Quotes About Artistry

I think a lot of the fun of making records, for me, is making each one of them a situation. For example, with 'Ghost,' I found a group of people that had an energy together, and we kind of did it in a cabin somewhere.

In order to get a note out, I have to dig deep, and I mean that on an emotional level. To physically sing, I have to get somewhere deep before I can do it.

I just loved the feeling of performing, of using my imagination to take me somewhere else.

I simply don't understand authors that know everything before they write it; it seems so cold blooded. I think it's lovely when the story takes over and goes somewhere else.

I know that my son was an honest person and an honest artist, and what he gave from himself through his art was the depth of his humanity.

My son is a hip-hop producer.

As for my own music, I've never written a book about it. I'm not pedagogical... When I write an abstract piano sonata or a concerto, I write what I feel. I'm not a self-conscious composer.

I'm a devotee of Stephen Sondheim. I think he's a genius.

I think I enjoy Sondheim so much because of the lyrics. The lyrics, the cornucopia of options.

Musically, I'm a huge fan of Stephen Sondheim, and I love, love 'Sweeney Todd.'

That's the only show where, if anyone says to me, 'Is there a role you want to play?', I say, yeah, I want to play Sweeney Todd. Stephen Sondheim's so clever; it's a profoundly brilliant piece of work.

Even though we try not to be nostalgic about drawing from old music, I'm always inspired by things like old Cole Porter songs or the words in the Gershwin songs or even Stephen Sondheim, where there's a real craft to them but it isn't only that you're hearing the words it's that it links so well with the music.

Making music is like shopping for me. Every song is like a new pair of shoes.

My favourite piece of music is actually 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' as a whole. For me, it's the most perfect and brilliant example of rock song writing.

I've never made a bad song.

One day a whole damn song fell into place in my head.

Music is a continuous process. You evolve with every song.

Every artist and every song has an idea, and the producer's job is to capture it.

When I write, I don't really focus on duets or anything like that or whether I'm going to feature this or that rapper. I just focus on just making a great song and figure out the rest later.

I wouldn't be able to write a song like 'Someone Like You' and get someone else to sing it because it's so personal. It's like giving away your heart.

Once I come up with the concept, the rest of the song just comes.

If I'm inspired to make a certain kind of song, I'm going to make that kind of song, no matter if it's what they know me as or think I am.

It's not enough to play a song: you have to inhabit it.

My music is mostly for the music. And it gives the liberty to do anything which I want. And nobody limits me to one genre of music. But I learn from life and I try to give back to life, in a way, whether it's the thought of the song or whether it's the approach to the arrangement or anything.