Michael W. Smith Quotes

I've done the country, done the pop-rock, done the super-hard electro.

I want to explore all genres.

In all of my years in this business, I've always been part of either a progressive band or a metal band.

I love... different kinds of music. I like classical music and pop music. I like alternative, and I like rap, hip-hop, and I kind of collected all these things that I love, and they infused my sensibilities, and I just wanted to sing because it felt like it needed to come out of me.

One of the mistakes I made was believing that the rock n' roll genre as a genre was much more free than the whole pop or R&B scene.

One of the biggest misconceptions was, after I left Dream Theater, I went off and did, like, five different bands and side projects. Everyone was like, 'We thought you wanted a break.' And it was like, well, I didn't want a break from making music; I just needed a break from the Dream Theater camp.

I love stretching myself musically.

I can't just turn over and sing disco or rock.

I'd rather play jazz, I hate rock and roll.

I try to do things that keep me interested. And play music that moves me. I like to move around and play in a lot of different ways.

Songs come from all over the place. You can't predict what you're going to like. You might like something that doesn't fit right now. What was working for you at one point, something you've loved for years and years, when you get together with everybody, you think, this doesn't match up with what's going on with you personally.

I can play punk rock, and I love playing punk rock, but I was into every other style of music before I played punk rock.

I have a lot of friends who are involved in everything from Americana to blues to R&B to pop to country.

Obviously I got known for some other songs early on, and some of those were rock'n'roll songs. Some of them were melodic pop songs. And I've done lots of different things, as you know, but every so often I get drawn back.

While I was into many different types of music, and played with many different local groups, I really didn't have a band to call my own until Dire Straits was formed in 1977.

Some people think I'm a rock 'n' roll musician and some think I'm a jazz musician but, for me, there is no difference.

If it comes out sounding like Dixieland jazz or classical or punk or rock or even slightly metal, that's because that's where I'm going to find inspiration.

When I was younger I didn't really know what genre of music I'd want to do because I'd always done so many different types, so many impressions.

I've always been in music. I started out in music, and I will continue to do music.

Taxi drivers used to ask me what kind of music I did, and I'd say, 'Well, it's kind of jazz, soul, classical' - but that makes no sense to anyone.

I pride myself on being the type of artist who can work half in the R&B world and half in the pop world.

Music is a huge part of my life, I enjoy every genre of music from jazz to country, and I even get down with a bit of hip hop.

A lot of people relate me to the blues but I don't think it's a hindrance at this point. I've been doing it long enough that I can do different things and be accepted.

I'm not really a country singer, although I did make a couple albums and love its simple, straight-from-the-heart approach, but I have always sung a lot of jazz, show tunes, pop tunes, gospel and blues.

I'm having fun just being a musician as well as an artist at this point.