---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any musical form that has been around…"
description: "\"Any musical form that has been around long enough to have cultural resonance beyond just being a cutting edge kind of communication - but, especially, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg"
---

#  Any musical form that has been around long enough to have…

![“Any musical form that has been around long enough to have cultural resonance beyond just being a cutting edge kind of communication - but, especially, when it begins to reflect on a time and reflect on a culture - is effective in a musical.” quote by Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg)

> “Any musical form that has been around long enough to have cultural resonance beyond just being a cutting edge kind of communication - but, especially, when it begins to reflect on a time and reflect on a culture - is effective in a musical.”

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Music that endures gains cultural depth when it reflects its era and society, making it effective beyond novelty.

**In simple terms:** Timeless music mirrors its culture, gaining lasting impact.

Key Takeaway

Create music that reflects its time.

Themes

culture timelessness reflection communication artistic relevance

Mood

thoughtful inspired analytical

Type

musical cultural philosophical

When to use this quote

- film scores
- folk traditions
- modern pop

Key Concepts

cultural resonance historical context storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your work reflect today’s society?
- What cultural elements can you embed in your art?

A Different Perspective

Novel may become dated without cultural relevance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Cultural Resonance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-resonance-4481294/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture Effective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-effective-3864438/) [Cutting edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting-edge/) [Effective Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-musical-4481293/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-form-1314691/) [Reflect Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflect-culture-1158908/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [We are hearing more and more from our clients, they want to know how to build not only a great corporate culture, but effective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-gostick/we-are-hearing-more-and-more-from-our-clients-they-want-to-know-how/)

[Adrian Gostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-gostick/)

> [No doubt a leader or leaders can make that culture more effective or less effective, by the way that we behave. Most importantly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/no-doubt-a-leader-or-leaders-can-make-that-culture-more-effective-or/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [There is no one, right way to design or develop anything. To a large degree, it needs to reflect the culture — especially the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-shedroff/there-is-no-one-right-way-to-design-or-develop-anything-to-a-large/)

[Nathan Shedroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-shedroff/)

> [Our democracy should reflect our culture and our habits and our customs and our reality at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/our-democracy-should-reflect-our-culture-and-our-habits-and-our/)

[Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/)

> [Movies don't necessarily change culture. I don't know if we know for sure if movies change culture but we know for sure that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/movies-don-t-necessarily-change-culture-i-don-t-know-if-we-know-for/)

[Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/)

> [Like an apparently strict musical form it breaks the five minute whole into its structural parts - a descriptive preamble, the action of taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-bryars/like-an-apparently-strict-musical-form-it-breaks-the-five-minute/)

[Gavin Bryars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-bryars/)

> [I certainly have a fascination with pop music as a musical form, not necessarily as a lifelong commitment. I guess you could say I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/i-certainly-have-a-fascination-with-pop-music-as-a-musical-form-not/)

[Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/)

> [My definition of Blues is that it's a musical form which is very disciplined and structured coupled with a state of mind, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-definition-of-blues-is-that-it-s-a-musical-form-which-is-very/)

[Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/)

> [I love the musical form of books. It's a different way of doing things, it's very beautiful. You're able to sing things instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-love-the-musical-form-of-books-it-s-a-different-way-of-doing-things/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [Bluegrass has a very, very strict musical form. Once you start to dilute it, it disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/bluegrass-has-a-very-very-strict-musical-form-once-you-start-to/)

[Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/)

> [Jazz is a democratic musical form. We take our respective instruments &amp; collectively create a thing of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-roach/jazz-is-a-democratic-musical-form-we-take-our-respective-instruments/)

[Max Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-roach/)

> [Jazz is a very democratic musical form. It comes out of a communal experience. We take our respective instruments and collectively create a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-roach/jazz-is-a-very-democratic-musical-form-it-comes-out-of-a-communal/)

[Max Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-roach/)

> [The harmony of the universe knows only one musical form - the legato; while the symphony of number knows only its opposite - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-dantzig/the-harmony-of-the-universe-knows-only-one-musical-form-the-legato/)

