--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a piano performance major at USC. I…" description: "\"I was a piano performance major at USC. I left before I graduated because I realized at some point I wasn't going to be a concert pianist and I was too..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/james-newton-howard-12227_concert_i-was-a-piano-performance-major-at-usc-i_3156187.jpg" --- # I was a piano performance major at USC. I left before I… ![“I was a piano performance major at USC. I left before I graduated because I realized at some point I wasn't going to be a concert pianist and I was too attracted to popular music.” quote by James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/james-newton-howard-12227_concert_i-was-a-piano-performance-major-at-usc-i_3156187.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/james-newton-howard-12227_concert_i-was-a-piano-performance-major-at-usc-i_3156187.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/005/james-newton-howard-12227_concert_i-was-a-piano-performance-major-at-usc-i_3156187.jpg) > “I was a piano performance major at USC. I left before I graduated because I realized at some point I wasn't going to be a concert pianist and I was too attracted to popular music.” [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing a career mismatch, he left a classical path for popular music. **In simple terms:** He switched majors after seeing his true passion. Key Takeaway Follow your passion, not expectations. Themes career change self‑discovery music education risk Mood reflective determined hopeful Type personal career When to use this quote - deciding on a major - leaving a program - choosing a genre - balancing practicality and art Key Concepts identity artistic authenticity career alignment Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel you missed out on classical training? - How can popular music fulfill artistic goals? A Different Perspective May lose technical mastery in classical piano. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert/) [Concert Pianist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert-pianist-699754/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Performance Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance-major-473946/) [Pianist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pianist/) [Pianist Attracted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pianist-attracted-5687151/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Popular music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popular-music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to be a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall; that is what I wanted to do from really early on. I actually was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-nelson/i-wanted-to-be-a-concert-pianist-at-carnegie-hall-that-is-what-i-2/) [Kirsten Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-nelson/) > [I wanted to be a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall; that is what I wanted to do from really early on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-nelson/i-wanted-to-be-a-concert-pianist-at-carnegie-hall-that-is-what-i/) [Kirsten Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-nelson/) > [If you have the burning desire to do music, the live performance is one of the major parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/if-you-have-the-burning-desire-to-do-music-the-live-performance-is/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [Mathematicians - for what they do - are really poorly rewarded. And it's a very competitive field, almost as bad as being a concert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/mathematicians-for-what-they-do-are-really-poorly-rewarded-and-it-s-a/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) > [Then, for a hot three or four weeks I wanted to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-langella/then-for-a-hot-three-or-four-weeks-i-wanted-to-be-a-concert-pianist/) [Frank Langella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-langella/) > [They wanted me to be a concert pianist, because I had a very good right hand, but my left hand's terrible and I hated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/they-wanted-me-to-be-a-concert-pianist-because-i-had-a-very-good/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [I actually started as a concert pianist. I had a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-sedaka/i-actually-started-as-a-concert-pianist-i-had-a-scholarship-to-the/) [Neil Sedaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-sedaka/) > [If you want to become a concert pianist, do it every day. You want to be a writer, do it every day. You want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/if-you-want-to-become-a-concert-pianist-do-it-every-day-you-want-to/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [My mother always wanted to play an instrument. Her parents never gave her that. Then it got to a point where I'd been playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lulu-wang/my-mother-always-wanted-to-play-an-instrument-her-parents-never-gave/) [Lulu Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lulu-wang/) > [I'm a concert pianist, that's a pretentious way of saying I'm unemployed at the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-levant/i-m-a-concert-pianist-that-s-a-pretentious-way-of-saying-i-m/) [Oscar Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-levant/) > [My mother wanted me to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-worrell/my-mother-wanted-me-to-be-a-concert-pianist/) [Bernie Worrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-worrell/) > [By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-classical-piano-lessons-and-i/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [My parents told me I would become a doctor and then in my spare time I would become a concert pianist. So, both my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/my-parents-told-me-i-would-become-a-doctor-and-then-in-my-spare-time/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [That's a very high goal to have, study eight hours a day to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/that-s-a-very-high-goal-to-have-study-eight-hours-a-day-to-be-a/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I decided during my teens that I wasn't going to have the life of a concert pianist, much to the chagrin of a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-coleman/i-decided-during-my-teens-that-i-wasn-t-going-to-have-the-life-of-a/) [Cy Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-coleman/) ## More by James Newton Howard > [My earliest memories are listening to my Grandmother playing the piano at our house as I jumped up and down on the couch. