--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It all started in a local park in El Paso…" description: "\"It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine Park. At a ditch, a very small ditch, that everybody used to go skateboarding in. It was me ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/cedric-bixler-zavala-10330_acoustic-guitar_it-all-started-in-a-local-park-in-el-pas_157782.jpg" --- # It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine… ![“It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine Park. At a ditch, a very small ditch, that everybody used to go skateboarding in. It was me and Jim Ward and an acoustic guitar. He and I constructed the very first phases of At The Drive In.” quote by Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/cedric-bixler-zavala-10330_acoustic-guitar_it-all-started-in-a-local-park-in-el-pas_157782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/cedric-bixler-zavala-10330_acoustic-guitar_it-all-started-in-a-local-park-in-el-pas_157782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/cedric-bixler-zavala-10330_acoustic-guitar_it-all-started-in-a-local-park-in-el-pas_157782.jpg) > “It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine Park. At a ditch, a very small ditch, that everybody used to go skateboarding in. It was me and Jim Ward and an acoustic guitar. He and I constructed the very first phases of At The Drive In.” [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote recounts the humble origins of a band, emphasizing how a simple skate spot sparked collaboration and early songwriting. **In simple terms:** A small park sparked a band's beginnings. Key Takeaway Cherish modest starts and collaborative effort. Themes music collaboration origins creativity community Mood nostalgic energetic Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - skateboarding sessions - early songwriting - band rehearsals - local music scenes Key Concepts DIY culture band formation creative partnership Questions to Reflect On - How can everyday places inspire lasting projects? - What role does community play in creative beginnings? A Different Perspective Success often follows informal, unplanned gatherings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acoustic guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acoustic-guitar/) [Drive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Skateboarding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skateboarding/) ## Related quotes > [Growing up, everyone around me in El Paso, Texas, was all about watching 'The Wall' and, you know, 'Money' and 'Dark Side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/growing-up-everyone-around-me-in-el-paso-texas-was-all-about-watching/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I was in dire need of a band that was serious about getting out of El Paso.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-was-in-dire-need-of-a-band-that-was-serious-about-getting-out-of-el/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I started in local news in South Carolina, so viewers there supported me. We had a morning show that we put to No. 1,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-earhardt/i-started-in-local-news-in-south-carolina-so-viewers-there-supported/) [Ainsley Earhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-earhardt/) > [It was just me in my basement honing my skills, hearing songs on the radio and trying to manipulate them and then writing over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-sparks/it-was-just-me-in-my-basement-honing-my-skills-hearing-songs-on-the/) [Clinton Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-sparks/) > [Basically, right before college I got into the Guinness book for my feet and started to do local commercials and little radio spots, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcgrory/basically-right-before-college-i-got-into-the-guinness-book-for-my/) [Matthew McGrory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcgrory/) > [Last name ever first name greatest like a sprained ankle boy I aint nothin to play with started off local but thanks to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/last-name-ever-first-name-greatest-like-a-sprained-ankle-boy-i-aint/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I started off at a local newspaper called 'The Middle East Times,' which is no longer in existence. I remember one of the earliest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-eltahawy/i-started-off-at-a-local-newspaper-called-the-middle-east-times-which/) [Mona Eltahawy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-eltahawy/) > [Started off local but thanks to all the haters, I know G4 pilots on a first name basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/started-off-local-but-thanks-to-all-the-haters-i-know-g4-pilots-on-a/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“If it’s coin operated in El Paso, you can bet the Cartel owns it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-scott/if-it-s-coin-operated-in-el-paso-you-can-bet-the-cartel-owns-it/) [Anson Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-scott/) > [“La verdadera amistad, pensaban, resiste el paso del tiempo, es desinteresada y generosa, no pide nada a cambio, sólo lealtad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/la-verdadera-amistad-pensaban-resiste-el-paso-del-tiempo-es/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [The thing about going back to El Paso, it's overwhelming sometimes. I look at the support that I get and the success that I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalid/the-thing-about-going-back-to-el-paso-it-s-overwhelming-sometimes-i/) [Khalid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalid/) > [If you've ever driven across Texas, you know how different one area of the state can be from another. Take El Paso. It looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-trevino/if-you-ve-ever-driven-across-texas-you-know-how-different-one-area-of/) [Lee Trevino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-trevino/) > [I moved from New York to El Paso in 2015, just before my senior year. I was super nervous. My mom, she's in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalid/i-moved-from-new-york-to-el-paso-in-2015-just-before-my-senior-year-i/) [Khalid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalid/) > [ \[My grandparents\] were from Texas. El Paso. White trash. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/my-grandparents-were-from-texas-el-paso-white-trash/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [“As James entered the El Paso city limits, he began thinking about lyrics to a song that would describe his journey. “I’m just cruise’n…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-swann/as-james-entered-the-el-paso-city-limits-he-began-thinking-about/) [Joyce Swann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-swann/) ## More by Cedric Bixler-Zavala > [I've come to realize that at the end of the day, it's only you yourself that creativity comes from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-only-you/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [If I speak my version of Spanish in Spain, they laugh. Same with Mexico. It's an alien world to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/if-i-speak-my-version-of-spanish-in-spain-they-laugh-same-with-mexico/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [You want to embrace what the idea of pop music is. Not necessarily the stereotype of pop music; there was a time when