---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't really think of these as…"
description: "\"I don't really think of these as projects. I think of them as bands. I have tried to not just convene a group of musicians and make one record or make ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d1/dave-douglas-58135_albums_i-don-t-really-think-of-these-as-project_3120299.jpg"
---

#  I don't really think of these as projects. I think of them…

![“I don't really think of these as projects. I think of them as bands. I have tried to not just convene a group of musicians and make one record or make one gig and just drop it. Each of them develop over time. I have been really fortunate to keep a band like the Sextet together over three very…” quote by Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d1/dave-douglas-58135_albums_i-don-t-really-think-of-these-as-project_3120299.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d1/dave-douglas-58135_albums_i-don-t-really-think-of-these-as-project_3120299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d1/dave-douglas-58135_albums_i-don-t-really-think-of-these-as-project_3120299.jpg)

> “I don't really think of these as projects. I think of them as bands. I have tried to not just convene a group of musicians and make one record or make one gig and just drop it. Each of them develop over time. I have been really fortunate to keep a band like the Sextet together over three very different albums. Each time, the goal got more deep for me in terms of how I wanted to write for those people. So it is really about trying to develop ideas and trying to have a consistent focus on a way to come up with new ideas in music that I want to do.”

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He treats musical collaborations like long‑term bands rather than single projects, allowing ideas to evolve across albums.

**In simple terms:** Music groups are like bands, not one‑off projects.

Key Takeaway

Focus on evolving ideas over time.

Themes

collaboration creativity growth

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- album production
- band formation
- creative process
- artistic evolution

Key Concepts

musical development long‑term vision

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you keep a group’s vision cohesive over years?
- What practices nurture long‑term creative growth?

A Different Perspective

Sustaining a band requires constant alignment of members’ goals.

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## Related quotes

> [Doing real world projects is, I think, the best way to learn and also to engage the world and find out what the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/doing-real-world-projects-is-i-think-the-best-way-to-learn-and-also/)

[Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/)

> [I try to choose the projects that I think are the most well-written and well-executed, and the rest of it is so beyond my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-davenport/i-try-to-choose-the-projects-that-i-think-are-the-most-well-written/)

[Jack Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-davenport/)

> [My goal isn't so much genre, or fact-based or not fact-based. I just want to work on projects that I think could be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/my-goal-isn-t-so-much-genre-or-fact-based-or-not-fact-based-i-just/)

[Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/)

> [I wait and take on projects that I think can work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-wait-and-take-on-projects-that-i-think-can-work/)

[Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/)

> [Projects you think are no-brainers stall, and other things see the light of day. You never count anything out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/projects-you-think-are-no-brainers-stall-and-other-things-see-the/)

[Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/)

> [I mean, just because you're a musician doesn't mean all your ideas are about music. So every once in a while I get an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/i-mean-just-because-you-re-a-musician-doesn-t-mean-all-your-ideas-are/)

[Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/)

> [I find the more I DJ, the more ideas I have and the more music I want to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-hebden/i-find-the-more-i-dj-the-more-ideas-i-have-and-the-more-music-i-want/)

[Kieran Hebden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-hebden/)

> [I'm always interested in writing. I keep music in journals on an everyday basis. I'm always looking for ideas that can be music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi-uehara/i-m-always-interested-in-writing-i-keep-music-in-journals-on-an/)

[Hiromi Uehara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi-uehara/)

> [I had ideas about music and sound and listening and time and so on that I wanted to pursue as an individual, and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-toop/i-had-ideas-about-music-and-sound-and-listening-and-time-and-so-on/)

[David Toop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-toop/)

> [I want to express my ideas through my music and on stage because I'm a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cl/i-want-to-express-my-ideas-through-my-music-and-on-stage-because-i-m/)

[CL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cl/)

> [“There were no ideas in music, only touch and instinct and sometimes grace—the mechanical tools—and that among those who were given the tools, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-boast/there-were-no-ideas-in-music-only-touch-and-instinct-and-sometimes/)

[Will Boast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-boast/)

> [I've always wanted to be a communicator of ideas through music. Today, I wanna be the most effective musical communicator of social change I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-a-communicator-of-ideas-through-music-today/)

[Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/)

