Buttons Quote by Glenn Branca
“I could create music that sounded as strange as any electronic music, because you see, my opinion about electronic music is that the real composer is the guy who invented the instrument. Pressing buttons is not composing. Composing is about creating something.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing Music and Technology, 1990s
The quote argues that true composition lies in creating new sounds, not merely operating existing electronic instruments; the inventor of the instrument is the real composer.
In simple terms: Real composition is about invention, not button‑pressing.
Key Takeaway
Focus on creating new tools, not just using them.
Themes
creativity
technology
authorship
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
artistic
When to use this quote
- music production
- instrument design
- educational workshops
- artistic collaborations
Key Concepts
instrument invention
aesthetic theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How can artists balance invention with mastery of tools?
- What defines a composer in the digital age?
A Different Perspective
May overlook the value of skillful manipulation of existing technology.
![“[The web] is going to end up being a tremendous advantage, providing we can work out the financial structure. I think we’ll see newspapers survive, being printed at home... Or you’ll have a local print shop, so that rather than waiting for the newspapers to arrive by truck, which is 30 percent at…” quote by Harold Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/473/harold-evans-15687_advantage_the-web-is-going-to-end-up-being-a-treme_47749.jpg)
