--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Miles Davis] learned from everyone. He…" description: "\"[Miles Davis] learned from everyone. He was incredible. He took the best from everyone and threw away the rest. He was brilliant. One of the things he ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/helen-merrill-83326_brilliant_miles-davis-learned-from-everyone-he-was_3158989.jpg" --- # \[Miles Davis\] learned from everyone. He was incredible. He… ![“[Miles Davis] learned from everyone. He was incredible. He took the best from everyone and threw away the rest. He was brilliant. One of the things he told me he loved about my voice was how I used space-both in music and between my voice and the mike.” quote by Helen Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/helen-merrill-83326_brilliant_miles-davis-learned-from-everyone-he-was_3158989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/helen-merrill-83326_brilliant_miles-davis-learned-from-everyone-he-was_3158989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/helen-merrill-83326_brilliant_miles-davis-learned-from-everyone-he-was_3158989.jpg) > “\[Miles Davis\] learned from everyone. He was incredible. He took the best from everyone and threw away the rest. He was brilliant. One of the things he told me he loved about my voice was how I used space-both in music and between my voice and the mike.” Helen Merrill ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Miles Davis absorbed influences, kept what worked, discarded the rest, emphasizing space in music and voice. **In simple terms:** Davis learned from all, kept the best, valued space. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse influences, focus on what serves your art. Themes creativity musicality learning space collaboration Mood reflective inspirational Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - recording sessions - live performance - personal mentorship - studio production Key Concepts Jazz improvisation artistic curation use of silence Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what influences to keep? - What role does silence play in your work? A Different Perspective Davis's method may overlook deep technical mastery for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Jazz music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [Louis Walsh has supported me for a few years now and he's always loved my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mckenna/louis-walsh-has-supported-me-for-a-few-years-now-and-he-s-always/) [Megan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mckenna/) > [I've never been more moved by a voice than I have been by Roy Orbison. I loved him personally, and I loved his voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-ve-never-been-more-moved-by-a-voice-than-i-have-been-by-roy-orbison/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I loved Judy Garland. I thought she was such a classic beauty. I thought she was so endearing and charming, and I loved her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-lindsay/i-loved-judy-garland-i-thought-she-was-such-a-classic-beauty-i/) [Kara Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-lindsay/) > [“Charles loved her voice. It was so soft and blurred, like pastels. It made his neck tingle just to listen to her. It gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/charles-loved-her-voice-it-was-so-soft-and-blurred-like-pastels-it/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I believe in knowing all you can about the music and the people who made the music. I think it's much more important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-sharrock/i-believe-in-knowing-all-you-can-about-the-music-and-the-people-who/) Sonny Sharrock > [ I used to try to play like \[Miles Davis\], and Miles caught me copying him one night at Birdland. He said, 'Hey man, why… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-hubbard/i-used-to-try-to-play-like-miles-davis-and-miles-caught-me-copying/) [Freddie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-hubbard/) > [Jazz music is as American as it gets, and so is the U.S. Postal Service. A Miles Davis stamp is a perfect marriage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/jazz-music-is-as-american-as-it-gets-and-so-is-the-u-s-postal-service/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was devastated. I'm still devastated to this day. When talent like that disappears in a flash, you can't believe it. You deny it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-merrill/i-was-devastated-i-m-still-devastated-to-this-day-when-talent-like/) Helen Merrill > [ People with talent are not interested in showing off behind another person. They're more interested in the music. \[Charlie Parker\] was playing with me.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-merrill/people-with-talent-are-not-interested-in-showing-off-behind-another/) Helen Merrill > [Miles Davis is a major influence of mine in terms of the way that I am as a bandleader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/miles-davis-is-a-major-influence-of-mine-in-terms-of-the-way-that-i/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [If we are going to list guitar influences, the biggest one by far is Wes Montgomery. Also, Gary Burton was obviously huge for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/if-we-are-going-to-list-guitar-influences-the-biggest-one-by-far-is/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-never-considered-miles-davis-a-perfectionist-i-always-considered/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [Miles Davis fully embraced possibilities and delved into it. He was criticized heavily from the jazz side. He was supposed to be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laswell/miles-davis-fully-embraced-possibilities-and-delved-into-it-he-was/) [Bill Laswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laswell/) > [Maybe it's wishful thinking, this snaggly faith of mine, or maybe it's Miles Davis saying, Don't play what's there, play what's not there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/maybe-it-s-wishful-thinking-this-snaggly-faith-of-mine-or-maybe-it-s/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Miles Davis himself, I discovered him when I was 15, and he rocked my world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mclaughlin/miles-davis-himself-i-discovered-him-when-i-was-15-and-he-rocked-my/) [John McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mclaughlin/) ## More by Helen Merrill > [I was devastated. I'm still devastated to this day. When talent like that disappears in a flash, you can't believe it. You deny it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-merrill/i-was-devastated-i-m-still-devastated-to-this-day-when-talent-like/) Helen Merrill > [ People with talent are not interested in showing off behind another person. They're more interested in the music. \[Charlie Parker\] was playing with me.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-merrill/people-with-talent-are-not-interested-in-showing-off-behind-another/) Helen Merrill Explore all 3 Helen Merrill quotes ## More Brilliant quotes > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? 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