15 Michael Tilson Thomas Quotes for You to Enjoy

Michael Tilson Thomas

American Musician

Born: Dec 21, 1944

American Important Music People Will You

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And what classical music does best and must always do more, is to show this kind of transformation of moods, to show a very wide psychological voyage. And I think that's something that we as classical musicians have underestimated. Michael Tilson Thomas

I think music needs to be presented in a way so that kids can grasp songs, dances, simple music that's associated with some particular defining moment in human experience. Michael Tilson Thomas

Music Needs Experience Simple Think Dances Way Defining Defining Moment Kids Some Songs Particular Human Human Experience Moment Grasp Presented Associated

Being an American musician means being adventurous. Michael Tilson Thomas

Musician Adventurous American Being Means

But if I can be convinced and then through the work that we do together, the orchestra can really be convinced of the big sweep of that communication that the piece suggests, then the audience will get it and it will be a good experience for all of us. Michael Tilson Thomas

Work Good Together Experience Communication Will Big Through Piece Audience Get Orchestra Then Us Really Convinced Sweep

But some people will say you just did these programs. Well, yes, the programs are important and I'm proud of the programs, but mostly I'm proud of the way the San Francisco Symphony plays these programs. Michael Tilson Thomas

But still as compared to many, many orchestras in the world, I think you find a lot more new music and living composers on our programs than many other places. Michael Tilson Thomas

But those musics do not address the larger kind of architecture in time that classical music does, whatever each one of us knows that classical music must mean. Michael Tilson Thomas

Music Time Architecture Whatever Address Those Musics Kind Must Classical Classical Music Knows Does Mean Us Each Each One Larger

But without the experience of actually singing or playing these things yourself, you don't have the same kind of involvement or understanding of what these musical moves mean. And that is a very big problem in addressing the future of music. Michael Tilson Thomas

Conductors are performers. Michael Tilson Thomas

Performers Conductors

If we are able to get inside the music and inhabit it convincingly enough, it will cause everyone to find each other in this new psychological space. And that's most exciting. Michael Tilson Thomas

Music Cause Space Will Other Enough Everyone Find Inside Able Exciting New Most Get Psychological Inhabit Each

In earlier times, so many people sang much more. You know as a kid you'd go to some kind of religious training and or summer camp or whatever it was and you'd learn to sing a lot of songs. Michael Tilson Thomas

You People Training Whatever Summer Summer Camp Kid Kind Religious Some More Songs Know Sing Learn Go Camp Lot Times So Many People Much Sang Many Earlier

The whole path of American music has been so much about the recognition of stylistic diversity, and the recognition of the importance of music which was from one of the vernacular traditions. Michael Tilson Thomas

Music Path Diversity Recognition Has-Been About Importance Stylistic Vernacular Been Traditions American Which American Music Much Whole

You know, they were returning to the language of the people and trying to use musical language, particularly as Copland did to create a musical language in which all Americans would feel that they had a stake. Michael Tilson Thomas

You People Language Musical All Americans Would Had Feel Know Particularly Returning Were Trying American Did Which Stake Create Use

But a large symphony orchestra basically is a repertory company and it has a very enormous repertoire and it is important for the performers to be able to know how to shift focus so that they instantly become part of the sound world that a particular repertoire demands. Michael Tilson Thomas

World Focus Important Become Enormous Symphony Symphony Orchestra Able Part Instantly Demands Performers Particular Know How Sound Shift Repertoire Repertory Very Orchestra Large Company Basically

When I first was conducting as guest conductor in Europe 25 years ago, I would propose doing American pieces and grudgingly it would be accepted from time to time. Michael Tilson Thomas

Time First Guest Would Would-Be Propose Pieces Accepted Doing Years Years Ago Conducting Conductor American From Time To Time Europe

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