--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think what people call genre is just a…" description: "\"I think what people call genre is just a question of orchestration. So, for instance, with Punch Brothers, you look at that band and say that's a blueg..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/chris-thile-4170_band_i-think-what-people-call-genre-is-just-a_1921949.png" --- # I think what people call genre is just a question of… ![“I think what people call genre is just a question of orchestration. So, for instance, with Punch Brothers, you look at that band and say that's a bluegrass band, when really it's an orchestration choice.” quote by Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/chris-thile-4170_band_i-think-what-people-call-genre-is-just-a_1921949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/chris-thile-4170_band_i-think-what-people-call-genre-is-just-a_1921949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/384/chris-thile-4170_band_i-think-what-people-call-genre-is-just-a_1921949.png) > “I think what people call genre is just a question of orchestration. So, for instance, with Punch Brothers, you look at that band and say that's a bluegrass band, when really it's an orchestration choice.” [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genre labels are often arbitrary; the true character of music lies in how elements are arranged, not the name assigned. **In simple terms:** Music’s essence is in its arrangement, not its genre label. Key Takeaway Focus on creative orchestration. Themes music theory genre fluidity creativity Mood thoughtful curious Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - band formation - songwriting - live performance Key Concepts arrangement identity artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling affect how we hear music? - Can we appreciate music without genre tags? A Different Perspective Listeners may cling to genre expectations, limiting openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Bluegrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluegrass/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Genre Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-just-291909/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-genre-2956867/) [Say Bluegrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-bluegrass-2956866/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of times, jazz musicians try to educate people. What other genre does that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/a-lot-of-times-jazz-musicians-try-to-educate-people-what-other-genre/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [As a rule, I don't worry about genre. I just want to tell a good story, with characters that interest me and my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-a-rule-i-don-t-worry-about-genre-i-just-want-to-tell-a-good-story/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really like the old stuff that I cut my musical teeth on, and I loved it when the industry was just like that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-allan/i-really-like-the-old-stuff-that-i-cut-my-musical-teeth-on-and-i/) [Gary Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-allan/) > [Coldplay doesn't have to stay within a certain genre; they just go where they go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kygo/coldplay-doesn-t-have-to-stay-within-a-certain-genre-they-just-go/) [Kygo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kygo/) > [I think, until I was 16, classical music had just seemed like a little bit of a rhythmic wasteland for me. Coming from bluegrass,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-think-until-i-was-16-classical-music-had-just-seemed-like-a-little/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Growing up in a bluegrass or acoustic-oriented world, the musicians become so focused on performance, as far as playing. We tend to overanalyze the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/growing-up-in-a-bluegrass-or-acoustic-oriented-world-the-musicians/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I certainly love the bluegrass ensemble, I think it's a powerful tool, but I don't think it's more than a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-certainly-love-the-bluegrass-ensemble-i-think-it-s-a-powerful-tool/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [What makes one type of music classical and one bluegrass and one folk - these things aren't what's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/what-makes-one-type-of-music-classical-and-one-bluegrass-and-one-folk/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Improvisation is an important part of bluegrass, and I would hasten to add that classical music wasn't always such an improvisational void. Back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/improvisation-is-an-important-part-of-bluegrass-and-i-would-hasten-to/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I think the singer/songwriter genre is going to be like bluegrass and jazz. You can make a living at it, but it's not part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/i-think-the-singer-songwriter-genre-is-going-to-be-like-bluegrass-and/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) > [I hope that I can make good music out of whatever genre I go into. Just to prove to myself that I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/i-hope-that-i-can-make-good-music-out-of-whatever-genre-i-go-into/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [I think romantic comedy, when done right, is my favorite genre. It's just a genre that's very human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-think-romantic-comedy-when-done-right-is-my-favorite-genre-it-s/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I'm just looking for material that excites me more than any specific genre. It just needs to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-hendricks/i-m-just-looking-for-material-that-excites-me-more-than-any-specific/) [Christina Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-hendricks/) > [We're four guys that play music. We're not a part of any genre. We just happened to have come out in 1998.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shavo-odadjian/we-re-four-guys-that-play-music-we-re-not-a-part-of-any-genre-we-just/) [Shavo Odadjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shavo-odadjian/) > [I don't know exactly what genre to put it in, I just know that I grew up listening to a lot of soul music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoh-aalegra/i-don-t-know-exactly-what-genre-to-put-it-in-i-just-know-that-i-grew/) [Snoh Aalegra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoh-aalegra/) ## More by Chris Thile > [A cocktail and an oyster is an awfully good thing after a park, especially one close to water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/a-cocktail-and-an-oyster-is-an-awfully-good-thing-after-a-park/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I think people react so strongly to hearing the human voice, you can't give them too much of it or else they want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-think-people-react-so-strongly-to-hearing-the-human-voice-you-can-t/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I'm always going to need to play in front of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-m-always-going-to-need-to-play-in-front-of-people/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I love music so much. It's like the one thing I'm good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-love-music-so-much-it-s-like-the-one-thing-i-m-good-at/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Like a sporting event, live events are the one thing you can't have anytime you want them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/like-a-sporting-event-live-events-are-the-one-thing-you-can-t-have/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Musicians and non-musicians alike are priding themselves on the width and breadth of their musical interests, which I think is to be encouraged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/musicians-and-non-musicians-alike-are-priding-themselves-on-the-width/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [There's a lot of steps between there not being music and there being music. Composition is one part of that, but if no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/there-s-a-lot-of-steps-between-there-not-being-music-and-there-being/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [The fact that I'm a fifth of Punch Brothers... that's lucky for me because I feel like I get to operate in the context…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/the-fact-that-i-m-a-fifth-of-punch-brothers-that-s-lucky-for-me/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It seems like if they'd given Bob Dylan a pen and paper in the cradle that he would've come up with a great song.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-seems-like-if-they-d-given-bob-dylan-a-pen-and-paper-in-the-cradle/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Improvising is writing, too - there was no music and now there's music. So that's composition. And any time you take any sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/improvising-is-writing-too-there-was-no-music-and-now-there-s-music/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It's very hard to make grand, romantic gestures on a mandolin, and there are times, particularly when playing Bach, that you long for just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-s-very-hard-to-make-grand-romantic-gestures-on-a-mandolin-and/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Everything in our lives is encouraging us to turn inward with all the technology that we have available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/everything-in-our-lives-is-encouraging-us-to-turn-inward-with-all-the/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [Improvisation is an important part of bluegrass, and I would hasten to add that classical music wasn't always such an improvisational void. Back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/improvisation-is-an-important-part-of-bluegrass-and-i-would-hasten-to/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [It was kind of sort of the heavens opened up and I realized that Bach, at least, you know - out of all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/it-was-kind-of-sort-of-the-heavens-opened-up-and-i-realized-that-bach/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I think that we'll see the concept of 'genre' continue to die a slow and painful death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-think-that-we-ll-see-the-concept-of-genre-continue-to-die-a-slow/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) [Explore all 115 Chris Thile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) ## 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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think what people call genre is just a question of orchestration. 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