16 Roscoe Mitchell Quotes for You to Enjoy

Roscoe Mitchell

American Composer

Born: Aug 3, 1940

Just Like Music People Try You

Related authors: Eubie Blake George Crumb John Cage John Williams Leonard Bernstein Oscar Levant Stephen Sondheim Virgil Thomson

Life is short, and, once somebody is gone, they're gone. Roscoe Mitchell

Life Life Is Short Somebody Gone Once Short

If you're playing with a number of people, there are all sorts of textures, all kinds of possibilities you can get into. So why just play a theme together and then take solos? Roscoe Mitchell

You Together People Possibilities Solos Kinds Take Sort Textures Get Just Theme Then Why Play Playing Number

What I'm after is a composed music that will sound like improvised music when improvisors play it. You shouldn't be able to tell what parts are being improvised and what parts were written out beforehand; it should sound like the same music. Roscoe Mitchell

Music You Will Out Tell Composed Able Written Like Parts Sound Were Beforehand Same Improvised Being After Should Play

Man, I used to go around and think, 'Oh my God, what must it be like to be going down the street, and someone asks you, 'What's your name?' and the reply would be, 'John Coltrane.' I couldn't imagine what that would be like. Roscoe Mitchell

God You Man Down Think Must Would Would-Be John John Coltrane Someone Coltrane Name Like Around Go Reply Going Oh Oh My God Ask Your Used Street Imagine

I like to explore sounds. Roscoe Mitchell

Like Sounds Explore

When you can make a good, strong musical connection with people, that's always there. That's not often that that happens. Roscoe Mitchell

Good You People Strong Musical Make Always Often Happens Connection

I felt that I had been influenced by being in the city enough and I wanted to go off by myself to see what was going on. I remember going out there and looking in the mirror and thinking I wasn't anything. Roscoe Mitchell

Myself Remember Mirror Looking Thinking Enough Out City See Had Felt Go Been Off Going Being Influenced Wanted Anything

You have to know composition to be a good improviser. Roscoe Mitchell

Good You Composition Know Improviser

I'm approaching a period in my life though where I'd like to be totally absorbed into music, doing concerts, writing something. Basically, that IS what I am doing. Roscoe Mitchell

Life Music Writing Approaching My Life Though Totally Something Absorb Like Period Concerts Am Doing Where Basically

I always try to think of a vocabulary to match different musical situations. Roscoe Mitchell

Try Think Musical Vocabulary Match Always Situations Different

What I try to impart to a musician is to really try to practice the instrument in a really sincere way. Learn as much about music as you possibly can. Learn composition. Study to try to create compositions of your own and put your own personal touch on your music. Roscoe Mitchell

You can work on music a few lifetimes. Roscoe Mitchell

Work Music You Few Lifetimes

I'm the kind of guy that if I go to a concert and hear something that knocks me out, I don't want to be left out of that. I'm going to try to get into that, and I'm running back home to practice. Roscoe Mitchell

Home Me Try Practice Back Out Kind Running Something Guy Knocks Concert Go Hear Left Get Going Want

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