Quotes About Originality

A good composer does not imitate; he steals.

.. you've got to be original, or there will be nothing distinctive or interesting about your playing

The only reason I am successful is because I have stayed true to myself.

Any good music must be an innovation.

Art is self expression. If you are expressing someone else's personality, that is not art.

The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project and does he have ideas.

I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.

We should have a music of our own - if possible, without any Sauerkraut.

After two takes you're imitating yourself.

Hip-hop is definitely not what it used to be, which was creative, original music.

It's not like I go into the studio and say I'm going to try to make music to prove to somebody that I can make music.

I think it's important to say something. If you're making music it's kinda' like, oh, cool, so is everyone else.

We decided to start our own group because we were bored with everything we heard... Everything was 10th-generation Led Zeppelin... Overproduced, or just junk. We missed music like it used to be.

I'm a young dude, and there ain't too many people who are doin' it like I'm doin' it. There ain't no others in my lane - I am the future of this music.

Don't play what's there, play what's not there.

I believe that regardless of how many people you've listened to or emulated over the years, your sound is you and what you really feel inside.

When I listen to Radio 1 and hear five different tracks in a row using old disco samples, well that's plagiarism, that's taking other people's music.

I don't care who likes it or buys it. Because if you use that criterion, Mozart would never have written Don Giovanni, Charlie Parker would have never played anything but swing music.

The qualities in music which I considered most important - and still do - were beauty, simplicity, originality, discrimination, and sincerity.

No one is original. Everyone is derivative.

I let my music do the talking. Ain't no TV show gonna help me. Ain't no hit single gon help me sell no records.

I don't write music for sissy ears.

Other bands wanted to wreck hotel rooms; Roxy Music wanted to redecorate them.

We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself while you're doing so.