--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started really singing I was 17…" description: "\"When I started really singing I was 17, 18 years old. I used to go around trying to be a singer in the Bronx. My knees would shake but I learned by doi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/dominic-chianese-30595_bronx_when-i-started-really-singing-i-was-17-1_2773319.jpg" --- # When I started really singing I was 17, 18 years old. I… ![“When I started really singing I was 17, 18 years old. I used to go around trying to be a singer in the Bronx. My knees would shake but I learned by doing.” quote by Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/dominic-chianese-30595_bronx_when-i-started-really-singing-i-was-17-1_2773319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/dominic-chianese-30595_bronx_when-i-started-really-singing-i-was-17-1_2773319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2d/dominic-chianese-30595_bronx_when-i-started-really-singing-i-was-17-1_2773319.jpg) > “When I started really singing I was 17, 18 years old. I used to go around trying to be a singer in the Bronx. My knees would shake but I learned by doing.” [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He began singing in his late teens, faced physical nervousness, but improved through practice. **In simple terms:** Started young, shaky knees, learned by doing. Key Takeaway Practice despite discomfort. Themes determination growth learning music Mood inspirational practical Type motivational advice When to use this quote - performing arts - personal development - overcoming stage fright Key Concepts skill acquisition resilience Questions to Reflect On - What practice routine helped you overcome nervousness? - How can you turn physical signs into motivation? A Different Perspective Physical symptoms may discourage continuation without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bronx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bronx/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I've been trying to be a singer ever since I was 2 years old and I'm a whole 27 years old now so it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-lennox/i-ve-been-trying-to-be-a-singer-ever-since-i-was-2-years-old-and-i-m/) [Ari Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-lennox/) > [I went to university and studied English literature, and I forgot about music. I was gonna be a journalist. 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But it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fat-joe/it-s-like-hip-hop-all-over-again-back-in-the-70s-back-in-the-bronx/) [Fat Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fat-joe/) > [“We were always driven by a gray-haired man in the foster-care agency car. I remember leaving that abusive home, pulling out of the driveway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-black/we-were-always-driven-by-a-gray-haired-man-in-the-foster-care-agency/) [Damien Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-black/) > [“…but because they felt the neighborhood was safer than the one around Columbia, the medical campus of which was so far north that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-au/but-because-they-felt-the-neighborhood-was-safer-than-the-one-around/) Michelle Au > [We make decisions every day about what we're going to eat. 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Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [My own style influences have to do with where I grew up, in the Bronx, and I still like to wear bangles and big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/my-own-style-influences-have-to-do-with-where-i-grew-up-in-the-bronx/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) ## More by Dominic Chianese > [I tried to become a family man. I got married, but it didn't work out. After 22 months we got an annulment. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-tried-to-become-a-family-man-i-got-married-but-it-didn-t-work-out/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [They would wake me up when I was sleeping, and say sing a song for our friends. I had a sweet voice, I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/they-would-wake-me-up-when-i-was-sleeping-and-say-sing-a-song-for-our/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I don't like the way Uncle Junior dresses. He loves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-don-t-like-the-way-uncle-junior-dresses-he-loves-it/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I had to audition for the part of Jnior, and I wanted the role terribly because I knew it was a great character. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-had-to-audition-for-the-part-of-jnior-and-i-wanted-the-role/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [My father was an American who could cuss in Italian and make an aria out of it. It was wonderful to watch. 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So I left,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/im-the-kind-of-guy-when-the-marriage-is-breaking-up-who-doesnt-want/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I've always wanted to play Don Quixote in some way. It's a great role. I think the idealism of the man shows that hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-ve-always-wanted-to-play-don-quixote-in-some-way-it-s-a-great-role/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I went to Brooklyn College and met this beautiful Jewish girl named Merle, with dark hair, exotic looking and brilliant. So we got married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-went-to-brooklyn-college-and-met-this-beautiful-jewish-girl-named/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I went on tour in the play H.M.S. Pinafore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-went-on-tour-in-the-play-h-m-s-pinafore/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [Uncle Junior is a criminal, which makes him a villain, so it makes people want to watch him. My whole life as an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/uncle-junior-is-a-criminal-which-makes-him-a-villain-so-it-makes/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I enjoyed my grandparents very much. My mother and father would always allow me to stay with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-enjoyed-my-grandparents-very-much-my-mother-and-father-would-always/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [I had no idea what they were saying in Italian as a child, they spoke too quickly on the radio. But I realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/i-had-no-idea-what-they-were-saying-in-italian-as-a-child-they-spoke/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) > [For TV I don't think I could have gotten a better part than Uncle Junior because of the intimacy of the character based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-chianese/for-tv-i-don-t-think-i-could-have-gotten-a-better-part-than-uncle/) [Dominic Chianese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) [Explore all 17 Dominic Chianese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-chianese/) ## More Bronx quotes > [My own style influences have to do with where I grew up, in the Bronx, and I still like to wear bangles and big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/my-own-style-influences-have-to-do-with-where-i-grew-up-in-the-bronx/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [I was haunted always by my other life-my drab room in the Bronx, my square foot of the subway, my fixation upon the day's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-was-haunted-always-by-my-other-life-my-drab-room-in-the-bronx-my/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [God...my self in the Bronx always says that God has a funny sense of humor. ..He has a way of treating things, he deals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachi-martin/god-my-self-in-the-bronx-always-says-that-god-has-a-funny-sense-of/) [Malachi Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachi-martin/) > [I'm just a simple Jewish boy from the Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/i-m-just-a-simple-jewish-boy-from-the-bronx/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [I am born and raised in the Bronx. Where I grew up, it is a really working-class neighborhood and it does give you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-buono/i-am-born-and-raised-in-the-bronx-where-i-grew-up-it-is-a-really/) [Cara Buono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-buono/) > [Prior to Katrina, the South Bronx and New Orleans' Ninth Ward had a lot in common. Both were largely populated by poor people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/prior-to-katrina-the-south-bronx-and-new-orleans-ninth-ward-had-a-lot/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [We make decisions every day about what we're going to eat. And some people want to buy Nike shoes - two pairs, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/we-make-decisions-every-day-about-what-we-re-going-to-eat-and-some/) [Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/) > [“…but because they felt the neighborhood was safer than the one around Columbia, the medical campus of which was so far north that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-au/but-because-they-felt-the-neighborhood-was-safer-than-the-one-around/) Michelle Au > [“We were always driven by a gray-haired man in the foster-care agency car. I remember leaving that abusive home, pulling out of the driveway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-black/we-were-always-driven-by-a-gray-haired-man-in-the-foster-care-agency/) [Damien Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-black/) > [It's like hip hop all over again, back in the '70s back in the Bronx, when it was just bubbling. But it's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fat-joe/it-s-like-hip-hop-all-over-again-back-in-the-70s-back-in-the-bronx/) [Fat Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fat-joe/) > [As a little kid, I watched hip hop get created. 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