Yo-Yo Ma Quotes

I think it's important to learn instruments, whenever one has a little space. Be eager to learn and love your instrument.

I started studying music at the age of five and a half. My older sister was taking piano lessons. When her teacher left our apartment, I would get up on the piano bench and start picking out the notes that were part of my sister's lessons.

Quite a few musicians came to our house. And my ma took me to hear many more, hoping to encourage in me a love of music. But she wouldn't consent to my having music lessons, for she feared I might end up as she had done - unable to play except from paper.

I've been musically inclined since I picked up an instrument in the fourth grade. I just really appreciate music. I love to listen to it; I love to sing. I wouldn't consider myself, like, a natural singer. I just developed it over time, honestly, just listening. I'm a great listener to music.

Growing up, music was an important part of my childhood. I see it being just as important in my children and all children's growth and development, and in a parent's connection with their children.

See my father knew a lot about music, he played the piano and he would do theory and stuff like that, but I didn't learn anything from him, but I played that for him and he liked it a lot.

Learning how to improvise really awakened my interest in music.

I grew up singing. My mother was a music teacher.

Music is a prerogative of those who are willing to spend time to study it, understand and love it, well aware of the fact that one life is not enough to improve just one single note of what has already been written and performed.

I got started when I was 3 years old because my father was a music teacher and my lessons were free. Instead of learning to walk, you learn to play the piano.

I also have a big love of classical music played on piano because this is the environment I grew up in my brother being one of the great masters in this world.

My mum was very good at making me take up musical instruments, so although there was no popular music she made me learn the recorder when I was three, the violin when I was five and the piano when I was seven. I took up the guitar myself when I was 14.

You see, that is it with music, you never stop learning.

Well, I think music for kids is never anything but experimental is it?

I taught myself to read music at a very young age, so when I started to take lessons in school, the teachers used to give me other instruments to keep me busy, because I was more advanced than the other kids.

I believe we should encourage children to sing and play instruments from an early age.

Well, first I studied piano. I wasn't very satisfied because I though my teachers were dumb... and repressive.

So many schools have cut the music classes out of their curriculum. We're trying to fill that gap by teaching the teachers how to educate the kids about their musical heritage.

I was in the band as a boy and was taught music and learned to compose.

Music is an element that should be part and parcel of every child's life via the education system.

I started at the piano at the age of 4.

When it comes to music, it's my clothes, it's my guitar, it's my voice, it's my song.

I love music in general. It's like girls and their clothes and shoes; when you love shoes, you love shoes. So, for me, I think it's a really dangerous thing to say I'm going to write the best dance song in the world.

I've been singing since I was two. Music was my first passion and I love writing, singing, creating and being creative.

My goal was to play drums, but my father made me take piano lessons. He told me I needed to learn to read music first, so I took lessons for six years. I thank God that he made me take those lessons, because it taught me a tremendous amount.