--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At 13 years old, I realized I could start…" description: "\"At 13 years old, I realized I could start my own band. I could write my own song, I could record my own record. I could start my own label. I could rel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/dave-grohl-1713_band_at-13-years-old-i-realized-i-could-start_1840925.png" --- # At 13 years old, I realized I could start my own band. I… ![“At 13 years old, I realized I could start my own band. I could write my own song, I could record my own record. I could start my own label. I could release my own record. I could book my own shows. I could write and publish my own fanzine. I could silk-screen my own T-shirt. I could do this all…” quote by Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/dave-grohl-1713_band_at-13-years-old-i-realized-i-could-start_1840925.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/dave-grohl-1713_band_at-13-years-old-i-realized-i-could-start_1840925.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/dave-grohl-1713_band_at-13-years-old-i-realized-i-could-start_1840925.png) > “At 13 years old, I realized I could start my own band. I could write my own song, I could record my own record. I could start my own label. I could release my own record. I could book my own shows. I could write and publish my own fanzine. I could silk-screen my own T-shirt. I could do this all myself.” [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing early autonomy fuels creative control and entrepreneurial spirit in music. **In simple terms:** Early independence drives self‑driven creation. Key Takeaway Take charge of your creative projects. Themes independence creativity entrepreneurship Mood energetic determined Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - starting a band - self‑publishing music - creating merch - organizing shows Key Concepts DIY culture music production Questions to Reflect On - What resources help sustain DIY projects? - How do you avoid burnout? A Different Perspective Self‑management can be overwhelming without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [13 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/13-years/) [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Band Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band-write-1251584/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Publish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publish/) [Realized Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized-start-807576/) [Release](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/release/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start/) [Start Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-band-728882/) [T shirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/t-shirt/) [Write Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-song/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“He realized with a start that something was about to begin. It might be something dull and uninspiring, something he had experienced countless times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobuko-takagi/he-realized-with-a-start-that-something-was-about-to-begin-it-might/) [Nobuko Takagi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobuko-takagi/) > [I asked myself the question, 'What do you want of your life?' and I realized with a start of recognition and terror, 'Exactly what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/i-asked-myself-the-question-what-do-you-want-of-your-life-and-i/) [May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/) > [When you're in a band and write a song on your own, it isn't fully realized until it goes into somebody else's ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/when-you-re-in-a-band-and-write-a-song-on-your-own-it-isn-t-fully/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The best compliment I get every year is that a band will write me and say, 'We were just on tour, and we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-best-compliment-i-get-every-year-is-that-a-band-will-write-me-and/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [We, Autolux band, write in very different ways; sometimes we play with the band and write music first and then form vocal parts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-azar/we-autolux-band-write-in-very-different-ways-sometimes-we-play-with/) [Carla Azar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-azar/) > [When After Forever stopped, I didn't want to first find a band, then see if I could write with them, figure that whole thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floor-jansen/when-after-forever-stopped-i-didn-t-want-to-first-find-a-band-then/) [Floor Jansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floor-jansen/) > [But if you want to be in a band and write music, then you should just be in a band and write music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-jones/but-if-you-want-to-be-in-a-band-and-write-music-then-you-should-just/) [Adam Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-jones/) > [You don't have to be in a rock band to write your own music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-thirlwall/you-don-t-have-to-be-in-a-rock-band-to-write-your-own-music/) [Jade Thirlwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-thirlwall/) > [ They \[The Beatles \] were the first band to write their own songs in Britain because we always just covered American songs before that. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/they-the-beatles-were-the-first-band-to-write-their-own-songs-in/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) > [I think getting the rest of the guys in the band to write is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-iris/i-think-getting-the-rest-of-the-guys-in-the-band-to-write-is-important/) [Donnie Iris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-iris/) > [I play in a band, I write songs, I sing, you know, perform on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/i-play-in-a-band-i-write-songs-i-sing-you-know-perform-on-stage/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [Some of the guys in Stone Sour, I think they just want to be a radio band and write strictly for radio and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-root/some-of-the-guys-in-stone-sour-i-think-they-just-want-to-be-a-radio/) [Jim Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-root/) > [The only reason you even start a band is so you can hang out with your friends all the time, but somewhere along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/the-only-reason-you-even-start-a-band-is-so-you-can-hang-out-with/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [“I’m a one-man show. I need to start a band. You wanna join? Too bad! What about one-man band don’t you understand?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-a-one-man-show-i-need-to-start-a-band-you-wanna-join-too-bad-what/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When you start your first band and it has an impact on the rest of the world you go through a lot with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/when-you-start-your-first-band-and-it-has-an-impact-on-the-rest-of/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) ## More by Dave Grohl > [There's nothing better than having a bottle of beer in your hand in the waves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/there-s-nothing-better-than-having-a-bottle-of-beer-in-your-hand-in/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [Rock stars are like sports stars: If you snap your ankle, you're done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/rock-stars-are-like-sports-stars-if-you-snap-your-ankle-you-re-done/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I don't want to say that most rock bands live these formulaic biography existences - but they kinda do. There's always a divorce. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-don-t-want-to-say-that-most-rock-bands-live-these-formulaic/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I think musicians like me are drawn to those older desks, not just because they're legend and lore but also because they do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-think-musicians-like-me-are-drawn-to-those-older-desks-not-just/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [CBGB represents a lot to New York City and to underground rock and to new wave and post-punk and whatever. But, you know, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/cbgb-represents-a-lot-to-new-york-city-and-to-underground-rock-and-to/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [Ramones or AC/DC are two bands that have managed to keep their signature sound and their signature formula for years and years and album…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/ramones-or-ac-dc-are-two-bands-that-have-managed-to-keep-their/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I think maybe what happened was the convenience of technology overshadowed the experience of holding an album in your hands, and sitting on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-think-maybe-what-happened-was-the-convenience-of-technology/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I think that if you're passionate about something and you're driven and you're focused, then you can pretty much do anything that you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-think-that-if-you-re-passionate-about-something-and-you-re-driven/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [Neil Young is my hero. You know what that guy has been doing for the past 40 years? Making music. That's what that guy does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/neil-young-is-my-hero-you-know-what-that-guy-has-been-doing-for-the/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I guess it was exciting that every time I pulled up to the gate of my house, I wondered if someone was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-guess-it-was-exciting-that-every-time-i-pulled-up-to-the-gate-of-my/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [If it weren't for the Beatles, I would not be a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/if-it-weren-t-for-the-beatles-i-would-not-be-a-musician/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [To me the most important thing is getting into a studio and making an album that is 12 or 14 amazing songs, getting up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/to-me-the-most-important-thing-is-getting-into-a-studio-and-making-an/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [I mean, I never liked being told what to do. It's one of the reasons I dropped out of school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-mean-i-never-liked-being-told-what-to-do-it-s-one-of-the-reasons-i/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) [Explore all 213 Dave Grohl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) ## 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": "At 13 years old, I realized I could start my own band. I could write my own song, I could record my own record. I could start my own label. I could release my own record. I could book my own shows. I could write and publish my own fanzine. I could silk-screen my own T-shirt. 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