--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll…" description: "\"I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but the first real thing I set out to do was become an English professor. Even so, I always hoped..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b58/anthony-decurtis-36451_growing-up_i-d-always-read-a-lot-about-rock-n-roll_1982709.jpg" --- # I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but… ![“I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but the first real thing I set out to do was become an English professor. Even so, I always hoped in some way or another that I would get to write about music in a popular - non-academic - format.” quote by Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b58/anthony-decurtis-36451_growing-up_i-d-always-read-a-lot-about-rock-n-roll_1982709.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b58/anthony-decurtis-36451_growing-up_i-d-always-read-a-lot-about-rock-n-roll_1982709.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b58/anthony-decurtis-36451_growing-up_i-d-always-read-a-lot-about-rock-n-roll_1982709.jpg) > “I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but the first real thing I set out to do was become an English professor. Even so, I always hoped in some way or another that I would get to write about music in a popular - non-academic - format.” [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He pursued academia while yearning to write about music for a broad audience, reflecting a blend of scholarly and popular ambitions. **In simple terms:** He wanted to teach English but also write about music for everyone. Key Takeaway Bridge academic rigor with popular culture. Themes career music academia Mood enthusiastic reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - teaching - music journalism - public speaking Key Concepts interdisciplinary writing popular culture Questions to Reflect On - How can you make academic insights accessible? - What audience do you want to reach? A Different Perspective Balancing scholarly expectations with mass appeal can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Professor Hoped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professor-hoped-3393490/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) [Rock Roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-roll-267698/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-music-266715/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think that you can write music if you don't know how to play an instrument. You have to know the basics, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alber-elbaz/i-don-t-think-that-you-can-write-music-if-you-don-t-know-how-to-play/) [Alber Elbaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alber-elbaz/) > [I think it's a bit of a myth that if you can read music you can write music. It doesn't work like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-goldfrapp/i-think-it-s-a-bit-of-a-myth-that-if-you-can-read-music-you-can-write/) [Alison Goldfrapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-goldfrapp/) > [I always write music if I'm feeling a bit rubbish and I don't know how to get over or through something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-walker/i-always-write-music-if-i-m-feeling-a-bit-rubbish-and-i-don-t-know/) [Tom Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-walker/) > [The thing is I write to music, so every script I have has its own playlist. Music just opens me up to the emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/the-thing-is-i-write-to-music-so-every-script-i-have-has-its-own/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [Rock n roll is about drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/rock-n-roll-is-about-drugs/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [I'm always into rock n' roll and indie rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mischa-barton/i-m-always-into-rock-n-roll-and-indie-rock/) [Mischa Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mischa-barton/) > [I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-don-t-know-which-will-go-first-rock-n-roll-or-christianity/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Rock 'n' roll is about music. Music. Music. Music. It's not about you, it's not about me, it's not about Oasis. It's about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/rock-n-roll-is-about-music-music-music-music-it-s-not-about-you-it-s/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [When I talk about rock n' roll, to me, that goes back to the beginning of the 1950s. Blue suede shoes and sideburns, man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-keys/when-i-talk-about-rock-n-roll-to-me-that-goes-back-to-the-beginning/) [Bobby Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-keys/) > [I wish the rock 'n' roll scene to be back in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fraser/i-wish-the-rock-n-roll-scene-to-be-back-in/) [Brendan Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fraser/) > [At the risk of sounding grandiose, I will say that, to me, rock 'n' roll is sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-densmore/at-the-risk-of-sounding-grandiose-i-will-say-that-to-me-rock-n-roll/) [John Densmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-densmore/) > [If you think you are too old to rock 'n roll, then you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/if-you-think-you-are-too-old-to-rock-n-roll-then-you-are/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) > [Rock and roll is based on pretty boys who look like little girls. The girls love them because they're not threatening. As someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-panozzo/rock-and-roll-is-based-on-pretty-boys-who-look-like-little-girls-the/) [Chuck Panozzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-panozzo/) > [Rock and roll just used to be for kicks, now a days it's politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/rock-and-roll-just-used-to-be-for-kicks-now-a-days-it-s-politics/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [No, I don't think rock 'n' roll will ever fade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-clark/no-i-don-t-think-rock-n-roll-will-ever-fade/) [Dave Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-clark/) ## More by Anthony DeCurtis > [It can be nerve wracking if you walk into the interview and you're not sure what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/it-can-be-nerve-wracking-if-you-walk-into-the-interview-and-you-re/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [I think younger artists are often "students" of the rock press. They have their favorite rock star interviews and know how they're supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/i-think-younger-artists-are-often-students-of-the-rock-press-they/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [Doing an interview you're going to have certain things you want to get at, but you're better off if you play to people's strengths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/doing-an-interview-you-re-going-to-have-certain-things-you-want-to/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [In Othello, Othello kills Desdemona, but no one reads that play as a model for their own behavior. 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I'd been in the country about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/in-fact-among-the-people-i-met-the-term-soviet-served-essentially-as/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wasn-t-easy-but-there-was-more/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [When I started teaching, I would get miffed if a student asked me to write him or her a recommendation for law school -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-started-teaching-i-would-get-miffed-if-a-student-asked-me-to/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) [Explore all 13 Anthony DeCurtis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) ## More Growing up quotes > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. 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It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't a kid growing up thinking, 'One day I'll get an Oscar and make a speech.' That wasn't on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/i-wasn-t-a-kid-growing-up-thinking-one-day-i-ll-get-an-oscar-and-make/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I was young, but to me that was underground music. I had never heard anything like Venom or any of that stuff growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pajo/i-was-young-but-to-me-that-was-underground-music-i-had-never-heard/) [David Pajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pajo/) > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) > [How am I supposed to make life choices when I still use my fingers to count and sing the whole alphabet to see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-am-i-supposed-to-make-life-choices-when-i-still-use-my-fingers-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. 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