--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For many people in the music conservatory…" description: "\"For many people in the music conservatory world, the message was always, Focus! 'You can't do everything; you really need to specialize.' And especiall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/bryce-dessner-9086_advice_for-many-people-in-the-music-conservator_1363172.png" --- # For many people in the music conservatory world, the… ![“For many people in the music conservatory world, the message was always, Focus! 'You can't do everything; you really need to specialize.' And especially at an early age, I ignored this advice.” quote by Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/bryce-dessner-9086_advice_for-many-people-in-the-music-conservator_1363172.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/bryce-dessner-9086_advice_for-many-people-in-the-music-conservator_1363172.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/bryce-dessner-9086_advice_for-many-people-in-the-music-conservator_1363172.png) > “For many people in the music conservatory world, the message was always, Focus! 'You can't do everything; you really need to specialize.' And especially at an early age, I ignored this advice.” [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Specialization is often urged, but early exploration can foster broader creativity and later expertise. **In simple terms:** Early focus limits growth; exploring many fields can build unique skill sets. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse experiences before narrowing focus. Themes creativity education career development Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - music education - career planning - personal development - artistic innovation Key Concepts specialization exploration skill diversification Questions to Reflect On - How can early breadth become a strength later? - When is it wise to specialize? A Different Perspective Specialization may be necessary for mastery in competitive fields. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-ignored-4569989/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-really-1121213/) [Ignored Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignored-advice-4671858/) [Message Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-focus-4631510/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The poetic function is the set towards the message itself, focus on the message for its own sake which by promoting the palpability of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-jakobson/the-poetic-function-is-the-set-towards-the-message-itself-focus-on/) [Roman Jakobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-jakobson/) > [in the United States ... given the cult of eternal youth, age is ignored unless it can be sentimentalized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/in-the-united-states-given-the-cult-of-eternal-youth-age-is-ignored/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [First of all I can only focus on one creative project at a time. 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Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/where-you-are-headed-is-more-important-than-how-fast-you-are-going/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Take a Deep Breath & Focus on What's Really Important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/take-a-deep-breath-focus-on-what-s-really-important/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I'm mentally getting myself ready to talk about it all year long because I know it's going to come. 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But the development of character comes only as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/our-busy-lives-force-us-to-focus-on-things-we-do-from-day-to-day-but/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [When you're one-dimensional, someone can just focus on that and really stop that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taysom-hill/when-you-re-one-dimensional-someone-can-just-focus-on-that-and-really/) [Taysom Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taysom-hill/) > [I've never wanted to do just one thing. I don't have an attention span for that. I can focus really well on one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-jackson/i-ve-never-wanted-to-do-just-one-thing-i-don-t-have-an-attention-span/) [Christopher Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-jackson/) > [Right now, my focus is really acting and directing. But I see the creativity and the work that goes into building a network, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiri-appleby/right-now-my-focus-is-really-acting-and-directing-but-i-see-the/) [Shiri Appleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiri-appleby/) ## More by Bryce Dessner > [Obviously there are pieces of classical music that are some of the most beautiful music ever written, for me anyway is a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/obviously-there-are-pieces-of-classical-music-that-are-some-of-the/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [You don't come to our shows if you want to look cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/you-don-t-come-to-our-shows-if-you-want-to-look-cool/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Typically, people think, 'Oh the hippies and the punks hated each other,' or that those things don't go together musically. Sometimes that is true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/typically-people-think-oh-the-hippies-and-the-punks-hated-each-other/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Art is a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/art-is-a-way-of-life/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [When I'm writing instrumental music, I try to find musical and non-musical inspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/when-i-m-writing-instrumental-music-i-try-to-find-musical-and-non/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [With 'Boxer,' we made the kind of music we wanted to make and didn't really worry about what the expectation was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/with-boxer-we-made-the-kind-of-music-we-wanted-to-make-and-didn-t/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I like to write on tour busses and airplanes. Something about moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-like-to-write-on-tour-busses-and-airplanes-something-about-moving/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [In terms of the music, it feels almost like trouble's a good thing - you never know when a song is going to surprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/in-terms-of-the-music-it-feels-almost-like-trouble-s-a-good-thing-you/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [When we learned to play in bands, what we were covering was equal part the Velvet Underground and the Grateful Dead. That would defy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/when-we-learned-to-play-in-bands-what-we-were-covering-was-equal-part/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I love the physicality of instruments, and instruments as objects, like dancers are bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-love-the-physicality-of-instruments-and-instruments-as-objects-like/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [Me, who's educated classically, I went toward rock music 'cause it was sort of a natural evolution from where I was playing with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/me-who-s-educated-classically-i-went-toward-rock-music-cause-it-was/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [My background in music is classical - I did graduate school in music. At that time, I was studying composition, but I was studying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/my-background-in-music-is-classical-i-did-graduate-school-in-music-at/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [I've got this diverse education, growing up in classical music and existing between that and music that is more visceral, so for sure, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/i-ve-got-this-diverse-education-growing-up-in-classical-music-and/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [A good song is a nice set of chords and some good lyrics; a great song is a song that reinvents itself over time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/a-good-song-is-a-nice-set-of-chords-and-some-good-lyrics-a-great-song/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) > [The thing I realised about composition is, we remember most composers for four bars of music. Four singable bars of music. Pretty much any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dessner/the-thing-i-realised-about-composition-is-we-remember-most-composers/) [Bryce Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) [Explore all 75 Bryce Dessner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dessner/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. 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And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. 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