Leo Ornstein Quotes

You could say that everything the musicians have learned and known over the years, all of their technical resources, are in a dialogue with the things they are discovering every time, as if it was the first time.

It's always been a gift with me, hearing music the way I do. I don't know where it comes from, it's just there and I don't question it.

Music has nothing to do with your technical ability.

Either your understanding of the meaning of music is there from the beginning or it is not.

People have taught me not to look for intelligence in rockmusic.

I draw all the time. Drawing is my backbone. I don't think a painter has to be able to draw, I just think that if you draw, you better draw well.

I was always good at hearing complete arrangements in my head.

I finally realized that not only was I passionate about music, but I had a unique way of thinking of music.

I kind of always thought that I had a good ear for melodies. I think in terms of melody. I can just be walking and I'll hear a melody.

They [say] everybody's creative. Well, everybody is. But any real creativity has to rest on a basis of an acquired technique and an acquired knowledge; you can't be creative in a void, or you just get a mess.

For me, the challenge is just making great albums, because talent - and writing in general - is not tangible. There's no expiration date on it. At the same time, you might wake up tomorrow and be unable to write music.

I am so highly skilled that when I pick up a phrase and then pick up my guitar, a form comes out almost immediately - a song - and once I start, I have to finish it.

I used to just sit in the living room and make up songs on the keyboard.

I can't play an instrument to save my life. But when I'm creating, and when I'm making music, I feel like I'm the head of the orchestra, and I'm just waving my wand, and something is created.

I've always had music in my blood.

I don't really class myself as a musician, I can make music but I'm not the greatest technically. There were other people who were technically better than me in school but I knew how I wanted to sound and all I needed was to work out how to do it.

As a kid, I could just pick up melody and harmony instinctively, and that's why I can play lots of instruments.

There was never an 'a-ha' moment when a spider bit me and I knew I could write songs. For that reason, I don't know if I'm always going to be able to. I want to write songs forever, but it's an elusive thing.

You can't help but have ideas when you're inspired musically.

I know what my taste is, and I do like my touch on the piano.

I try to imagine what the greatest song I could ever write would sound like, and then try to do it.

Most people think that I'm so technical that I don't have a feel aspect or a rhythm aspect of it, but that's just the opposite. I need to get into my momentum and my rhythm in regards to being technical and analytical, and also being that artist.

I've always believed that you have to have the skills before you destroy the skills. If you want to be crude, be crude, but don't be crude because you don't know how to do it, because you're not perfect at drawing and pattern-cutting.

I'm one of those people that's listened to so much music, I feel like I've soaked it all and not rejected anything, so it's all present there when I'm in my inventing room.

A lot of people start by learning other people's songs, but the idea of singing someone else's music didn't excite me. I just wanted to write my own. It was really bad to begin with. It's improved slightly since.