--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had four or five years in school…" description: "\"I had four or five years in school training as a soprano. I fell into pop singing because of economics. I got out of high school and had to go work, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d56/jo-stafford-33925_because_i-had-four-or-five-years-in-school-train_2237745.jpg" --- # I had four or five years in school training as a soprano… ![“I had four or five years in school training as a soprano. I fell into pop singing because of economics. I got out of high school and had to go work, and they weren't hiring opera singers.” quote by Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d56/jo-stafford-33925_because_i-had-four-or-five-years-in-school-train_2237745.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d56/jo-stafford-33925_because_i-had-four-or-five-years-in-school-train_2237745.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d56/jo-stafford-33925_because_i-had-four-or-five-years-in-school-train_2237745.jpg) > “I had four or five years in school training as a soprano. I fell into pop singing because of economics. I got out of high school and had to go work, and they weren't hiring opera singers.” [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic necessity forced a shift from classical training to popular singing, highlighting practicality over artistic ideal. **In simple terms:** She chose pop for work, not passion. Key Takeaway Adapt skills to meet market demands. Themes career economics artistic compromise Mood pragmatic reflective Type career inspirational When to use this quote - job searching - career pivots - financial planning - creative industries Key Concepts vocational flexibility market forces personal branding Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance passion with livelihood? - What strategies help maintain artistic identity during genre shifts? A Different Perspective Artistic integrity may feel compromised; financial need dominates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Fell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fell/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/four/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Got](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Hiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiring/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Opera singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-singer/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop/) [Pop Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-singing-3897199/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Singers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singers/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Singing Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing-economics-5059854/) [Soprano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soprano/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Training Soprano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training-soprano-5059853/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [When you sing opera you are very far from the people, you are onstage, and between you and the people there is the orchestra.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-bocelli/when-you-sing-opera-you-are-very-far-from-the-people-you-are-onstage/) [Andrea Bocelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-bocelli/) > [It seems like pop singing has sort of influenced musical theatre in so many ways - you could argue good or bad, really -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-ovenden/it-seems-like-pop-singing-has-sort-of-influenced-musical-theatre-in/) [Julian Ovenden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-ovenden/) > [In my mind these two instruments speak to me in different ways, and the solo stuff seems to be easier to do on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-parker/in-my-mind-these-two-instruments-speak-to-me-in-different-ways-and/) [Evan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-parker/) > [I didn't want to be Nelsons's wife. 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But going into the low…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/as-a-soprano-who-sings-lucia-di-lammermoor-i-have-the-high-notes-and/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [“There was some rustling as the gown was cast over the soprano's shoulders, or so Lina assumed, and then the alto and Madame Rocque…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/there-was-some-rustling-as-the-gown-was-cast-over-the-soprano-s/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [My mother had a great voice. Not like mine, not like my sister's, not like my son's - a high soprano voice, but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/my-mother-had-a-great-voice-not-like-mine-not-like-my-sister-s-not/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [I can spot a musical type. I can tell by looking at a woman whether she is a contralto or a soprano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walther-funk/i-can-spot-a-musical-type-i-can-tell-by-looking-at-a-woman-whether/) [Walther Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walther-funk/) > [As a boy soprano in the high school choir, I later sang a solo during the carol service at Canterbury Cathedral, but I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/as-a-boy-soprano-in-the-high-school-choir-i-later-sang-a-solo-during/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [There're lots of musicians in my family, too. My mother sings incredibly well. I've got to make a record with my mother's voice on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/there-re-lots-of-musicians-in-my-family-too-my-mother-sings/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [Directors didn't know what to do with me in college. I didn't really sound like a belter. I didn't look like a soprano. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-mueller/directors-didn-t-know-what-to-do-with-me-in-college-i-didn-t-really/) [Jessie Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-mueller/) > [I wasn't the best in my class at the Royal Academy. 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Most artists actually pay for their record dates and it comes out of their royalties. I paid for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-had-a-very-unusual-contract-most-artists-actually-pay-for-their/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [Songs suffer at the mercy of the performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/songs-suffer-at-the-mercy-of-the-performer/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [Songwriting is an art unto itself, not to be confused with performing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/songwriting-is-an-art-unto-itself-not-to-be-confused-with-performing/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [There was never anything like it before in history. It was a different kind of joyous, happy screaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/there-was-never-anything-like-it-before-in-history-it-was-a-different/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [When rock came in, I wasn't bitter about it. I was puzzled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/when-rock-came-in-i-wasn-t-bitter-about-it-i-was-puzzled/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I just learned my lyrics and tried not to bump into the trumpet player. That was my philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-just-learned-my-lyrics-and-tried-not-to-bump-into-the-trumpet/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I wasn't driven. I just really loved what I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-wasn-t-driven-i-just-really-loved-what-i-did/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [The world is a pile of grunge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/the-world-is-a-pile-of-grunge/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [I've got a computer, but I won't go near it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-stafford/i-ve-got-a-computer-but-i-won-t-go-near-it/) [Jo Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-stafford/) > [When rock music came in, I wasn't bitter about it. 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Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. 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