--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was two years old when I saw the…" description: "\"I was two years old when I saw the mandolin for the first time, and I just loved it. I just loved the sound of it, the shape of it even, and the way it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/chris-thile-4170_first-time_i-was-two-years-old-when-i-saw-the-mando_587914.png" --- # I was two years old when I saw the mandolin for the first… ![“I was two years old when I saw the mandolin for the first time, and I just loved it. I just loved the sound of it, the shape of it even, and the way it looks. And I still love it, which is a testament to something.” quote by Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/chris-thile-4170_first-time_i-was-two-years-old-when-i-saw-the-mando_587914.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/chris-thile-4170_first-time_i-was-two-years-old-when-i-saw-the-mando_587914.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/531/chris-thile-4170_first-time_i-was-two-years-old-when-i-saw-the-mando_587914.png) > “I was two years old when I saw the mandolin for the first time, and I just loved it. I just loved the sound of it, the shape of it even, and the way it looks. And I still love it, which is a testament to something.” [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. Early exposure to an instrument can spark a lifelong passion that shapes identity and creativity **In simple terms:** A child’s first encounter with music can inspire lasting love Key Takeaway Cherish early inspirations and explore them fully Themes music passion identity creativity Mood joyful nostalgic Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - learning an instrument - career in music - personal branding - teaching music Key Concepts developmental psychology musical appreciation Questions to Reflect On - How did that first experience influence your later choices? - What role does early exposure play in artistic development? A Different Perspective Passion may fade without practice or support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'll never feel as comfortable singing as I do playing. The mandolin is my real voice. My actual voice is sort of my secondary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-ll-never-feel-as-comfortable-singing-as-i-do-playing-the-mandolin/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I'm a massive tennis fan! I love it to bits. I wish I could play, but I am worried that the muscles required for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-m-a-massive-tennis-fan-i-love-it-to-bits-i-wish-i-could-play-but-i/) [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/) > [I really love how the andante from the "A minor Sonata" sounds on the mandolin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-really-love-how-the-andante-from-the-a-minor-sonata-sounds-on-the/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [When they invented the mandolin, it was as if they were trying to come up with the least efficient means of extracting noise from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/when-they-invented-the-mandolin-it-was-as-if-they-were-trying-to-come/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I play the mandolin, which people don't often expect great things from. But it has it's charms, and it's my voice. I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-play-the-mandolin-which-people-don-t-often-expect-great-things-from/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I've always loved the sound of female vocals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-ve-always-loved-the-sound-of-female-vocals/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I loved the sound of the words, even if I was not entirely sure what all of them meant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-loved-the-sound-of-the-words-even-if-i-was-not-entirely-sure-what/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [People just loved the sound because I kept it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/people-just-loved-the-sound-because-i-kept-it-simple/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [“I loved the sound of words, even if I was not entirely certain what all of them meant”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-loved-the-sound-of-words-even-if-i-was-not-entirely-certain-what/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I always wanted to do a song with a violin; I always loved the sound of the instrument, especially for melodic stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/i-always-wanted-to-do-a-song-with-a-violin-i-always-loved-the-sound/) [Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/) > [I know you've never loved the sound of your voice on tape you never want to know how much you way you still have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/i-know-you-ve-never-loved-the-sound-of-your-voice-on-tape-you-never/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [The Mandolin is the bottom four strings of the guitar, backwards...so a person with dyslexia has no problem learning to play the Mandolin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodman/the-mandolin-is-the-bottom-four-strings-of-the-guitar-backwards-so-a/) [Steve Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodman/) > [“mandolin that made Conner jump. “She predicts his future,  And curses his enemies,  With devilish concoctions, She heals his injuries.”  “Great,” Conner”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/mandolin-that-made-conner-jump-she-predicts-his-future-and-curses-his/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [At the age of nine, playing the violin at school, and then onto the mandolin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-redding/at-the-age-of-nine-playing-the-violin-at-school-and-then-onto-the/) [Noel Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-redding/) ## 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 First time quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I’m so stressed that a weird Olympic-style commentary starts up in my head. And here we have Zelah Green, the fourteen-year-old champion of rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-curtis/i-m-so-stressed-that-a-weird-olympic-style-commentary-starts-up-in-my/) Vanessa Curtis > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured, smiling a slow, familiar grin that seemed to hint at a secret between them. And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I won’t break your heart. For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/) [Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/) > [Life is like a parachute jump: you have to get it right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-like-a-parachute-jump-you-have-to-get-it-right-the-first-time/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [When my kids were in the school play for the first time, I decided I had to make the costumes from scratch and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/when-my-kids-were-in-the-school-play-for-the-first-time-i-decided-i/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/) Mennah al refaey > [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. The rain of Doritos, the bed thing,this...Maybe it's just that you create too big, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/or-maybe-your-magic-isn-t-that-destructive-after-all-the-rain-of/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-don-t-know-why-but-everybody-thinks-that-i-m-short-when-they-see-me/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [“I met Suffering on a quiet road, just as the sun was setting behind me. Its presence was heavy, like an old coat I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/i-met-suffering-on-a-quiet-road-just-as-the-sun-was-setting-behind-me/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) Browse all 9,309 First time quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was two years old when I saw the mandolin for the first time, and I just loved it. I just loved the sound of it, the shape of it even, and the way it looks. 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