--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed…" description: "\"“When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive focus on the quality of what you produce is the rule in professional music. “It trumps your..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg" --- # When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive… ![“When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive focus on the quality of what you produce is the rule in professional music. “It trumps your appearance, your equipment, your personality, and your connections,” he explained. “Studio musicians have this adage: ‘The tape doesn’t lie.’…” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg) > ““When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive focus on the quality of what you produce is the rule in professional music. “It trumps your appearance, your equipment, your personality, and your connections,” he explained. “Studio musicians have this adage: ‘The tape doesn’t lie.’ Immediately after the recording comes the playback; your ability has no hiding place.”” [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence in professional music demands obsessive focus on output quality; appearance, gear, personality, and connections are secondary because recordings reveal true ability. **In simple terms:** Quality of work outweighs image or connections. Key Takeaway Prioritize craft over image. Themes excellence focus authenticity Mood inspirational reflective Type creative professional When to use this quote - studio recording - live performance - career building Key Concepts music production performance skill development Questions to Reflect On - How to maintain focus without sacrificing well‑being? - Can networking still play a role? A Different Perspective Obsession with quality can cause burnout or neglect of other aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equipment Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equipment-personality-3206367/) [Hiding place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-place/) [Mark Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mark-jordan-3206364/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musicians Adage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians-adage-3206365/) [Playback Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playback-ability-3206366/) [Professional Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-music-958485/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [A professional music career goes in starts and stops. Around 2000 I was doing a Broadway show and that was some real good energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-porter/a-professional-music-career-goes-in-starts-and-stops-around-2000-i/) [Gregory Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-porter/) > [And this is the origin of pop music: it's a professional music which draws upon both folk music and fine arts music as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/and-this-is-the-origin-of-pop-music-it-s-a-professional-music-which/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [But the focus for actors is always towards acting. It is very obvious that they don't need to have training in professional music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-tiwari/but-the-focus-for-actors-is-always-towards-acting-it-is-very-obvious/) [Ankit Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankit-tiwari/) > [I am less instinctive as I try to be more professional - about the music, about the sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/i-am-less-instinctive-as-i-try-to-be-more-professional-about-the/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) > [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [It's that TV thing. 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You’re afraid to face the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/if-you-re-watching-netflix-every-time-it-s-time-for-you-to-do-x-that/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [Happiness is the greatest hiding place for despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-the-greatest-hiding-place-for-despair/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Inspiration is the timid beast that comes to your open hand once you’ve fallen asleep having given up trying to coax it from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-hick/inspiration-is-the-timid-beast-that-comes-to-your-open-hand-once-you/) [Shaun Hick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-hick/) > [What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/what-we-need-very-badly-these-days-is-a-company-of-christians-who-are/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“The hearts of women are like those little pieces of furniture with secret hiding - places, full of drawers fitted into each other; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-hearts-of-women-are-like-those-little-pieces-of-furniture-with/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“There was a time when men were gods. But they abused their divine powers so much that Lord Brahma, the master of all gods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virend-singh/there-was-a-time-when-men-were-gods-but-they-abused-their-divine/) [Virend Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virend-singh/) > [“Every one of us, unconsciously, works out a personal philosophy of life, by which we are guided, inspired, and corrected, as time goes on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-matthew-adams/every-one-of-us-unconsciously-works-out-a-personal-philosophy-of-life/) [George Matthew Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-matthew-adams/) > [You should have taken me with you," I whisper to him. Then I lean my head against his and begin to cry. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/you-should-have-taken-me-with-you-i-whisper-to-him-then-i-lean-my/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [“Here were love letters, the youth knew. Secret love letters. Unfound, still waiting somewhere beyond the mist. A young man’s words for this girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-berk/here-were-love-letters-the-youth-knew-secret-love-letters-unfound/) [Ari Berk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-berk/) ## More by Cal Newport > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“many software companies now deploy the Scrum project management methodology, which replaces a lot of this ad hoc messaging with regular, highly structured, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/many-software-companies-now-deploy-the-scrum-project-management/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when paying more than $1,000 a day to write the chapter in a suite of an old hotel down the street from a Hogwarts-style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-paying-more-than-1-000-a-day-to-write-the-chapter-in-a-suite-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-deciding-whether-to-follow-an-appealing-pursuit-that-will/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/let-your-mind-become-a-lens-thanks-to-the-converging-rays-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow. In this study, a group of management consultants were asked to disconnect for a full day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/study-by-harvard-business-school-professor-leslie-perlow-in-this/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy-to-get-this-insight-brought/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Here’s the routine: Once a week I require myself to summarize in my “bible” a paper I think might be relevant to my research.