Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced. Ned Rorem More Quotes by Ned Rorem More Quotes From Ned Rorem Don't be too dismissive of children. While it's true that few children are artists, all artists are children. Ned Rorem artistchildren Arguably, no artist grows up: If he sheds the perceptions of childhood, he ceases being an artist. Ned Rorem childhoodgrowing-upartist If music could be translated into human speech, it would no longer need to exist. Ned Rorem speechmusicneeds It's not evil that's ruining the earth, but mediocrity. The crime is not that Nero played while Rome burned, but that he played badly. Ned Rorem romeevilperfect The beautiful are shyer than the ugly, for they move in a world that does not ask for beauty. Ned Rorem doebeautifulmoving The art of translation lies less in knowing the other language than in knowing your own. Ned Rorem knowinglyingart Nothing is a waste that makes a memory. Ned Rorem wastememories Divine fires do not blaze each day but an artist functions in their afterglow, hoping for their recurrence. Ned Rorem each-dayartistfire composition is notation of distortion of what composers think they've heard before. Masterpieces are marvelous misquotations. Ned Rorem distortioncomposerthinking To see itself through, music must have idea or magic. ... Music with neither dies young though rich. Ned Rorem richmagicideas To start writing about your life is, from one standpoint, to stop living it. You must avoid adventures today so as to make time for registering those of yesterday. Ned Rorem yesterdaywritingadventure Art's the biggest vanity: the assumption that one's view of peace or fright or beauty is permanently communicable. Ned Rorem vanityviewsart Music is the sole art which evokes nostalgia for the future. Ned Rorem evokenostalgiaart Artists, by definition innocent, don't steal. But they do borrow without giving back. Ned Rorem definitionsartistgiving Art means to dare - and to have been right. Ned Rorem daremeanart The same piece of music alters at each hearing. But oh, the need to repeat and repeat and repeat unchanged the sexual experience. Ned Rorem hearingpiecesneeds An artist doesn't necessarily have deeper feelings than other people, but he can express these feelings. He is like everyone else-only more so! He speaks with a Formal Sigh. Ned Rorem artistfeelingspeople So far as musical pedagogy is concerned - Ned Rorem influential-personcreationmusical There are no fascinating people, only their works are fascinating. Ned Rorem fascinatingpeople The Great don't innovate, they fertilize seeds planted by lackeys, they leave to others the inhaling of the flowers whose roots they've manured. A deceptive memory may be the key to their originality. Ned Rorem flowerkeysmemories
