Art Quote by Jon Gordon
“Families that I lived with a little bit in junior high and quite a bit in high school and college. Just to have a safe, sane space with food and things like that. That's what I needed. And people were really kind and really generous. So I think the world kind of opened up my first years of performing arts, studying classical saxophone with Caesar DiMauro.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Keynote at Performing Arts Conference, 2020
He reflects on the importance of safe, supportive environments and kindness in nurturing artistic growth.
In simple terms: Safe spaces and kindness foster artistic development.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate supportive communities for creators.
Themes
community
kindness
artistic growth
support
Mood
inspirational
grateful
Type
motivational
reflective
When to use this quote
- school environment
- music lessons
- performance venues
- peer mentorship
Key Concepts
psychological safety
generosity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we create more inclusive spaces?
- What role does generosity play in artistic success?
A Different Perspective
Not all environments are equally safe.
![“I was finishing up at High School of Performing Arts and finally, by the end of junior year and start of senior year, made some progress as a 16 year-old classical saxophone player. But not really... not like how the legit cats do. But I love the [Jacques] Ibert, love [Alexander] Glazunov, love…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c7/jon-gordon-1655_art_i-was-finishing-up-at-high-school-of-per_2762115.jpg)
![“[Larry Laurenzano] gave me a junior high school saxophone to take to high school, because I was always taking one of our school horns home to practice and I couldn't afford to buy one. He gave my friend, Tyrone, a tuba and he gave me a junior high saxophone for each of us to use at Performing Arts…” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/217/jon-gordon-1655_art_larry-laurenzano-gave-me-a-junior-high-s_1950287.jpg)
![“Ernie Hayes, Jimmy Lewis, and either Belton Evans or Khalil Mahdi on drums [were in Sweet Basil]. All those guys really took care of me.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/400/jon-gordon-1655_basil_ernie-hayes-jimmy-lewis-and-either-belto_200776.jpg)