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/here-s-the-routine-once-a-week-i-require-myself-to-summarize-in-my/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists, like Walter Isaacson, are trained to shift into a writing mode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-journalist-philosophy-this-name-is-a-nod-to-the-fact-that/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Not long into his 2010 TED talk on creativity and leadership, Derek Sivers plays a video clip of a crowd at an outdoor concert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/not-long-into-his-2010-ted-talk-on-creativity-and-leadership-derek/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Kirk’s path to American Treasures was incremental. He didn’t decide out of nowhere that he wanted to host a television show and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/kirk-s-path-to-american-treasures-was-incremental-he-didn-t-decide/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not you’ve found your true calling, the question will be rendered moot when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-you-spend-too-much-time-focusing-on-whether-or-not-you-ve-found/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Their plans were circumspect and small-time. They weren’t dreaming of taking over the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/their-plans-were-circumspect-and-small-time-they-weren-t-dreaming-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“This chain method (as some now call it) soon became a hit among writers and fitness enthusiasts—communities that thrive on the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-chain-method-as-some-now-call-it-soon-became-a-hit-among-writers/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) [Explore all 257 Cal Newport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More Hiding place quotes > [“Here were love letters, the youth knew. Secret love letters. Unfound, still waiting somewhere beyond the mist. A young man’s words for this girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-berk/here-were-love-letters-the-youth-knew-secret-love-letters-unfound/) [Ari Berk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-berk/) > [You should have taken me with you," I whisper to him. Then I lean my head against his and begin to cry. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/you-should-have-taken-me-with-you-i-whisper-to-him-then-i-lean-my/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [“Every one of us, unconsciously, works out a personal philosophy of life, by which we are guided, inspired, and corrected, as time goes on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-matthew-adams/every-one-of-us-unconsciously-works-out-a-personal-philosophy-of-life/) [George Matthew Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-matthew-adams/) > [“There was a time when men were gods. But they abused their divine powers so much that Lord Brahma, the master of all gods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virend-singh/there-was-a-time-when-men-were-gods-but-they-abused-their-divine/) [Virend Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virend-singh/) > [“The hearts of women are like those little pieces of furniture with secret hiding - places, full of drawers fitted into each other; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-hearts-of-women-are-like-those-little-pieces-of-furniture-with/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/what-we-need-very-badly-these-days-is-a-company-of-christians-who-are/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Inspiration is the timid beast that comes to your open hand once you’ve fallen asleep having given up trying to coax it from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-hick/inspiration-is-the-timid-beast-that-comes-to-your-open-hand-once-you/) [Shaun Hick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-hick/) > [Happiness is the greatest hiding place for despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-is-the-greatest-hiding-place-for-despair/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you’re watching Netflix every time it’s time for you to do X, that’s a hiding place. You’re afraid to face the fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/if-you-re-watching-netflix-every-time-it-s-time-for-you-to-do-x-that/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [It's that TV thing. You can be in the biggest film of the year and it will still not have the kind of impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-macdonald/it-s-that-tv-thing-you-can-be-in-the-biggest-film-of-the-year-and-it/) [Kelly Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-macdonald/) > [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Eventually soulmates meet, for they have the same hiding place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/eventually-soulmates-meet-for-they-have-the-same-hiding-place/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The working-class is now issuing from its hiding-place to assert an Englishman's heaven-born privilege of doing as he likes, and is beginning to perplex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/the-working-class-is-now-issuing-from-its-hiding-place-to-assert-an/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [He made the boxes because he was lonely. He didn't have anyone to love, and he made the boxes so he could love them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/he-made-the-boxes-because-he-was-lonely-he-didn-t-have-anyone-to-love/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [To share a hiding place, physical or psychological, is as intimate as love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/to-share-a-hiding-place-physical-or-psychological-is-as-intimate-as/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) [Browse all 154 Hiding place quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiding-place/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive focus on the quality of what you produce is the rule in professional music. “It trumps your appearance, your equipment, your personality, and your connections,” he explained. “Studio musicians have this adage: ‘The tape doesn’t lie.’ Immediately after the recording comes the playback; your ability has no hiding place.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cal Newport" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed-that-an-obsessive-focus-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hiding place" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed-that-an-obsessive-focus-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/776/cal-newport-1302_hiding-place_when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed_1956527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I told Mark about Jordan, he agreed that an obsessive focus on the quality of what you produce is the…” — Cal Newport", "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": "Cal Newport", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When I told Mark about Jordan,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed-that-an-obsessive-focus-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-i-told-mark-about-jordan-he-agreed-that-an-obsessive-focus-on/#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 } } ] } ```