--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You've got to be an editor in order to be…" description: "\"You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer.\" — Henry Mancini" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png" --- # You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer. ![“You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer.” quote by Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png) > “You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer.” [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Editing sharpens composition; a good composer must refine his work. **In simple terms:** Edit to compose well. Key Takeaway Embrace editing. Themes creativity revision craftsmanship Mood thoughtful practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - film scoring - writing drafts Key Concepts editing process musical composition Questions to Reflect On - How much editing is too much? - When does revision improve versus hinder? A Different Perspective Over‑editing may stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editor/) [Editor Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editor-order-4154833/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-composer-867220/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Got Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-editor-4154832/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [A good composer is slowly discovered and a bad composer is slowly found out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-newman/a-good-composer-is-slowly-discovered-and-a-bad-composer-is-slowly/) [Ernest Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-newman/) > [I think it's good for the composer to teach because you always have new students and you have to begin at the beginning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corigliano/i-think-it-s-good-for-the-composer-to-teach-because-you-always-have/) [John Corigliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corigliano/) > [The fact that certain composers have been able to create first-class music within the medium of film proves that film music can be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-goldsmith/the-fact-that-certain-composers-have-been-able-to-create-first-class/) [Jerry Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-goldsmith/) > [One day I'll be able to relax a bit, and try and become a good composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-britten/one-day-i-ll-be-able-to-relax-a-bit-and-try-and-become-a-good-composer/) [Benjamin Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-britten/) > [A good composer does not imitate; he steals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igor-stravinsky/a-good-composer-does-not-imitate-he-steals/) [Igor Stravinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igor-stravinsky/) > [If you're a good composer, you steal good steals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/if-you-re-a-good-composer-you-steal-good-steals/) [Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/) > [When you work with a good composer, you don't tell him what to write. If he knows your playing, he will do what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-getz/when-you-work-with-a-good-composer-you-don-t-tell-him-what-to-write/) [Stan Getz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-getz/) > [Writing for TV or films isn't great art. You have to have a common denominator. It's up to the composer to make that common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/writing-for-tv-or-films-isn-t-great-art-you-have-to-have-a-common/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Rewriting is a large part of the whole job. And get rid of stuff that's not working. Just pare it down until it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-loder/rewriting-is-a-large-part-of-the-whole-job-and-get-rid-of-stuff-that/) [Kurt Loder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-loder/) > [Every newspaper editor says the heart of the paper is the reporter - which is true - except for the pay!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-germond/every-newspaper-editor-says-the-heart-of-the-paper-is-the-reporter/) [Jack Germond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-germond/) > [The best compliment came from Knopf's Sonny Mehta. We were at lunch in New York with my editor, Gary Fisketjon, it was my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ross/the-best-compliment-came-from-knopf-s-sonny-mehta-we-were-at-lunch-in/) [Adam Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ross/) > [Newspapers have been likened to steamships that move very slowly, in terms of their direction. And when a reporter is sent out on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rosenstiel/newspapers-have-been-likened-to-steamships-that-move-very-slowly-in/) [Tom Rosenstiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rosenstiel/) > [“Don't make the editor's decision for her by not submitting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-janssen/don-t-make-the-editor-s-decision-for-her-by-not-submitting/) [Victoria Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-janssen/) > [I could give you some names of Workshop participants who are as good as many who are being published but haven't had the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-could-give-you-some-names-of-workshop-participants-who-are-as-good/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More by Henry Mancini > [If you're feeling fancy free, come wander through the world with me, and any place we chance to be, will be a rendezvous. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/if-you-re-feeling-fancy-free-come-wander-through-the-world-with-me/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [In 'Charade,' there was a big fight. George Kennedy was playing one of his first big heavy roles; he had a hook for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/in-charade-there-was-a-big-fight-george-kennedy-was-playing-one-of/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Bassoon is not an easy instrument to play and to pick it up and play it like a flute or a saxophone is quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/bassoon-is-not-an-easy-instrument-to-play-and-to-pick-it-up-and-play/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I had no idea 'Moon River' would do so well. I was too busy working to think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-had-no-idea-moon-river-would-do-so-well-i-was-too-busy-working-to/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [When I play 'Newhart' in concert, it always gets a hand, right from the very beginning. To me, 'Newhart' is a hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/when-i-play-newhart-in-concert-it-always-gets-a-hand-right-from-the/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Music forced into the air you breathe is an invasion of privacy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/music-forced-into-the-air-you-breathe-is-an-invasion-of-privacy/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Sometimes memorable music doesn't necessarily have to be a hit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/sometimes-memorable-music-doesn-t-necessarily-have-to-be-a-hit/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Some scenes cry out for a certain kind of treatment. The kind we're conditioned by years of film-watching to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/some-scenes-cry-out-for-a-certain-kind-of-treatment-the-kind-we-re/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I've done entire scores for I don't know how many films and series. I never kept track; I suppose it's up in the hundreds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-ve-done-entire-scores-for-i-don-t-know-how-many-films-and-series-i/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I equate composing with orchestrating. I think my music in terms of an orchestra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-equate-composing-with-orchestrating-i-think-my-music-in-terms-of-an/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I just love what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-just-love-what-i-do/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Jazz is capable of doing much more than depicting the dope fiend and the drunk and the slinky gal. In our show there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/jazz-is-capable-of-doing-much-more-than-depicting-the-dope-fiend-and/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [Broadway is intimidating. Don't think it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/broadway-is-intimidating-don-t-think-it-s-not/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [People love to hear a guy who is really good on his instrument. They love to watch him go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/people-love-to-hear-a-guy-who-is-really-good-on-his-instrument-they/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) > [I'm no songwriter because all of my popular songs have just been outgrowths of themes for the various pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/i-m-no-songwriter-because-all-of-my-popular-songs-have-just-been/) [Henry Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) [Explore all 104 Henry Mancini quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/) ## More Composer quotes > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) [Hanns Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanns-eisler/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) [Michael Brecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brecker/) > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) [George Enescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-enescu/) > [The number of e-mails and letters that I get from choreographers, from sculptors, from composers who are being inspired by science is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-number-of-e-mails-and-letters-that-i-get-from-choreographers-from/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/if-a-composer-could-state-in-words-what-being-a-composer-means-he/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [Seen from the point of view of the composer, the most nonsensical practice is that of casting people in musicals who are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gold/seen-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-composer-the-most-nonsensical/) [Ernest Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gold/) > [I think there's just been this "thing" that's developed, this way that we have of talking about our music that alienates people. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/i-think-there-s-just-been-this-thing-that-s-developed-this-way-that/) [Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/) > [The ability to understand and deliver comedy and tragedy is extremely rare in one composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/signe-baumane/the-ability-to-understand-and-deliver-comedy-and-tragedy-is-extremely/) [Signe Baumane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/signe-baumane/) > [When synthesizers appeared everyone was a composer suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/when-synthesizers-appeared-everyone-was-a-composer-suddenly/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [A mission that comes from the heart to promote these things and to encourage composers to write, then of course they should do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/a-mission-that-comes-from-the-heart-to-promote-these-things-and-to/) [Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/) > [The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-beauty-and-genius-of-a-work-of-art-may-be-reconceived-though-its/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Every time I see a film or TV show, I think about how that composer made those choices and how that director envisioned music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/every-time-i-see-a-film-or-tv-show-i-think-about-how-that-composer/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [Like any other composer of opera, I choose a subject not for polemical reasons, but because it contains vivid characters in highly charged dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/like-any-other-composer-of-opera-i-choose-a-subject-not-for-polemical/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) [Browse all 885 Composer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Mancini" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-be-a-good-composer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Composer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-be-a-good-composer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cb/henry-mancini-5029_composer_you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-b_2905366.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You've got to be an editor in order to be a good composer.” — Henry Mancini", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Mancini", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mancini/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You've got to be an editor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-be-a-good-composer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mancini/you-ve-got-to-be-an-editor-in-order-to-be-a-good-composer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```