you'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/you-want-to-embrace-what-the-idea-of-pop-music-is-not-necessarily-the/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I think other people's interpretations of what I've written are a lot better than what I have, because I don't understand a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-think-other-people-s-interpretations-of-what-i-ve-written-are-a-lot/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [You come to a point in your life where you don't want to just keep repeating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/you-come-to-a-point-in-your-life-where-you-don-t-want-to-just-keep/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [It's hard to turn my internal dialogue off from that character I become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/it-s-hard-to-turn-my-internal-dialogue-off-from-that-character-i/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I've said this many times: Rock 'n' roll is this magnet for dysfunctional people who only know how to communicate through the medium of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-ve-said-this-many-times-rock-n-roll-is-this-magnet-for/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I've still got a lot of tantrums to throw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-ve-still-got-a-lot-of-tantrums-to-throw/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [Mars Volta was always about embracing what 'too much' was and the excess of it. I never thought there would be an audience for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/mars-volta-was-always-about-embracing-what-too-much-was-and-the/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I personally never trusted the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-personally-never-trusted-the-audience/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [It makes us feel normal when people think we're being too arty or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/it-makes-us-feel-normal-when-people-think-we-re-being-too-arty-or/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [I have cancelled shows before for knowing full well that my heart was not in it at that moment. Why? Because its an insult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/i-have-cancelled-shows-before-for-knowing-full-well-that-my-heart-was/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [Paranoia can be such a powerful hallucinogen if you're not careful - but it's great to kind of recognize it as that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/paranoia-can-be-such-a-powerful-hallucinogen-if-you-re-not-careful/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [It's only a matter of time before machinery becomes sentient. It's going to happen because we're already slaves to all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/it-s-only-a-matter-of-time-before-machinery-becomes-sentient-it-s/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [That romantic notion of a band being a total democracy is just like lying to yourself in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/that-romantic-notion-of-a-band-being-a-total-democracy-is-just-like/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) [Explore all 66 Cedric Bixler-Zavala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) ## More Acoustic guitar quotes > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [One thing I really hate about people who play both acoustic and electric is if they try to play electric style on an acoustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-gallagher/one-thing-i-really-hate-about-people-who-play-both-acoustic-and/) [Rory Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-gallagher/) > [Much of the music I remember from camp was unofficial: the songs a counselor would play for us on acoustic guitar or that an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/much-of-the-music-i-remember-from-camp-was-unofficial-the-songs-a/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [My first synthesizer was the VCS3. I got it in Bristol in the late Sixties, long before Pink Floyd used them. I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-jarre/my-first-synthesizer-was-the-vcs3-i-got-it-in-bristol-in-the-late/) [Jean-Michel Jarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-jarre/) > [“Other freshmen were already moving into their dormitory rooms when we arrived, with their parents helping haul. I saw boxes of paperbacks, stereo equipment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/other-freshmen-were-already-moving-into-their-dormitory-rooms-when-we/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [My first review in NOW Magazine - I played one machine, so I went to a soloist night, where everyone else played acoustic guitar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peaches/my-first-review-in-now-magazine-i-played-one-machine-so-i-went-to-a/) [Peaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peaches/) > [I collect as many acoustic guitars as I need for a specific purpose. Acoustic guitars are really just tools for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/i-collect-as-many-acoustic-guitars-as-i-need-for-a-specific-purpose/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [I practice on the acoustic guitar a little bit, but I think I have reached the peak of my talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/i-practice-on-the-acoustic-guitar-a-little-bit-but-i-think-i-have/) [Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/) > [When we did the 'Skin and Bones' tour I didn't even own an acoustic guitar, I had to borrow one from my friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/when-we-did-the-skin-and-bones-tour-i-didn-t-even-own-an-acoustic/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > ['Flying In A Blue Dream' was quite automatic. I was working on another song, and I took a break and picked up my acoustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/flying-in-a-blue-dream-was-quite-automatic-i-was-working-on-another/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [In certain ways I still feel like I'm finding my way. I feel pretty comfortable playing acoustic guitar and singing, but then I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/in-certain-ways-i-still-feel-like-i-m-finding-my-way-i-feel-pretty/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [One of the signature things about Heart was the acoustic guitar in a rock format, which you didn't hear that often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/one-of-the-signature-things-about-heart-was-the-acoustic-guitar-in-a/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [My stuff was more of a folk coffeehouse thing, with more acoustic guitar, just me doing a single, and then adding on instruments and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hicks/my-stuff-was-more-of-a-folk-coffeehouse-thing-with-more-acoustic/) [Dan Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hicks/) > [This band - because this is myself on electric and acoustic guitars - we've done three tours together now and I really, really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-armatrading/this-band-because-this-is-myself-on-electric-and-acoustic-guitars-we/) [Joan Armatrading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-armatrading/) [Browse all 174 Acoustic guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acoustic-guitar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It all started in a local park in El Paso called Madeleine Park. 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