--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always maintain that playing in an…" description: "\"I always maintain that playing in an orchestra intelligently is the best school for democracy. If you play a solo, the conductor and everybody in the o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg" --- # I always maintain that playing in an orchestra… ![“I always maintain that playing in an orchestra intelligently is the best school for democracy. If you play a solo, the conductor and everybody in the orchestra follows you. Then, a few bars later, the main voice goes to another instrument, another group, and then you have to go back into the…” quote by Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg) > “I always maintain that playing in an orchestra intelligently is the best school for democracy. If you play a solo, the conductor and everybody in the orchestra follows you. Then, a few bars later, the main voice goes to another instrument, another group, and then you have to go back into the collective \[sound\]. The art of playing in an orchestra is being able to express yourself to the maximum but always in relation to something else that is going on.” [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Orchestra playing teaches democratic principles: individual expression within collective harmony, rotating leadership, and shared responsibility. **In simple terms:** Music mirrors democracy. Key Takeaway Practice collaborative leadership. Themes music democracy collaboration Mood inspirational educational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - orchestra rehearsals - workshops - community ensembles - corporate teams Key Concepts leadership team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does leadership rotate in your team? - What balances individual voice and group? A Different Perspective Not all groups function smoothly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Bars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bars/) [Best school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-school/) [Collectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectives/) [Conductor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conductor/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Express yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/express-yourself/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Instruments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruments/) [Maximum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maximum/) [Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra/) [Orchestra Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra-able-1702251/) [Orchestra Follows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra-follows-1702250/) [Orchestra Intelligently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orchestra-intelligently-1702249/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing Orchestra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-orchestra-1702248/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solo/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [When I was four, we had to choose a musical instrument to play at school, and I chose the cello. I played until I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-fox/when-i-was-four-we-had-to-choose-a-musical-instrument-to-play-at/) [Emilia Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-fox/) > [The musical training taught me to focus my mind, before playing in an orchestra taught me how to truly concentrate. If you miss your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/the-musical-training-taught-me-to-focus-my-mind-before-playing-in-an/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Bombay is far ahead of Bengal in the matter of female education. I have visited some of the best schools in Bengal and Bombay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshub-chandra-sen/bombay-is-far-ahead-of-bengal-in-the-matter-of-female-education-i/) [Keshub Chandra Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshub-chandra-sen/) > [The life is presenting you The best experiences without any Diplomas, And reading daily lessons in the best school without any walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-son-beats/the-life-is-presenting-you-the-best-experiences-without-any-diplomas/) [Black Son Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-son-beats/) > [I didn't go to acting school, but I've been observing my fellow man for 66 years now, and I would think that's the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-brimley/i-didn-t-go-to-acting-school-but-i-ve-been-observing-my-fellow-man/) [Wilford Brimley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-brimley/) > [How many more years will our educators continue to lecture us on the evils of whipping children until they bring home high grades? Year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/how-many-more-years-will-our-educators-continue-to-lecture-us-on-the/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [“Our lives are the best school in the universe because we all have to face happiness and madness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalin-shu/our-lives-are-the-best-school-in-the-universe-because-we-all-have-to/) [dalin shu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalin-shu/) > [White folks are the luckiest people: Finally a black president and he's a behaved one. Went to the best schools, best colleges, never raises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/white-folks-are-the-luckiest-people-finally-a-black-president-and-he/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Democracy is the best school to learn soft power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-nye/democracy-is-the-best-school-to-learn-soft-power/) [Joseph Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-nye/) > [I was very young, maybe five. The opera was very... I was attracted to opera to the point that I think it's the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalo-schifrin/i-was-very-young-maybe-five-the-opera-was-very-i-was-attracted-to/) [Lalo Schifrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalo-schifrin/) > [Life is the best school. God is the best teacher. Problem is the best assignment. Failure is the best revision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-the-best-school-god-is-the-best-teacher-problem-is-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Experience is the best school, Failures, Mistakes, Embarrassments, and Heartaches are teaching there, Offering only one lesson called Life, That you could only finish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-m-lubao/experience-is-the-best-school-failures-mistakes-embarrassments-and/) [Nelson