Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Early Life as a Musician I was born on March 6, 1844, in Tikhvin, Russia. Unlike other composers of my time, my family was not artistically inclined. Both of my parents played the piano. My mother was more accomplished than my father in that regard. All in all, we were a family that …
Ralph Vaughan Williams Quotes Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958) was both a composer and a musicologist, who collected English folk music and songs, which he used liberally in his own compositions and in the work he did with English Hymnal.He wrote in most all genres of western music including symphonies, works for band, chamber …
Bob Dylan Quotes Originally from the Iron Range near Lake Superior, MN, Bob Dylan began as a Minnesota folk music artist and expanded his café and concert performances to many other cities, including New York City, where he became nationally known. His ability to continue to write and perform music for over five decades is …
George Bernard Shaw Quotes Image: George Bernard Shaw, playwright and political activist “There are some experiences in life that should not be demanded twice from any man, and one of them is listening to the Brahms Requiem.” “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” “The single biggest problem in communication is the …
Paul Simon Quotes The singer and songwriter, Paul Simon, won the Gershwin prize for popular song, in 2007. Image: Musician Paul Simon performing on stage “Being an artist doesn’t mean that you’re a good artist. That was the bargain I first made with myself: I’d say, ‘I’m an artist, but I’m not really very good’.” …
Bedrich Smetana’s Early Life as a Musical Prodigy I was the 3rd child born on March 2, 1824, into a large, musically inclined family. My father, a violinist in a string quartet, had been previously married twice before meeting my mother, a dancer. Before my birth, my father had been a brewer, and during the …
Louis Armstrong Quotes Louis Armstrong influenced jazz to move towards solo instrumental improvisations in contrast to the group improvisational playing characteristic of Dixieland jazz. He was the most well known Jazz performer of his time and championed the introduction of Jazz to more mainstream audiences. Image: Musician Louis Armstrong playing trumpet “Making money ain’t nothing …
Maya Angelou Quotes An important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement, Maya Angelou is also an author, actress and playwright. Her autobiography, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ gave her critical and international acclaim. In the late seventies, she became a friend and mentor to Oprah Winfrey. Image: American poet, memoirist, and civil rights …
Edgar Meyer Quotes Bonnett and I are big fans of the renowned double bassist and composer and 3-time Grammy Award winner, Edgar Meyer. We own 3 of his CD’s and a DVD showcasing the tour he did with the virtuoso banjo player, Bela Fleck. We heard him a few years ago at the conclusion of …
Billie Holiday Quotes Born Eleanora Fagan, later nicknamed Lady Day, Billie Holiday is regarded as one of the greatest female jazz vocalists of all time. She started singing for tips in the early 1930s at various Harlem nightclubs, had brief stints with the orchestras of Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington and was a …