John Zorn Professions : Composer Born : September 2, 1953 Browse All Authors Top 51 quotes by John Zorn I run around, I listen to a lot of music, go to a lot of concerts. And when I see someone that gases me, I try to go out of my way to involve them somehow in what I'm doing or get involved in what they're doing. John Zorn music running trying Great musicians accept everything that they hear and find something good. They take what they like and they throw away what they don't like John Zorn great-music musician accepting I’m constantly in doubt about what I’m doing, I’m constantly tortured, and that’s why I say happiness is irrelevant. Happiness is for children and yuppies. I’m not striving for happiness, I’m trying to get some work done. And sometimes the best work is done under doubt. Constant rethinking, and reevaluating what you’re doing, working and working until you feel it’s finished. And that’s an interesting point too, that you’ve got to know when to stop. Sometimes there’s a magical moment when everything comes together. John Zorn yuppies children interesting We're not on the outside looking in, we're on the outside looking out. John Zorn outside-looking-in I see myself and many artists like me as the torchbearers through these dark ages. John Zorn artist age dark I have a very beautiful life with great friends and I look forward to waking up every day. Every day is a vacation but every day is a workday. I don't want to take vacations because music is my life and if I escape from music, that's the same thing as death. So a vacation is death to me. Sitting on the beach for a week is my idea of hell. That would kill me. John Zorn vacation beautiful beach People are great. But there's people who you get together with and you talk and you go away feeling energized, you feel inspired. And then there's people who you talk with and you go away feeling horrible, feeling drained, feeling like you're incapable of doing anything. Those people are psychic vampires and I now stay away from them. John Zorn psychics feelings people It's a matter of keeping people on a spontaneous edge. John Zorn spontaneity matter people I have art. I have music. I have the history, this legacy behind me that I can look up to. This is what I believe in. If you want to call it God or spirituality, that's all up to you. Basically I believe in something that's bigger than myself, and that gives my life meaning. John Zorn giving believe art I feel like there are messages. I feel like there are angels. I feel that there is a legacy and an energy. And I feel that it's possible to tap into that. John Zorn legacy angel energy I'm constantly tortured, and that's why I say happiness is irrelevant. Happiness is for children and yuppies. John Zorn irrelevant yuppies children You need to believe in something that's bigger than yourself. I think that's what everybody wants to believe in that. John Zorn believe needs thinking Music is about people for me. It's not about sounds. It's about people; it's about putting people into challenging situations. And for me, challenges are opportunities. John Zorn challenges opportunity people I don't ascribe to the idea of the ivory tower composer who sits alone in a room composing his masterpieces and then comes down from Mount Sinai with the tablets. It doesn't work like that. The job of a composer is putting something down on a piece of paper that will inspire the person who's playing. John Zorn ivory-tower jobs ideas The magic that you find in surf music, I think, is really timeless. You know, when I was very young, I was in a surf band. Surf music is an instrumental music that still means a lot to me, not in an nostalgic way, but as something that really gets to the heart of the guitar itself. John Zorn heart mean thinking Discipline is important as long as you're having a good time. What I always did was I did what I enjoyed, and I think that's why I don't have any grey hairs. John Zorn discipline hair thinking If you can make art with sound, can't you make music with objects? John Zorn objects sound art One of the reasons I started Tzadik, which is my own label, is to keep things in print. I got tired of labels dropping things out of print when they don't sell. John Zorn tired labels reason The idealists will always be in society, and we will survive John Zorn idealist I mean I have had a very combative relationship with critics because I'm very impatient with people that don't give my work the respect I feel it deserves. John Zorn impatient giving people Similar Authors Igor Stravinsky composer Irving Berlin composer Brian Ferneyhough composer Bryce Dessner composer Bradley Joseph composer Boudleaux Bryant composer All Authors