[Tobias Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-dantzig/)

> [I really believe musical form will go on. There's got to be a way of making musical form in cinema live again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baz-luhrmann/i-really-believe-musical-form-will-go-on-there-s-got-to-be-a-way-of/)

[Baz Luhrmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baz-luhrmann/)

> [It's interesting the kind of freedom the musical form gives you. The rules are out the window. You can get impressionistic without seeming pretentious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/it-s-interesting-the-kind-of-freedom-the-musical-form-gives-you-the/)

[Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/)

## More by Alan Menken

> [I'm not interested in being the producer of somebody else's song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-m-not-interested-in-being-the-producer-of-somebody-else-s-song/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Every time I play 'Part of Your World,' a whole part of my life comes back to me. It's just inescapable - it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/every-time-i-play-part-of-your-world-a-whole-part-of-my-life-comes/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [My first success was 'Little Shop of Horrors,' and I had been working for years on jingles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/my-first-success-was-little-shop-of-horrors-and-i-had-been-working/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Part of the job is knowing how to use this medium in the most effective way for the story you're telling, so for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/part-of-the-job-is-knowing-how-to-use-this-medium-in-the-most/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I'll always work with my collaborator in the room so I have a reaction on a note-by-note basis. I know in my gut when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-ll-always-work-with-my-collaborator-in-the-room-so-i-have-a/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I think the thing that strikes you when you come back to 'The Little Mermaid' after all of these years is the simplicity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-think-the-thing-that-strikes-you-when-you-come-back-to-the-little/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Music is a gestalt. Songs are a life force and they have specific vocabulary to them. You hear a few notes, and they take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/music-is-a-gestalt-songs-are-a-life-force-and-they-have-specific/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I see my songs and shows almost like a mosaic - part of a bigger picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-see-my-songs-and-shows-almost-like-a-mosaic-part-of-a-bigger-picture/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I have an awards cabinet in my studio where I keep my eight Oscars, my 11 Grammys, my seven Golden Globes, and my Tony Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-have-an-awards-cabinet-in-my-studio-where-i-keep-my-eight-oscars-my/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [My favorite thing is a brand-new project from scratch because you really never know how they're going to come to life. Going back for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/my-favorite-thing-is-a-brand-new-project-from-scratch-because-you/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Truth be told, of course, what I enjoy most is reinventing myself and doing new projects where I work in new genres, or I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/truth-be-told-of-course-what-i-enjoy-most-is-reinventing-myself-and/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I love 'The Gospel Truth,' the song that opened up 'Hercules.' I thought that song was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-love-the-gospel-truth-the-song-that-opened-up-hercules-i-thought/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Collaboration is all about rewriting and rewriting and rewriting and helping each other to constantly improve a piece. And, it's also about spurring each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/collaboration-is-all-about-rewriting-and-rewriting-and-rewriting-and/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [I have the ability to clear the decks and focus on what's happening in the moment. And I get to spend my life doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/i-have-the-ability-to-clear-the-decks-and-focus-on-what-s-happening/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

> [Movies, there are moments when you're writing a song or demoing, a moment in the recording studio. Musicals much more just eat up your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/movies-there-are-moments-when-you-re-writing-a-song-or-demoing-a/)

[Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

[Explore all 81 Alan Menken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/)

## More Communication quotes

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/)

[Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

[Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/)

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Any musical form that has been around long enough to have cultural resonance beyond just being a cutting edge kind of communication - but, especially, when it begins to reflect on a time and reflect on a culture - is effective in a musical.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alan Menken"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-long-enough-to-have-cultural/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-long-enough-to-have-cultural/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02e/alan-menken-8351_communication_any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-lo_2144767.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Any musical form that has been around long enough to have cultural resonance beyond just being a cutting…” — Alan Menken",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alan Menken",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-menken/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Any musical form that has been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-long-enough-to-have-cultural/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/any-musical-form-that-has-been-around-long-enough-to-have-cultural/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
