Jonny Greenwood Quotes

I come from a big family of musicians, so I was lucky enough to grow up with guitars all around the house. Even though I didn't really know much at the time, my brother had a Les Paul Goldtop, and my dad always had this Fender or some bizarre Pedulla-Orsini guitar.

My father was a classical pianist, and my mother was a singer of just about everything.

Too much emphasis is put on American roots music when people try and place me. You know, I grew up listening to punk.

In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.

I'm not a culture snob. So while, of course, I think the Mozart 'Requiem' or, say, Beethoven's 'Ninth' are some of the greatest works of art in the history of humankind, that's not to say the Beatles or Queen or Simon and Garfunkel aren't brilliant, beautiful, important works of art that should be sung without a sense of irony.

The world of classical music is so fascinating. It's a world that encompasses people from everywhere and erases the basic restraints of nationality; everyone is united by this common language of music.

I grew up with music in the house. I was told I could sing as soon as I started talking. Everybody in my family sang, always lots of records, blues and jazz and soul, R&B, you know, like Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Coltrane, that kind of thing.

I had aunts who played piano and sang and also were entertainers, so music was very much a part of my life.

My daddy had been a fiddler, and I heard a lot of fiddle music as a child. I had a ukulele and had played along with him.

Music was something that nobody in my family does.

I come from a classical background.

My mom was sort of involved in amateur dramatics like Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, and played the violin. My dad played banjo and piano and sang as well, so there was all this music in my childhood.

My only passion is music.

My family wasn't involved in music, but I love music.

I've always loved music since I was a little kid.

I was born and raised in Germany, so I was classically trained. Classical has been deep in me from a totally early age. Then, as a teenager, I picked up the guitar and was really into rock music.

Music has always been part of my family's life. My brother, sister, and I all have the same ability to pick up an instrument and play.

I didn't grow up with classical music. My father was a folk music singer.

Music lives in my mother - she's played in bands in Detroit and toured and did the whole thing. So I have somebody who's done it all to just talk to. And we write songs together.

Music's always been in my home. My dad plays guitar, and I grew up listening to cumbia and salsa and boleros.

To this day, I adore classical music, and I'm very interested in opera, which I found out later my father was also extremely fond of.

I have been influenced by music. I grew up listening to blues, jazz and all.

I don't get so much inspiration from other musicians. Especially alive musicians. Late musicians are good - Bach, Beethoven - yes, good.

As a kid, I took piano lessons, and I didn't like it. It wasn't cool. I was into Duran Duran and rock music. I didn't have any interest in piano. I did it for three years, and because of piano, I learned percussion. I learned scales. I learned how to sing. Piano gives you all of the basics of those things.

I can't remember when I didn't have an instrument around.