--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Living composers writing for big band are…" description: "\"Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. I am zeroing in on w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/carla-bley-28151_band_living-composers-writing-for-big-band-ar_1484583.png" --- # Living composers writing for big band are very few and far… ![“Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. I am zeroing in on what I do best.” quote by Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/carla-bley-28151_band_living-composers-writing-for-big-band-ar_1484583.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/carla-bley-28151_band_living-composers-writing-for-big-band-ar_1484583.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/752/carla-bley-28151_band_living-composers-writing-for-big-band-ar_1484583.png) > “Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. I am zeroing in on what I do best.” [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Big band compositions are rare, and the speaker claims a unique talent in that niche. **In simple terms:** Few write for big band; I excel at it. Key Takeaway Focus on your strength. Themes music specialization creativity Mood proud confident Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - Concert programming - educational workshops - recording projects Key Concepts Jazz composition big band orchestration Questions to Reflect On - How can you expand demand for big band works? - What collaborations could amplify your niche? A Different Perspective Limited market may restrict opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-band/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Composers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composers/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [But still as compared to many, many orchestras in the world, I think you find a lot more new music and living composers on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tilson-thomas/but-still-as-compared-to-many-many-orchestras-in-the-world-i-think/) [Michael Tilson Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tilson-thomas/) > [I began like all composers, writing for small groups. Chamber groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-del-tredici/i-began-like-all-composers-writing-for-small-groups-chamber-groups/) [David Del Tredici](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-del-tredici/) > [The first year I started in San Francisco, there was an American work on every program and there's been a lot of music by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tilson-thomas/the-first-year-i-started-in-san-francisco-there-was-an-american-work/) [Michael Tilson Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tilson-thomas/) > [When I began, the guitar was en-closed in a vicious circle. There were no composers writing for the guitar, be-cause there were no virtuoso…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/when-i-began-the-guitar-was-en-closed-in-a-vicious-circle-there-were/) [Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/) > [A few Disney TV composers had me pinch-hit writing some scoring cues to picture. Disney tapped me to be the composer for the underscore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-jacob/a-few-disney-tv-composers-had-me-pinch-hit-writing-some-scoring-cues/) Danny Jacob > [Men have been in the forefront of music for centuries, and they have written glorious music, loved and appreciated by many. In some ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-harbach/men-have-been-in-the-forefront-of-music-for-centuries-and-they-have/) [Barbara Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-harbach/) > [There are no black film composers doing the likes of Star Wars, doing the likes of E.T., doing the likes of Jurassic Park. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-johnson/there-are-no-black-film-composers-doing-the-likes-of-star-wars-doing/) [J. J. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-johnson/) > [Nobody can give a good performance unless the authors and composers have written a good part, a fact which is often overlooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-holliday/nobody-can-give-a-good-performance-unless-the-authors-and-composers/) [Judy Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-holliday/) > [Many composers today don't know what the human throat is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-schwarzkopf/many-composers-today-don-t-know-what-the-human-throat-is/) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf > [Not many composers have ideas. Far more of them know how to use strange instruments which do not require ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/not-many-composers-have-ideas-far-more-of-them-know-how-to-use/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [God created music as a common language for all men. It inspires the poets, the composers and the architects. It lures us to search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/god-created-music-as-a-common-language-for-all-men-it-inspires-the/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [In Hollywood, the rainbow hits the ground for composers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoagy-carmichael/in-hollywood-the-rainbow-hits-the-ground-for-composers/) [Hoagy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoagy-carmichael/) > [As far as rock groups, I really like Stone Temple Pilots. As for classical composers, it's Bach. I love Paganini, too, the Italian composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-schulze/as-far-as-rock-groups-i-really-like-stone-temple-pilots-as-for/) [Matt Schulze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-schulze/) > [There's still a lot I need to do as a player, as a musician, as a sound creator. I have commissioned 170 pieces: that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-glennie/there-s-still-a-lot-i-need-to-do-as-a-player-as-a-musician-as-a-sound/) [Evelyn Glennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-glennie/) > [The more dollars the studio producers put in, the less freedom we have. If the budget hits $100m, they get scared - they'll take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/the-more-dollars-the-studio-producers-put-in-the-less-freedom-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) ## More by Carla Bley > [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I got started when I was 3 years old because my father was a music teacher and my lessons were free. Instead of learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/i-got-started-when-i-was-3-years-old-because-my-father-was-a-music/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [When you have 13 horns, and one is soloing, you have 12 people to play the richest, fullest chord you could ever imagine behind that solo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/when-you-have-13-horns-and-one-is-soloing-you-have-12-people-to-play/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I still prefer the bebop of the '40s. The very stuff I started out with is still the best to me. I have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/i-still-prefer-the-bebop-of-the-40s-the-very-stuff-i-started-out-with/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I don't enjoy traveling in America. I don't like the food, the cars. It is not exotic enough. 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I wrote a little arrangement of The Star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/when-ronald-reagan-was-elected-i-was-on-a-bus-traveling-with-a-band/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I don't think you can ever regain your ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/i-don-t-think-you-can-ever-regain-your-ignorance/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I write very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/i-write-very-slowly/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [It would be really hard to get serious about anything political today unless it was a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/it-would-be-really-hard-to-get-serious-about-anything-political-today/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [I just got to hear every note. After I left Birdland, I started working at the Jazz Gallery. In the end, I still couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/i-just-got-to-hear-every-note-after-i-left-birdland-i-started-working/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker seemed so sophisticated and bad. I wanted to be like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/gerry-mulligan-and-chet-baker-seemed-so-sophisticated-and-bad-i/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [When you are studying jazz, the best thing to do is listen to records or listen to live music. It isn't as though you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/when-you-are-studying-jazz-the-best-thing-to-do-is-listen-to-records/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [What's interesting about a person without problems?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/what-s-interesting-about-a-person-without-problems/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) [Explore all 19 Carla Bley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Living composers writing for big band are very few and far between. There are not a lot of them, and I have a talent for doing it. 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