--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only job I'd ever had that might be…" description: "\"The only job I'd ever had that might be considered not playing music was teaching guitar, which I did in college for a while, but that still falls in t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/john-oates-7355_category_the-only-job-i-d-ever-had-that-might-be_1197013.jpg" --- # The only job I'd ever had that might be considered not… ![“The only job I'd ever had that might be considered not playing music was teaching guitar, which I did in college for a while, but that still falls in the same category.” quote by John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/john-oates-7355_category_the-only-job-i-d-ever-had-that-might-be_1197013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/john-oates-7355_category_the-only-job-i-d-ever-had-that-might-be_1197013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18e/john-oates-7355_category_the-only-job-i-d-ever-had-that-might-be_1197013.jpg) > “The only job I'd ever had that might be considered not playing music was teaching guitar, which I did in college for a while, but that still falls in the same category.” [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sees teaching guitar as a form of music, blurring lines between work and play. **In simple terms:** Teaching music is still music. Key Takeaway Embrace music in all roles. Themes creativity career music Mood thoughtful inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - music education - career counseling - creative workshops Key Concepts music as vocation playful work Questions to Reflect On - Do you consider your job a form of art? - How does play influence productivity? A Different Perspective Not all work feels like play; some may view teaching as separate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Playing music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-music/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) ## Related quotes > [I started teaching myself guitar because I loved singing so much. Then one day kind of out of the blue I found I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kina-grannis/i-started-teaching-myself-guitar-because-i-loved-singing-so-much-then/) [Kina Grannis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kina-grannis/) > [Teaching the guitar is a constant source of inspiration. I sometimes think I get more out of the lessons than my students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gilbert/teaching-the-guitar-is-a-constant-source-of-inspiration-i-sometimes/) [Paul Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gilbert/) > [Much music teaching seems more concerned with controlling the student than with encouraging the student's own impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westney/much-music-teaching-seems-more-concerned-with-controlling-the-student/) [William Westney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westney/) > [Through my music teaching and my not absolutely irregular attendance at church, I became acquainted with the best class of colored people in Jacksonville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/through-my-music-teaching-and-my-not-absolutely-irregular-attendance/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I wish I could look back and say, 'OK here was a T.V. show or a movie that I thought was so perfect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-madden/i-wish-i-could-look-back-and-say-ok-here-was-a-t-v-show-or-a-movie/) [Dave Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-madden/) > [We see new things all the time. We see new retroviruses out there - which is the category that HIV falls into - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-wolfe/we-see-new-things-all-the-time-we-see-new-retroviruses-out-there/) [Nathan Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-wolfe/) > [There's not really a ban on the KIA bracelet specifically. There are regulations for wearing the uniform and specifically jewelry, and Marines are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-amos/there-s-not-really-a-ban-on-the-kia-bracelet-specifically-there-are/) [James F. Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-amos/) > [I think we can all agree that Colin Firth falls into the George Clooney category of 'Men Who Age Like Fine Wine.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/i-think-we-can-all-agree-that-colin-firth-falls-into-the-george/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [By very conservative estimates, Turkish repression of Kurds in the 1990s falls in the category of Kosovo. It peaked in the early 1990s; one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/by-very-conservative-estimates-turkish-repression-of-kurds-in-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The reason I wanted to play guitar was because I saw Buddy Holly and then our own homegrown Shadows on TV in 1957 or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-frampton/the-reason-i-wanted-to-play-guitar-was-because-i-saw-buddy-holly-and/) [Peter Frampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-frampton/) > [I used to watch my father play the guitar and sing when I was a little boy. By the time I was 11, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trini-lopez/i-used-to-watch-my-father-play-the-guitar-and-sing-when-i-was-a/) [Trini Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trini-lopez/) > [I have a collection of ukuleles. I meant to graduate to the guitar, but I never did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/i-have-a-collection-of-ukuleles-i-meant-to-graduate-to-the-guitar-but/) [Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/) > [“Why did girls never play air guitar? Did we sing along because singing was what girls did or was it that girls only sang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavinia-greenlaw/why-did-girls-never-play-air-guitar-did-we-sing-along-because-singing/) [Lavinia Greenlaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavinia-greenlaw/) > [The first band I was ever in, I played guitar. We did Gary Glitter and Green Day covers at the time. We were called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-antonoff/the-first-band-i-was-ever-in-i-played-guitar-we-did-gary-glitter-and/) [Jack Antonoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-antonoff/) > [I got it into my head that I had somewhat neglected the guitar, and then I did a record called 'Arena,' and it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/i-got-it-into-my-head-that-i-had-somewhat-neglected-the-guitar-and/) [Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/) ## More by John Oates > [There's all sorts of soul. There's Irish soul and Native American soul. If it touches you and moves you, it's soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/there-s-all-sorts-of-soul-there-s-irish-soul-and-native-american-soul/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I wish I could see over crowds and small groups of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-wish-i-could-see-over-crowds-and-small-groups-of-people/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > ['Maneater' is about N.Y.C. in the '80s. It's about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/maneater-is-about-n-y-c-in-the-80s-it-s-about-greed-avarice-and/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I think it's kind of difficult to write a good Christmas song because you have a narrow framework of references that you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-think-it-s-kind-of-difficult-to-write-a-good-christmas-song-because/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [If anyone looks back to the '70s, '80s with nostalgic rosy colored glasses and goes, 'Well, everything was awesome.' 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I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/when-i-graduated-from-college-in-the-spring-of-1970-i-decided-to/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [When albums gave way to CDs, people re-discovered their collection through their CDs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/when-albums-gave-way-to-cds-people-re-discovered-their-collection/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I don't care if it's a Cole Porter song, or George Gershwin, or Lennon/McCartney, or Elton John, or you know, whoever, Bob Dylan. Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-don-t-care-if-it-s-a-cole-porter-song-or-george-gershwin-or-lennon/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [To me, when a great band is playing together, it's amazing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/to-me-when-a-great-band-is-playing-together-it-s-amazing-for-me/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [We should have an easier name to pronounce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/we-should-have-an-easier-name-to-pronounce/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [A good mustache makes a man for many reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/a-good-mustache-makes-a-man-for-many-reasons/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [I like playing on stage, don't get me wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/i-like-playing-on-stage-don-t-get-me-wrong/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) > [The world has accelerated to the point that, as far as the album as a form, I don't know if it's going to last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oates/the-world-has-accelerated-to-the-point-that-as-far-as-the-album-as-a/) [John Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) [Explore all 92 John Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oates/) ## More Category quotes > [People like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding - I do not put myself in that category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/people-like-sam-cooke-and-otis-redding-i-do-not-put-myself-in-that/) [Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/) > [Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-margolis/i-saw-an-emmy-ad-that-amc-took-out-with-all-the-breaking-bad-nominees/) [Mark Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-margolis/) > [I'm thrilled that country music fans like my stuff, but so do a lot of people outside of country music, people who just love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/i-m-thrilled-that-country-music-fans-like-my-stuff-but-so-do-a-lot-of/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [Despite the best efforts of apologists like William Lane Craig, the 'evidence' for Christianity's truth is, in truth, not the kind that science will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/despite-the-best-efforts-of-apologists-like-william-lane-craig-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Bavaro's probably as tough of a - physically and mentally as tough a football player as I've ever coached. So, I would put him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/bavaro-s-probably-as-tough-of-a-physically-and-mentally-as-tough-a/) [Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/) > [Many people find their calling very early in their lives. These are the kind of people we read about in school books and newspapers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhanush/many-people-find-their-calling-very-early-in-their-lives-these-are/) [Dhanush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhanush/) > [“I put the “cat” in category. 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