--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Compose and perform your music free of…" description: "\"“Compose and perform your music free of egotism and with a conscious desire to gratify the listener. This conscious desire in time will become subconsc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/126/horace-silver-31017_music_compose-and-perform-your-music-free-of-e_1363235.png" --- # Compose and perform your music free of egotism and with a… ![“Compose and perform your music free of egotism and with a conscious desire to gratify the listener. This conscious desire in time will become subconscious and a part of your natural way. Think of yourself as a channel through which the Divine strives to uplift mankind. What a privileged and…” quote by Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/126/horace-silver-31017_music_compose-and-perform-your-music-free-of-e_1363235.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/126/horace-silver-31017_music_compose-and-perform-your-music-free-of-e_1363235.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/126/horace-silver-31017_music_compose-and-perform-your-music-free-of-e_1363235.png) > ““Compose and perform your music free of egotism and with a conscious desire to gratify the listener. This conscious desire in time will become subconscious and a part of your natural way. Think of yourself as a channel through which the Divine strives to uplift mankind. What a privileged and honored position you have been placed in. Become aware of the good that you can do through your talents. Once you become aware and accept this responsibility, there will be no more room for egotistical concepts. Your concepts will expand to gratify and uplift the listener and to lead you to the total fulfillment of your destiny. Strive to write and perform in such a manner that others may be gratified and that you may be fulfilled.”” [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music should be created self humility, serving listeners and a higher calling, turning conscious intent into natural practice. **In simple terms:** Create music selflessly, as a channel for uplifting others. Key Takeaway Let service guide your art. Themes humility service creativity spirituality responsibility Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - concert performance - recording sessions - teaching music - community events Key Concepts selflessness artist as divine inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How does serving listeners change your creative process? - What responsibilities do you feel as an artist? A Different Perspective Egotism can stifle authenticity and limit artistic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ## Related quotes > [I pay attention to lyrics and I know what rap fans care about. I try to write for the average listener and I'm conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-cole-2/i-pay-attention-to-lyrics-and-i-know-what-rap-fans-care-about-i-try/) [J. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-cole-2/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) ## More by Horace Silver > [I'm shooting for longevity. The road is hard on your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-m-shooting-for-longevity-the-road-is-hard-on-your-body/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [I've found in composing that being simple and profound—having in-depthness in your music—is the most difficult thing to do. Anybody can write a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-ve-found-in-composing-that-being-simple-and-profound-having-in/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [I may be prejudiced, but I believe that jazz music has the strongest healing potential, and it's not just because I play it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-may-be-prejudiced-but-i-believe-that-jazz-music-has-the-strongest/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [I personally do not believe in politics, hatred, or anger in my musical composition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-personally-do-not-believe-in-politics-hatred-or-anger-in-my-musical/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Basically my influences have been American influences. It's been blues, gospel, swing era music, bebop music, Broadway show music, classical music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/basically-my-influences-have-been-american-influences-it-s-been-blues/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [They didn't dictate to me as to what kind of music that they wanted me to play or what tunes, what musicians that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/they-didn-t-dictate-to-me-as-to-what-kind-of-music-that-they-wanted/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [I will search for hidden talents that I didn't know I had and do my best to cultivate them. I am grateful for each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-will-search-for-hidden-talents-that-i-didn-t-know-i-had-and-do-my/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Basically my influences have been American influences. It's been blues, gospel, swing era music, bebop music, Broadway show music, classical music. It's like making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/basically-my-influences-have-been-american-influences-it-s-been-blues-2/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [I had the house rhythm section at a club called the Sundown in Hartford. Stan Getz came up and played with us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/i-had-the-house-rhythm-section-at-a-club-called-the-sundown-in/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Jazz is not background music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/jazz-is-not-background-music/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Jazz is not background music. You must concentrate upon it in order to get the most of it. You must absorb most of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/jazz-is-not-background-music-you-must-concentrate-upon-it-in-order-to/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Good Lord's been kind to me, that's all I can say. I wake up in the morning with music in my head a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/good-lord-s-been-kind-to-me-that-s-all-i-can-say-i-wake-up-in-the/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Musical composition should bring happiness and joy to people and make them forget their troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/musical-composition-should-bring-happiness-and-joy-to-people-and-make/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [Jazz is not background music. You must concentrate in order to get the most out of it. You must absorb it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/jazz-is-not-background-music-you-must-concentrate-in-order-to-get-the/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) > [We all have to open our minds, stretch forth, take chances and venture out musically to try and arrive at something new and different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/we-all-have-to-open-our-minds-stretch-forth-take-chances-and-venture/) [Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) [Explore all 17 Horace Silver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Compose and perform your music free of egotism and with a conscious desire to gratify the listener. This conscious desire in time will become subconscious and a part of your natural way. Think of yourself as a channel through which the Divine strives to uplift mankind. What a privileged and honored position you have been placed in. Become aware of the good that you can do through your talents. Once you become aware and accept this responsibility, there will be no more room for egotistical concepts. 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