Music creates order out of chaos: for rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent, melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed, and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous.
Yehudi MenuhinRead
I would hate to think I am not an amature. An amateur is one who loves what he is doing. Very often, I'm afraid, the professional hates what he is doing. So, I'd rather be an amateur.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Being an amateur signifies a passion for one's craft, whereas professionals may lose their love for it.
Yehudi Menuhin's quote emphasizes the value of passion over professionalism. He suggests that the term 'amateur' is associated with a genuine love for the work one does, and that this love is essential for true fulfillment. While professionals may achieve high levels of skill and recognition, they can often lose sight of the joy that initially drew them to their field. Therefore, he expresses a preference for being an amateur, prioritizing love for the art over the trappings of professional success.
Themes
AmateurPassionLoveArtProfessionalFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect to inspire artists during a workshop.
More from Yehudi Menuhin
All quotes →Music lives and breathes to tell us who we are and what we face. It is a path between ourselves and the infinite.
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The practice of yoga induces a primary sense of measure and proportion. Reduced to our own body, our first instrument, we learn to play it, drawing from it maximum resonance and harmony.
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Improvisation is not the expression of accident but rather of the accumulated yearnings, dreams and wisdom of our very soul.
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We are living in a world where the individual must learn to command the raw materials of expression. He must not be dependent all the time on the ready-made, the finished product. It's the transferring, the changing of the raw into what is the expression of your own self – the whole joy and satisfaction and frustration of life is built into this.
Yehudi MenuhinRead
It is music that welds spiritual and sensual, that can convey ecstasy free of guilt, faith without dogma, love as homage, and a person at home with nature and the infinite.
Yehudi MenuhinRead
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