M. Lubao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-m-lubao/) > [The subject I was best at in school was biology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-berges-frisbey/the-subject-i-was-best-at-in-school-was-biology/) [Astrid Berges-Frisbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-berges-frisbey/) > [Kids should go to college, but they should go to the best school they can afford to get through with minimal or no debt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/kids-should-go-to-college-but-they-should-go-to-the-best-school-they/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Where's the course called How to Lead a Life of Crime? That's what this is about, isn't it? You've got everyone thinking this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-miller/where-s-the-course-called-how-to-lead-a-life-of-crime-that-s-what/) [Kirsten Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-miller/) ## More by Daniel Barenboim > [An Israeli who thinks that his government is doing everything right wouldn't join the Divan Orchestra in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/an-israeli-who-thinks-that-his-government-is-doing-everything-right/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [The French Revolution gave us three... powerful ideas, or concepts - liberty, equality and fraternity. But these ideas... are not only right in themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/the-french-revolution-gave-us-three-powerful-ideas-or-concepts/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [In times of totalitarian or autocratic rule, music (indeed culture in general) is often the only avenue of independent thought. It is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/in-times-of-totalitarian-or-autocratic-rule-music-indeed-culture-in/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [But the ear, let us not forget, starts operating on the forty-fifth day of the pregnancy of a woman. Seven and a half months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/but-the-ear-let-us-not-forget-starts-operating-on-the-forty-fifth-day/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [Now the first step has to be taken, the step towards democracy. This step is full of risks, and requires trust on all sides.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/now-the-first-step-has-to-be-taken-the-step-towards-democracy-this/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [There are many types of silence. There is a silence before the note, there is a silence at the end and there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/there-are-many-types-of-silence-there-is-a-silence-before-the-note/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [The Barenboim Foundation has nothing to do with politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/the-barenboim-foundation-has-nothing-to-do-with-politics/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [You can't expect someone born into a family with no music... to understand when I'm conducting the Schoenberg Variations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/you-can-t-expect-someone-born-into-a-family-with-no-music-to/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [I can't stand going out to one more dinner with some Mrs. So-and-So who might leave a million dollars to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-can-t-stand-going-out-to-one-more-dinner-with-some-mrs-so-and-so/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [European anti-Semitism goes much further back than to the partition of Palestine and the establishment of Israel in 1948. It even goes further back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/european-anti-semitism-goes-much-further-back-than-to-the-partition/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [I'm sure that there are many Israelis who dream of waking up one day to find the Palestinians gone. And there are many Palestinians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-m-sure-that-there-are-many-israelis-who-dream-of-waking-up-one-day/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [The Germans are prisoners of their past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/the-germans-are-prisoners-of-their-past/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [When you love somebody and they die young and you are young, too, it is very hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/when-you-love-somebody-and-they-die-young-and-you-are-young-too-it-is/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [I hope that my new status will be an example of Israeli-Palestinian co-existence, I believe that the destinies of the Israeli people and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-hope-that-my-new-status-will-be-an-example-of-israeli-palestinian/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [Every great work of art has two faces, one towards its own time and one towards future, towards eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/every-great-work-of-art-has-two-faces-one-towards-its-own-time-and/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) [Explore all 59 Daniel Barenboim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [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/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always maintain that playing in an orchestra intelligently is the best school for democracy. If you play a solo, the conductor and everybody in the orchestra follows you. Then, a few bars later, the main voice goes to another instrument, another group, and then you have to go back into the collective [sound]. The art of playing in an orchestra is being able to express yourself to the maximum but always in relation to something else that is going on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Barenboim" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orchestra-intelligently-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orchestra-intelligently-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7a/daniel-barenboim-11600_able_i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orc_2572151.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always maintain that playing in an orchestra intelligently is the best school for democracy. If you play a…” — Daniel Barenboim", "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": "Daniel Barenboim", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always maintain that playing in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orchestra-intelligently-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/i-always-maintain-that-playing-in-an-orchestra-intelligently-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```