GERSHWIN QUOTES

"For suddenly, I saw you there

and through foggy London town

the sun was shining everywhere...

"Life is a lot like jazz;

it's best when you improvise.

"True music must repeat the thought
and inspirations of the people

and the time.

My people are Americans

and my time is today.

"The European boys have small ideas

but they sure know how to dress 'em up."

"When jazz is played in another nation,

it is called American.

When it is played in another country,

it sounds false.

Jazz is the result of the energy

stored up in America.

"We know of music with what we feel."

"There is only one important thing in music
and that is ideas and feelings.

The various tonalities and sounds

mean nothing

unless they grow out of ideas.

"Whoever has inspired ideas

will write the great music of our period."

"It's one thing to hear a pitch,

but it's another thing to actually see it

and hear the songs sung through;

it was really exciting ...

And that very first time we got together,

we were able to see

he was going down the right path,

and it was really special."

"Don't be so serious.

Life's too mysterious.

"So much of theater is built for Broadway,

with huge budgets,

and I've found that so much of that

never gets to the rest of the country

outside of New York and L.A."

"I'd like my music to keep people-

all kinds of people-

awake when they should be sleeping.

I'd like my compositions to be so vital

that I'd be required by law

to dispense sedatives

with each score sold."

"I frequently hear music

in the heart of noise.