Dhani Harrison Quotes

With acting I am being led by the script, other actors, the director, etc. But with songwriting I feel it is much more self reliant and allows me to be in the creative experience without being as dependent on others.

I can sit down at a piano or with a guitar and just chug away for hours and be perfectly content with whatever comes out. But when it comes to something that somebody else is going to listen to, then I do feel a great deal of pressure to do something that's exceptional, at least in what I consider to be at the limits of what I can do.

To play music, you have to understand it. I didn't understand 'Topographic Oceans.' That's why I hardly played on it. It frustrated me no end - and playing the whole thing on tour, I got farther and farther away from it.

I got tired of depending on other people, and I had this strong desire to make music of my own. I decided to start writing my own tunes and just see what could happen.

Throughout the years I have tried to hone my skills to gain mastery over the music in my head.

It's just that as a solo artist, I have more burden and responsibilities on my shoulders.

I never jump on to a song and say 'I will only sing it.' I am not too obsessed as a singer. I am happy being a composer.

I don't necessarily love all the collaborations that I've done; the more I work with other people, the more I realize that I want to work with myself.

Lyrics are my racket; music is play - the fluff stuff.

I really like writing music. That's kind of like my little hobby. I like that because sometimes you don't really have any control when you're an actor, over what you're doing next, and everything is kind of decided by other people. You're always waiting to hear from people.

With the Rhythm Kings, I can involve myself in arranging and producing the music as well as the choice of songs.

It's a luxury to not have to just be performing with other people to have my music heard.

I mean, if you decided to go out today and get you an instrument and do whatever it is that you do, no one can tell you how you're going to do it but when you do it.

It's a huge responsibility being a solo act.

I think my playing has been orchestral throughout the years, and this is another way of expressing that. But I primarily see it as the ultimate accomplishment of a musician. Composing makes me feel like I've finally gotten all the way up the ladder as a musician.

I've messed myself up more playing music than when I played football.

Music is supposed to be inspired.

Danny Elfman, the composer, tells me the only time he thinks I'm happy is when I'm on the scoring stage, and I see the pressure's on him and it's a little off me.

I am just the band leader, and I just keep everything in tune.

No one controlled Frank Sinatra or told him how to sing. No secret group of managers has been telling someone like Jay-Z what to do or how to look. And no one tells me what to do except me and the people who believe in me.

We've never really been susceptible to pressure from anyone from the outside. We've been really good at negating any outside influences. We're really hard on ourselves. The filter that we put upon things qualifying to end up on a Tool record is pretty extreme, so we figure we've got that part of it under control.

I love Mozart, but I often make a terrible hash of it.

I wish I was really talented in music because then I would be doing it. I felt that I could write a decent song, but it was a big struggle.

I write all my own songs, so if it goes wrong, I don't co-write anything. It's all going to fall on me.

The director can't do your job for you. He can't get in front of the camera and perform your part.