Man, I used to go around and think, 'Oh my God, what must it be like to be going down the street, and someone asks you, 'What's your name?' and the reply would be, 'John Coltrane.' I couldn't imagine what that would be like. Roscoe Mitchell More Quotes by Roscoe Mitchell More Quotes From Roscoe Mitchell If you listen to nature, all the sounds are done in a confident way. I'm trying to do that. Roscoe Mitchell music trying way I always try to think of a vocabulary to match different musical situations. Roscoe Mitchell vocabulary musical thinking What I try to impart to a musician is to really try to practice the instrument in a really sincere way. Learn as much about music as you possibly can. Learn composition. Study to try to create compositions of your own and put your own personal touch on your music. Roscoe Mitchell musician practice trying I don't like to box myself in when I'm composing. Roscoe Mitchell composing boxes I've always been interested in shaping music in odd ways, with odd riffs and that's been probably something that I've continued on with my studies with improvisation as I'm working with people. Roscoe Mitchell study people way I like to hear melodies that go from one extreme to the next- saxophone to a bell to a whistle, for instance. Roscoe Mitchell bells next music You have to know composition to be a good improviser. Roscoe Mitchell composition jazz music I remember times when the whole music scene was just flourishing. Roscoe Mitchell flourishing scene remember I'm approaching a period in my life though where I'd like to be totally absorbed into music, doing concerts, writing something. Basically, that IS what I am doing. Roscoe Mitchell concerts periods writing Life is short, and, once somebody is gone, they're gone. Roscoe Mitchell short somebody life-is-short life It wasn't until I got out of the Army and I heard Coltrane's record 'Coltrane,' when he was doing 'Inch Worm' and 'Out of This World,' that I thought, 'Oh my God, you can do that?' And then I thought, 'OK, I better go back and listen to Eric Dolphy a bit.' And then I said, 'Hmm, I better pull out these Ornette Coleman records.' Roscoe Mitchell you army god world My central quest was to have a piece played on the saxophone sound like more than one instrument, exploiting different registers and wide interval leaps. Roscoe Mitchell more like different sound I felt that I had been influenced by being in the city enough and I wanted to go off by myself to see what was going on. I remember going out there and looking in the mirror and thinking I wasn't anything. Roscoe Mitchell mirror city myself thinking I just consider myself a student, trying to learn more about it. Roscoe Mitchell student more myself trying To be a good improviser, you have to study composition as a parallel. Because what improvisation is, on a high level, is spontaneous composition. Roscoe Mitchell high good you study You can work on music a few lifetimes. Roscoe Mitchell few you music work I'm the kind of guy that if I go to a concert and hear something that knocks me out, I don't want to be left out of that. I'm going to try to get into that, and I'm running back home to practice. Roscoe Mitchell back me practice home This is what really makes real jazz musicians: people coming out with their own voice. Roscoe Mitchell musicians voice real people Music has a way of getting under your skin. Roscoe Mitchell skin your music way I'm trying to learn to really use space. My philosophy is that every time you interrupt space in a very confident, secure manner, then music happens. Roscoe Mitchell you music space time