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/my-earliest-memories-are-listening-to-my-grandmother-playing-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Disney movies have had a tradition of excellent music since the beginning. Some of my favorites are 'Fantasia,' 'Dumbo,' 'The Lion King' and 'Toy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/disney-movies-have-had-a-tradition-of-excellent-music-since-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Any composer should be able to synthesize the primary feelings that the characters are going through in the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/any-composer-should-be-able-to-synthesize-the-primary-feelings-that/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I joined Elton John's band in '75. He not only allowed me to play the electronic keyboard on his albums, he also let me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-joined-elton-john-s-band-in-75-he-not-only-allowed-me-to-play-the/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I loved working with Chris Nolan. I love working with Lawrence Kasdan. Dan Gilroy. Francis Lawrence I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-loved-working-with-chris-nolan-i-love-working-with-lawrence-kasdan/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Something different happened to me when I started to write music to images. It was a feeling of excitement and connection and a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/something-different-happened-to-me-when-i-started-to-write-music-to/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [There's a sadness about love, a melancholy and a sadness about beauty. It's just part of the human experience of living on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/there-s-a-sadness-about-love-a-melancholy-and-a-sadness-about-beauty/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Composing is a natural fit. As far as the creative process goes, I'd rather do this than anything else, by far. Something different happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/composing-is-a-natural-fit-as-far-as-the-creative-process-goes-i-d/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Becoming a father allowed me to become a much better composer, because it allowed me to have tremendous patience. I have much more tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/becoming-a-father-allowed-me-to-become-a-much-better-composer-because/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I'm a melody guy. To me, that's a musical souvenir people take from a movie. They remember a theme or a feeling, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-m-a-melody-guy-to-me-that-s-a-musical-souvenir-people-take-from-a/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Well, the first two movies of any size that I did were a movie called 'Everybody's All American' that Taylor Hackford directed - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/well-the-first-two-movies-of-any-size-that-i-did-were-a-movie-called/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I really don't think about the Oscars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-really-don-t-think-about-the-oscars/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [I work independently of the director, and to some extent, that's actually a big relief to them. When I come to them in post-production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/i-work-independently-of-the-director-and-to-some-extent-that-s/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [Gamelan instruments are exotic and mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/gamelan-instruments-are-exotic-and-mysterious/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) > [That's what keeps me going: those moments of solving a problem, of what happens to a movie when the right music is added -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-newton-howard/that-s-what-keeps-me-going-those-moments-of-solving-a-problem-of-what/) [James Newton Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) [Explore all 55 James Newton Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-newton-howard/) ## More Concert quotes > [The live concert industry has become corporate-ized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-farrell/the-live-concert-industry-has-become-corporate-ized/) [Perry Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-farrell/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [I have fond memories of our concert performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/momo-hirai/i-have-fond-memories-of-our-concert-performances/) [Momo Hirai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/momo-hirai/) > [First concert I saw was a British boy band called Take That when I was 14 or 15. I went with nine girls from school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-corden/first-concert-i-saw-was-a-british-boy-band-called-take-that-when-i/) [James Corden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-corden/) > [My first concert ever was my freshman year of high school, at Blossom, and it was Lil Wayne and Young Money. It was wild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-nance-jr/my-first-concert-ever-was-my-freshman-year-of-high-school-at-blossom/) [Larry Nance, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-nance-jr/) > [Congratulations to each and every one of you for the concert last night in New York and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/congratulations-to-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-the-concert-last/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [I've always said about 50% of what happens at a concert has to do with the audience. If you play for a dead audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-ve-always-said-about-50-of-what-happens-at-a-concert-has-to-do-with/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Couples without kids have each other, their friends, families, and Siri to talk to. It's not like they're quarantining themselves in an underground bunker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/couples-without-kids-have-each-other-their-friends-families-and-siri/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [It's funny, but to me, when you go to a concert hall and hear electronic pieces from the '60s, I think they sound really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/it-s-funny-but-to-me-when-you-go-to-a-concert-hall-and-hear/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [There was a strange happening during a performance of Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' at a concert hall in Bermuda tonight, when the man playing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-barker/there-was-a-strange-happening-during-a-performance-of-elgar-s-sea/) [Ronnie Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-barker/) > [Of course we're still having the concert. Don't let a little rain ruin your night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-dee-messina/of-course-we-re-still-having-the-concert-don-t-let-a-little-rain-ruin/) [Jo Dee Messina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-dee-messina/) > [At a concert sometimes, I get very emotional singing 'Tadap tadap ke.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/at-a-concert-sometimes-i-get-very-emotional-singing-tadap-tadap-ke/) [KK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kk/) > [In the years that Ive seen concerts, when Ive paid to see somebody I want to see, there would be a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/in-the-years-that-ive-seen-concerts-when-ive-paid-to-see-somebody-i/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [If I can do concert recitals, adapting the repertoire to my needs, then no problem, that's good enough. But with operas, unless the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-carreras/if-i-can-do-concert-recitals-adapting-the-repertoire-to-my-needs-then/) [Jose Carreras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-carreras/) > [I would love to do a show at a Bon Jovi concert to get the people in that crowd. That's a good crowd to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gatto/i-would-love-to-do-a-show-at-a-bon-jovi-concert-to-get-the-people-in/) [Joe Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gatto/) [Browse all 433 Concert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was a piano performance major at USC. 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