--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Collaborating with the musical genius of…" description: "\"Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some ways with Prince himself - late, great Gerald Levert,all these are forms of singing education..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg" --- # Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some… ![“Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some ways with Prince himself - late, great Gerald Levert,all these are forms of singing education, what the Greeks call paideia,that deep education to get us to shift from superficial things to serious things, to shift from bling-bling to life…” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg) > “Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some ways with Prince himself - late, great Gerald Levert,all these are forms of singing education, what the Greeks call paideia,that deep education to get us to shift from superficial things to serious things, to shift from bling-bling to life and death to justice and pain and joy, those fundamental, elemental things that we must come to terms with as we make our moves from our mother's womb to the tomb.” [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for deep, transformative education (paideia) that moves beyond superficial culture toward fundamental human experiences. **In simple terms:** Education should shift focus from surface to deep, essential truths. Key Takeaway Seek learning that engages core human values. Themes education culture philosophy Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - curriculum design - art programs - community workshops - personal growth - social reform Key Concepts paideia humanism artistic expression ethical development Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions prioritize depth over entertainment? - What role does art play in moral development? A Different Perspective Implementing deep education can clash with commercialized, profit‑driven curricula. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bling/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Elementals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elementals/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-genius/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Superficial things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superficial-things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Womb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/womb/) ## Related quotes > [“Education must shift from instruction, from imposing of stencils, to discovery—to probing and exploration and to the recognition of the language of forms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/education-must-shift-from-instruction-from-imposing-of-stencils-to/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Too many young folk have addiction to superficial things and not enough conviction for substantial things like justice, truth and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/too-many-young-folk-have-addiction-to-superficial-things-and-not/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I'm not going to say that I'm some musical genius, but I've always loved music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-stoner/i-m-not-going-to-say-that-i-m-some-musical-genius-but-i-ve-always/) [Alyson Stoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-stoner/) > [My grandfather was a church organist and would sing in choirs and was a musical genius to a certain extent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-garratt/my-grandfather-was-a-church-organist-and-would-sing-in-choirs-and-was/) [Jack Garratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-garratt/) > [I have a dear friend called Kate St John who is a musical genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enfield/i-have-a-dear-friend-called-kate-st-john-who-is-a-musical-genius/) [Harry Enfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enfield/) > [Stevie Wonder is a musical genius !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/stevie-wonder-is-a-musical-genius/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Nina Simone is a musical genius and a rich and precious treasure who paid a heavy price for her artistic freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/nina-simone-is-a-musical-genius-and-a-rich-and-precious-treasure-who/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [I'm a huge fan of R. Kelly's. He's a musical genius and probably the most prolific artist of the generation before mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-r-kelly-s-he-s-a-musical-genius-and-probably-the/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [Hellhammer is the best drummer ever, and Euronymous is a musical genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/hellhammer-is-the-best-drummer-ever-and-euronymous-is-a-musical-genius/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [I actually think that I'm a genius; not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I'm a musical genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-t-genasis/i-actually-think-that-i-m-a-genius-not-to-toot-my-own-horn-or/) [O. T. Genasis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-t-genasis/) > [The technical brilliance of Lang Lang and the musical genius to create a masterpiece on the spot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-brown/the-technical-brilliance-of-lang-lang-and-the-musical-genius-to/) [Ian Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-brown/) > [I'm aware of Yusef Lateef and Sun Ra and John Coltrane. My music cup runneth over. I try to encourage people: don't cut anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/i-m-aware-of-yusef-lateef-and-sun-ra-and-john-coltrane-my-music-cup/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [John Lennon was a musical genius. All I have to do is think of some of his songs and even the titles make me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/john-lennon-was-a-musical-genius-all-i-have-to-do-is-think-of-some-of/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Ronald Isley is a musical genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly/ronald-isley-is-a-musical-genius/) [R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/) > [I'm supposed to be a musical genius, but I can't work the car seat that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-m-supposed-to-be-a-musical-genius-but-i-can-t-work-the-car-seat/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) ## More by Cornel West > [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I feel as if I have been blessed to undergo a transformation from 'gangster' to 'redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-feel-as-if-i-have-been-blessed-to-undergo-a-transformation-from/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [When we think of globalization we are thinking in part of structures and institutions that have been developed over time and that have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-we-think-of-globalization-we-are-thinking-in-part-of-structures/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Barack Obama has domesticated the left in such a way that we feel as if we have no alternative but him...I refuse to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/barack-obama-has-domesticated-the-left-in-such-a-way-that-we-feel-as/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Larry Summers, I think, he had a long history of arrogance and relative ignorance about poor people's culture and working people's culture and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/larry-summers-i-think-he-had-a-long-history-of-arrogance-and-relative/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-gift-of-inspiration/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-see-it-in-terms-of-the-obsession-on-wall-street-with-not-just/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) [Explore all 400 Cornel West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More Bling quotes > [“For good or for bad, we define ourselves in many ways by the gadgets we use and the clothes we wear. We don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-merkoski/for-good-or-for-bad-we-define-ourselves-in-many-ways-by-the-gadgets/) [Jason Merkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-merkoski/) > [I don't dislike rappers or hip-hop or people who like it. I went to the Def Jam tour in Manchester in the '80s when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-don-t-dislike-rappers-or-hip-hop-or-people-who-like-it-i-went-to/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [I'm so sick of mermaid dresses, trains, borrowed bling-bling, and a pose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-leon-talley/i-m-so-sick-of-mermaid-dresses-trains-borrowed-bling-bling-and-a-pose/) [Andre Leon Talley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-leon-talley/) > [That which attempts to elevate the ugly to the level of beauty becomes neither; but an obscenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/that-which-attempts-to-elevate-the-ugly-to-the-level-of-beauty/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [I like big books and I cannot lie. You other readers can’t deny That when a kid walks in with The Name of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/i-like-big-books-and-i-cannot-lie-you-other-readers-can-t-deny-that/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [There's more to life than having things: a Rolls-Royce, a big house, bling bling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-hopkins/there-s-more-to-life-than-having-things-a-rolls-royce-a-big-house/) [Bernard Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-hopkins/) > [As a Christian, I got something the world didn't give me, the world can't take away, so I find joy that can never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/as-a-christian-i-got-something-the-world-didn-t-give-me-the-world-can/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [It is entirely possible to create something totally artificial within the realms of rock and roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-is-entirely-possible-to-create-something-totally-artificial-within/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [Ours is not so much an age of vulgarity as of vulgarization; everything is tampered with or touched up, or adulterated or watered down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/ours-is-not-so-much-an-age-of-vulgarity-as-of-vulgarization/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [Ain't about the (uh) Cha-Ching Cha-Ching. Aint about the yeah Ba-Bling Ba-Bling. Wanna make the world dance, forget about the Price Tag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-j/ain-t-about-the-uh-cha-ching-cha-ching-aint-about-the-yeah-ba-bling/) [Jessie J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-j/) > ['Bling Bling' was originally a Big Tymers song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mannie-fresh/bling-bling-was-originally-a-big-tymers-song/) [Mannie Fresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mannie-fresh/) > [“Bling" is not an indication of riches. It is a product of value-based spending, to enrich the pockets of those outside of ones sphere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/bling-is-not-an-indication-of-riches-it-is-a-product-of-value-based/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [I'm the original bling man of India!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bappi-lahiri/i-m-the-original-bling-man-of-india/) [Bappi Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bappi-lahiri/) > [I put babies on your neck make you look, like you got some bling-bling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dot-dot-curve/i-put-babies-on-your-neck-make-you-look-like-you-got-some-bling-bling/) Dot Dot Curve > [Be content to be what you are; shiny stones and silver bangles only make you look what you really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiny-tim/be-content-to-be-what-you-are-shiny-stones-and-silver-bangles-only/) [Tiny Tim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiny-tim/) [Browse all 62 Bling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some ways with Prince himself - late, great Gerald Levert,all these are forms of singing education, what the Greeks call paideia,that deep education to get us to shift from superficial things to serious things, to shift from bling-bling to life and death to justice and pain and joy, those fundamental, elemental things that we must come to terms with as we make our moves from our mother's womb to the tomb.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cornel West" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of-our-time-in-some-ways-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of-our-time-in-some-ways-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/cornel-west-708_bling_collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of_635358.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Collaborating with the musical genius of our time in some ways with Prince himself - late, great Gerald…” — Cornel West", "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": "Cornel West", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Collaborating with the musical genius of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of-our-time-in-some-ways-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/collaborating-with-the-musical-genius-of-our-time-in-some-ways-with/#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 } } ] } ```