Wynton Marsalis quotes

Wynton Marsalis is an American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader recognized as one of the most influential figures in jazz. A passionate advocate for music education, he has played a key role in keeping jazz at the forefront of American culture. He has won multiple Grammy Awards and is the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Here are 95 of his quotes:

Maybe the preoccupation with technological progress has overshadowed our concern with human progress.

Wynton Marsalis

You need a team. You need people to push you. You need opponents.

Wynton Marsalis

Don't wish for someone else to do later what you can do now.

Wynton Marsalis

I think that virtuosity is the first sign of morality in a musician. It means you're serious enough to practice.

Wynton Marsalis

I have absolutely no idea what my generation did to enrich our democracy. We dropped the ball. We entered a period of complacency and closed our eyes to the public corruption of our democracy.

Wynton Marsalis

Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead a nation to change.

Wynton Marsalis

The first jazz musician was a trumpeter, Buddy Bolden, and the last will be a trumpeter, the archangel Gabriel.

Wynton Marsalis

Some stances are just conducive to swinging. If I stand up straight for too long it's harder to swing. Plus my feet hurt.

Wynton Marsalis

When did we begin to lose faith in our ability to effect change?

Wynton Marsalis

I believed in studying just because I knew education was a privilege. It was the discipline of study, to get into the habit of doing something that you don't want to do.

Wynton Marsalis

The best way to be, is to do.

Wynton Marsalis

Jazz music creates so many phenomenal figures.

Wynton Marsalis

Flexibility is an essential part of Jazz. It's what gives Jazz music the ability to combine with all other types of music and not lose its identity.

Wynton Marsalis

The reason why the music is important is that it's an art form- an ancient art form- that takes in the mythology of our people.

Wynton Marsalis

I had a trumpet, but I didn't want to be a trumpet player. I wanted to be some type of athlete or in some type of scholarly activity, be a chemist or something-I had my little chemistry set, and I like playing with it.

Wynton Marsalis

Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.

Wynton Marsalis

Only a few act - the rest of us reap the benefits of their risk.

Wynton Marsalis

The nerves are a problem on trumpet, because when you mess up everyone can hear it. Just remember most people are too polite to say anything about it. That should calm your nerves.

Wynton Marsalis

The bandstand is a sacred place.

Wynton Marsalis

I feel like a lot of the fundamental material, I've assimilated. So now the question is: Am I going to really get into my spiritual inheritance of music and really develop my abilities?

Wynton Marsalis

People have taken time out of their day and spent their money to come sit down at a concert. And it's jazz music-it's not easy for them to get to it. I don't want them ever to feel that I'm taking their presence lightly.

Wynton Marsalis

Thank the good Lord for a job.

Wynton Marsalis