in the way or have an effect on your overview, you're cheating yourself out of a really good time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The impact of music on the individual experience is paramount, and external factors should not detract from that enjoyment.
This quote emphasizes that the personal connection and emotional response that music evokes in an individual are what truly matter. It suggests that distractions, such as the setting or status of the musicians, can hinder one’s ability to fully appreciate and enjoy music, and by allowing these distractions to affect your view, you might be depriving yourself of a valuable experience.
Themes
MusicExperienceEnjoymentIndividualityPerception
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about the subjective nature of art during a music appreciation class.
More from Steve Vai
All quotes →I think every artist subconsciously wants to evolve themselves. Sometimes they get stuck in ruts because of pop culture, peer pressure, stuff like that. But what excites me most is exploring my own musical insights and expanding upon them.
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If you want to play something that you hear, you need to listen with your mind's eye. You've heard of the mind's eye, right? Your mind has an ear too. It's a kind of listening, but it's not using your ears to listen. It's listening with your inner ear, and that's what you want to translate onto the guitar.
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The tone is in your fingers, not in your amp or effects.
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I could never overstate the importance of a musician's need to develop his or her ear. Actually, I believe that developing a good 'inner ear' - the art of being able to decipher musical components solely through listening - is the most important element in becoming a good musician.
Steve VaiRead
If you want to play something that you can't, you need to see and hear yourself doing it in your minds eye. It will start to happen
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