Sonny Terry Quotes

The music of the Gypsies belongs in the sphere of improvisation rather than in any other, without which it would have no power to exist.

I feel like vocals are to music what portraits are to painting. They're the humanity. Landscapes are good and fine, but at the end of the day everyone loves the Mona Lisa.

Art and music is part of what it means to be a human being. And if you're neglecting that, you're basically ignoring a huge side of the brain and a huge side of what it means to be human.

I feel that for years of teaching in the country and reading criticism in books, I feel like the things most needed in our culture are the understanding of the meanings of our music. We haven't done that good of job teaching our kids what our music means or how we developed our taste in music that reminds us and teaches us who we are.

I mean, the genuine roots of culture is folk music.

I believe that music is connected by human passions and curiosities rather than by marketing strategies.

Music is a major cornerstone of our success.

Music is the embodiment of my soul. When I play, I'm not performing a song: I'm becoming it.

A great melodic line is like a person's soul, and coming up with an original melody, it can be like you are illustrating the soul.

Art is what defines us, what makes us human.

For me, growing-up music was always about telling stories.

Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me.

Singing your own songs is all about individual expression.

Music is such an intensely personal thing for me, and I knew if I was going to do it, it would be in my own way.

The most important thing is that you honor that musical integrity, whether you make music that sounds like ABBA or you make music that sounds like Void.

Music is just kind of an expression of who I am. It's what I do.

Don't worry about what others say about your music. Pursue whatever you are hearing... but if everybody really hates your music maybe you could try some different approaches.

Music has as many roles as people make it.

Music is an emotion, and I put it out there.

I started singing because I come from Wales.

Your own music comes out of your head and emotions, but it's not etched in your system.

The way that I've always gone about making music, the rule of thumb, has just been to make what I love.

Whether it be in acting, music, or even in dancing, I only want to do things that I truly connect to, and with my music, it's everything that I am.

I make the kind of music I like.

I'm interested in music as an extension of character.