The round-up is an aggressive tradition. I'm trying to objectively be a steward of the tradition and what it means in its choreography. Sufjan Stevens More Quotes by Sufjan Stevens More Quotes From Sufjan Stevens I'm no longer beholden to the sacredness of the recorded song as some kind of ultimate standard by which every performance of the song is measured. I like to diversify, that there are multiple versions of every song. And the songs incorporate a lot of improvisation, and an element of chance, and I think that's exciting. There's no one true formulation of a song, they have various manifestations depending on the space we're in. I like that. Sufjan Stevens space song thinking Life is all about toiling and labor. But obviously I get great joy in confronting challenge and taking risk. Sufjan Stevens risk challenges joy Pro Tools is an incredible resource. I think it's enabled me to do things that I wouldn't have been able to do without this kind of computer editing. Sufjan Stevens tools editing thinking I felt that there's an obligation when writing a piece about an urban expressway made in the 50s to acknowledge the context, and Robert Moses is sort of an iconic figure in New York, and he influenced the shape of the city more than anyone else before or after him. He was one of the most powerful and influential civic architects in the world, because of how much he transformed the city. He built multiple bridges and highways and parks and recreational spaces, beaches - in the course of a few decades, he completely changed the city Sufjan Stevens powerful new-york beach I think musicians should stay off television generally. Sufjan Stevens musician television thinking You know, I don't think my music is important, I don't think it's changing the world, I don't think it's art. I just think it's music. It is what it is. Sufjan Stevens you music world art I love anything by Tchaikovsky. He was the real pop star of his day. Sufjan Stevens anything day real love I'm pretty involved in everything I do, which isn't always efficient and doesn't necessarily make for the more successful product. But I do feel that, in that sense, everything I do has a comprehensiveness to it. Sufjan Stevens more feel everything always I still feel like I have a lot to learn in the realm of sound experimentation, and I think I would like things to get noisier and weirder and more distressed and more aggressive, but I don't know if that's something that would be suitable for public consumption. Sufjan Stevens feel think know sound I'd like to do a record that doesn't even reference actual places. Because I think it's kind of an open-ended concept. It doesn't have to be taken so literally. Sufjan Stevens i-think places like think I've read in a couple stories that I was raised Episcopalian, but that's not true. I think that's just people assuming things. In some ways, I wish I was raised Episcopalian. I was kind of raised hodgepodge. Sufjan Stevens i-wish think wish people I was sort of born into a Subud cult that has ties to Islam and Indonesia and Middle Eastern spiritualism. My parents were kind of trial-and-error when it came to religion. Sufjan Stevens parents islam born religion I wouldn't mind being popular in other ways, but not with music. Sufjan Stevens ways being music mind I don't think it's so hard to be commercial and interesting. Look at Prince, or Neil Young. Sufjan Stevens look think hard interesting It's hard to say if actual places really affect the way you write. Sufjan Stevens say you hard way I believe that music is a spiritual language. My everyday self is pretty mundane and boring, but when I'm making music it allows for me to communicate a kind of transcendence that I can't communicate otherwise. Sufjan Stevens me music self believe Audacity is central to everything I do. A lot of times I think my work is about just seeing if I can get away with it. Sufjan Stevens everything think i-can work I am not naturally inclined to history or geography - maybe that's why I like to sing about it, because it helps me remember. Sufjan Stevens i-am me remember history Morals, principles and laws are when faith is reduced to standards and those standards basically just bind us, and we become prejudicial, racist, self-serving when we're guided by these laws... When a developed country uses Christianity in its policies, in government, in maintaining corporate wealth, that's a bastardized rendering of a faith. Sufjan Stevens wealth government faith country My anxiety level of my own work and what I'm doing and focusing on my art and all of that stuff? That's fundamental. Sufjan Stevens anxiety my-own work art