> [“Music can trigger feelings, which in turn produce thoughts and images in our minds — it is these thoughts and images that can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-watson/music-can-trigger-feelings-which-in-turn-produce-thoughts-and-images/)

[Richard Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-watson/)

> [Touring, it's really difficult to actually make a band work, and I think that's why there's so few bands that do work, actually, 'cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-white-gluz/touring-it-s-really-difficult-to-actually-make-a-band-work-and-i/)

[Alissa White-Gluz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-white-gluz/)

> [I think you just have to look after yourself, you know, when you're doing long tours; you just have to. I think bands learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harris/i-think-you-just-have-to-look-after-yourself-you-know-when-you-re/)

[Steve Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harris/)

## More by Dave Douglas

> [ I'm a jazz musician by education and vocation, but I don't think jazz should \[ dictate\] what I want to do. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-douglas/i-m-a-jazz-musician-by-education-and-vocation-but-i-don-t-think-jazz/)

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

> [OneBeat is one of the greatest initiatives in advancing the meeting of cultures worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-douglas/onebeat-is-one-of-the-greatest-initiatives-in-advancing-the-meeting/)

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

> [If I worried about that, I wouldn't have made a single record in my whole career. I think more and more, audiences appreciate something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-douglas/if-i-worried-about-that-i-wouldn-t-have-made-a-single-record-in-my/)

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

> [Black has always been a staple for me, but that's not really a good favorite color. I've been really into browns lately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-douglas/black-has-always-been-a-staple-for-me-but-that-s-not-really-a-good/)

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

> ['Jazz Artist of the Century' would have to be a distinctive soloist and ensemble player, a composer, an arranger, a bandleader, and a driver;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-douglas/jazz-artist-of-the-century-would-have-to-be-a-distinctive-soloist-and/)

[Dave Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

[Explore all 6 Dave Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-douglas/)

## More Albums quotes

> [Check out the albums, ... Check out the live performances. That's the reality of it all. Music is such an energizing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayall/check-out-the-albums-check-out-the-live-performances-that-s-the/)

[John Mayall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayall/)

> [It's been really fun to see with each album when I change to see the fans of the show emulate my style and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/it-s-been-really-fun-to-see-with-each-album-when-i-change-to-see-the/)

[Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/)

> [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/)

[John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/)

> [The weird thing was that Soft Cell was supposed to have come and gone before I started the album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/the-weird-thing-was-that-soft-cell-was-supposed-to-have-come-and-gone/)

[Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/)

> [I believe in full albums, and whatever comes out of those full albums will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-ricch/i-believe-in-full-albums-and-whatever-comes-out-of-those-full-albums/)

[Roddy Ricch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-ricch/)

> [Doing my own album provided me the opportunity to say whatever I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marx/doing-my-own-album-provided-me-the-opportunity-to-say-whatever-i/)

[Richard Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marx/)

> [The album is a definite departure. I haven't written original material before, except for one song on my first album, but Elvis and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-krall/the-album-is-a-definite-departure-i-haven-t-written-original-material/)

[Diana Krall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-krall/)

> [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/)

[Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/)

> [I love Katy Perry! She gave me a song for my second album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/i-love-katy-perry-she-gave-me-a-song-for-my-second-album/)

[Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/)

> [If you're going to reach for it, reach all the way for it. Albums like 'Purple Rain' and 'Thriller' and those kind of records,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sitek/if-you-re-going-to-reach-for-it-reach-all-the-way-for-it-albums-like/)

[Dave Sitek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sitek/)

> [I'll put out an album, and people review it, and some people love it, and some people tear it apart. By nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-ll-put-out-an-album-and-people-review-it-and-some-people-love-it/)

[Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/)

> [I've been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-ve-been-connected-to-the-most-culturally-important-albums-of-the/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [George Winston piano albums have been my go-to since junior high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/george-winston-piano-albums-have-been-my-go-to-since-junior-high/)

[Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/)

> [Someone told me once that Lucinda Williams takes six years between albums, and that's what stuck to me; it's like, you really are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/someone-told-me-once-that-lucinda-williams-takes-six-years-between/)

[Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/)

> [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/)

[David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/)

[Browse all 2,275 Albums quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/)

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