--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having a tradition is a great thing to…" description: "\"Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and maybe today [it] is the only way to really land musically dramatic work.\" — Alan Menken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg" --- # Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and… ![“Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and maybe today [it] is the only way to really land musically dramatic work.” quote by Alan Menken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg) > “Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and maybe today \[it\] is the only way to really land musically dramatic work.” [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. Tradition provides structure for creating dramatic music, suggesting that working within established forms can foster artistic breakthroughs. **In simple terms:** Tradition helps create dramatic music. Key Takeaway Use tradition as a creative springboard. Themes creativity tradition music artistic process Mood inspirational analytical reflective Type industry creative When to use this quote - songwriting - film scoring - performance - collaboration Key Concepts composition cultural heritage innovation Questions to Reflect On - How does tradition inspire new work? - When should artists break tradition? A Different Perspective Strict adherence may limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [True tragedy may be defined as a dramatic work in which the outward failure of the principal personage is compensated for by the dignity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/true-tragedy-may-be-defined-as-a-dramatic-work-in-which-the-outward/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [All of the actors that have served to me as inspiration over the years have been those more associated with dramatic work who have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adhir-kalyan/all-of-the-actors-that-have-served-to-me-as-inspiration-over-the/) [Adhir Kalyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adhir-kalyan/) > [Philly has that tradition of great basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jrue-holiday/philly-has-that-tradition-of-great-basketball/) [Jrue Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jrue-holiday/) > [Tradition is the great misleader because it's too easy to follow what has already been done - even though you may think you're giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/tradition-is-the-great-misleader-because-it-s-too-easy-to-follow-what/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [My goal... not to go back to Rembrandt... but to bring the great tradition and whatever is great about it, up to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-levine/my-goal-not-to-go-back-to-rembrandt-but-to-bring-the-great-tradition/) [Jack Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-levine/) > [The highest-caliber dramatic work produced for TV - not just in cable but something like 'The Good Wife' at network - is consistently great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-haynes/the-highest-caliber-dramatic-work-produced-for-tv-not-just-in-cable/) [Todd Haynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-haynes/) > [I've always, always loved comedy and dramatic work equally. In an ideal world I'm in a role where I get to actually do both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-britton/i-ve-always-always-loved-comedy-and-dramatic-work-equally-in-an-ideal/) [Connie Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-britton/) > [I was really more interested in dramatic work, but I thought, 'Well, I guess I could do comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-really-more-interested-in-dramatic-work-but-i-thought-well-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've done a ton of theater work and dramatic work, but nobody really knows me that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-gasteyer/i-ve-done-a-ton-of-theater-work-and-dramatic-work-but-nobody-really/) [Ana Gasteyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-gasteyer/) > [After 20 years of doing comedy, I find dramatic work more challenging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-gibbs/after-20-years-of-doing-comedy-i-find-dramatic-work-more-challenging/) [Marla Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-gibbs/) > [Society would be better off if Billy Eichner started getting more dramatic work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/society-would-be-better-off-if-billy-eichner-started-getting-more/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [Id been wanting to do dramatic work for awhile, and Ive been studying with a really wonderful acting teacher, Diana Castle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-wayans/id-been-wanting-to-do-dramatic-work-for-awhile-and-ive-been-studying/) [Kim Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-wayans/) > [I always thought that Bill Murray was one of the great actors that I've worked with. And I've worked with all kinds of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-always-thought-that-bill-murray-was-one-of-the-great-actors-that-i/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [Definitely for myself, I find myself gravitating towards dramatic work. In terms of sitcoms, you know, I always tell my agent I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/definitely-for-myself-i-find-myself-gravitating-towards-dramatic-work/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [As for doing more dramatic work over comedy, I do whatever turns me on at the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/as-for-doing-more-dramatic-work-over-comedy-i-do-whatever-turns-me-on/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) ## 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. 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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. 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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 Culture quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. 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Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I don't think the distinction between high and low culture exists anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scott/i-don-t-think-the-distinction-between-high-and-low-culture-exists/) [Jeremy Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scott/) > [You get below the Mason-Dixon line and you have some of the best music, culture, the two races, the literature, and it's so rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/you-get-below-the-mason-dixon-line-and-you-have-some-of-the-best/) [Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [“Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/being-grounded-in-your-lifelong-culture-and-your-personal-perspective/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) [Browse all 15,940 Culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and maybe today [it] is the only way to really land musically dramatic work.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Menken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-work-within-and-maybe-today-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Culture" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-work-within-and-maybe-today-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/alan-menken-8351_culture_having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-w_2821768.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having a tradition is a great thing to work within, and maybe today [it] is the only way to really land…” — 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": "Having a tradition is a great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-work-within-and-maybe-today-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-menken/having-a-tradition-is-a-great-thing-to-work-within-and-maybe-today-it/#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 } } ] } ```