--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had played some festivals with people…" description: "\"I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say to my friends and students, anything like th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png" --- # I had played some festivals with people and met and been… ![“I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say to my friends and students, anything like that with a grant or a competition, it involves a great deal of luck.” quote by Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png) > “I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say to my friends and students, anything like that with a grant or a competition, it involves a great deal of luck.” [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success in grants or competitions often hinges on luck despite effort and skill. **In simple terms:** Luck plays a big role in winning grants. Key Takeaway Prepare thoroughly but accept chance as a factor. Themes career opportunity uncertainty Mood pragmatic encouraging Type advice motivational When to use this quote - grant applications - competition entries - project proposals - career planning Key Concepts probability networking resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How can you mitigate luck’s impact? - What can you control in the application process? A Different Perspective Overreliance on luck can diminish proactive strategies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Deal Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal-luck-523641/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Festivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/festivals/) [Festivals People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/festivals-people-290666/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Grants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grants/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Mets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mets/) [My friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-friends/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Played Festivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played-festivals-4391737/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) ## Related quotes > [I started realizing that when I played festivals I didn't want to be writing all these down, sad songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-lewis/i-started-realizing-that-when-i-played-festivals-i-didn-t-want-to-be/) [Dean Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-lewis/) > [I go to music festivals, and people want to talk to me about racism. I'm like, 'Bro, I'm trying to have fun!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/i-go-to-music-festivals-and-people-want-to-talk-to-me-about-racism-i/) [Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/) > [It's just really cool to go to countries and play festivals for people who don't really know your band or don't ever get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-urie/it-s-just-really-cool-to-go-to-countries-and-play-festivals-for/) [Brendon Urie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-urie/) > [I love festivals in that people seem to let their hair down more. I love that people run from stage to stage. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-may/i-love-festivals-in-that-people-seem-to-let-their-hair-down-more-i/) [Imelda May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-may/) > [I've played festivals in Australia. If it's a dance music festival or mainstream festival, there's maybe, like, 10 percent who pay attention to the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-played-festivals-in-australia-if-it-s-a-dance-music-festival-or/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [I haven't had a great deal of luck with my career, have I? Maybe because I'm not pushy enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-harrold/i-haven-t-had-a-great-deal-of-luck-with-my-career-have-i-maybe/) [Kathryn Harrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-harrold/) > [“It had taken skill, tact, an ability to choose friends well, and a great deal of luck... Luck was always part of it, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-gavriel-kay/it-had-taken-skill-tact-an-ability-to-choose-friends-well-and-a-great-2/) [Guy Gavriel Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-gavriel-kay/) > [It can destroy an individual, or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one should come to New York to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/it-can-destroy-an-individual-or-it-can-fulfill-him-depending-a-good/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [The evidence is unequivocal, there's a great deal more luck than skill in people getting very rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-evidence-is-unequivocal-there-s-a-great-deal-more-luck-than-skill/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [It's not a big deal to send a film to the festivals, but yes, winning an award is huge. When you send a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-wahi/it-s-not-a-big-deal-to-send-a-film-to-the-festivals-but-yes-winning/) [Karan Wahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-wahi/) > [I love U.K. festivals because people go to watch as many bands as possible. They aren't just there to see their favourites; they'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/i-love-u-k-festivals-because-people-go-to-watch-as-many-bands-as/) [Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/) > [Whenever you take a subject you're obsessed with or that haunts you, and make a movie about it, you're converting it into work units…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-maddin/whenever-you-take-a-subject-you-re-obsessed-with-or-that-haunts-you/) [Guy Maddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-maddin/) > [I left school December of 1988. I was 21 at the time. And I hadn't quite finished my degree because I had done eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-left-school-december-of-1988-i-was-21-at-the-time-and-i-hadn-t/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [It will not do, my friend, to grant an easy indulgence to natural appetite and desire, for they ever seek to be our masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shay-arthur/it-will-not-do-my-friend-to-grant-an-easy-indulgence-to-natural/) [Timothy Shay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shay-arthur/) > [O grant me, Heaven, a middle state, Neither too humble nor too great; More than enough, for nature's ends, With something left to treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/o-grant-me-heaven-a-middle-state-neither-too-humble-nor-too-great/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) ## More by Jon Gordon > [Joe Henderson, who I maybe, to me, if I had to pick one improviser in my life that I saw live that blew my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/joe-henderson-who-i-maybe-to-me-if-i-had-to-pick-one-improviser-in-my/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Benny Carter came up to me and said to me, "You know, in the whole history of the alto, I think Phil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/benny-carter-came-up-to-me-and-said-to-me-you-know-in-the-whole/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [“know that I’m not a human being having a spiritual experience. I’m a spiritual being having a human experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/know-that-i-m-not-a-human-being-having-a-spiritual-experience-i-m-a/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [It's very unlikely you're a genius, but, if you're ready to work at it hard and you want to listen to music all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/it-s-very-unlikely-you-re-a-genius-but-if-you-re-ready-to-work-at-it/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [The first jazz cruise that I was on was '91. I played with Maria Schneider and John Fedchock's band. Got to meet some amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/the-first-jazz-cruise-that-i-was-on-was-91-i-played-with-maria/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [I just lucked into a lot of good people man. In my life and through friends, and in the music, that really embraced me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-just-lucked-into-a-lot-of-good-people-man-in-my-life-and-through/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Every morning you have a choice. Are you going to be a positive thinker or a negative thinker? Positive thinking will energize you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/every-morning-you-have-a-choice-are-you-going-to-be-a-positive/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [I was occasionally getting calls for some things. But I would say, 22 to 29 was a lot of scuffling. Hoping to get called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-was-occasionally-getting-calls-for-some-things-but-i-would-say-22/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Dust on gold doesn't change the nature of gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/dust-on-gold-doesn-t-change-the-nature-of-gold/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [There are a lot of people that impacted me. I remember hearing Oscar Peterson live at the Blue Note, which was very expensive, but...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/there-are-a-lot-of-people-that-impacted-me-i-remember-hearing-oscar/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [There's a lot of good people out here that want to help you grow and to help the music to continue to grow and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/there-s-a-lot-of-good-people-out-here-that-want-to-help-you-grow-and/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [ Ernie Hayes, Jimmy Lewis, and either Belton Evans or Khalil Mahdi on drums \[were in Sweet Basil\]. All those guys really took care of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/ernie-hayes-jimmy-lewis-and-either-belton-evans-or-khalil-mahdi-on/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [A true leader doesn't lead to gain power. They lead to empower and give power away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/a-true-leader-doesn-t-lead-to-gain-power-they-lead-to-empower-and/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [ We had Bob's \[Gordon\] records, and he's on Clifford Brown's first record as a leader. I believe it was Clifford Brown's first record as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/we-had-bob-s-gordon-records-and-he-s-on-clifford-brown-s-first-record/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Another classical music teacher from Performing Arts that I've stayed in contact with is Jonathan Strasser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/another-classical-music-teacher-from-performing-arts-that-i-ve-stayed/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) [Explore all 219 Jon Gordon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say to my friends and students, anything like that with a grant or a competition, it involves a great deal of luck.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Gordon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people-and-met-and-been-around-some/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people-and-met-and-been-around-some/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/614/jon-gordon-1655_competition_i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people_1398143.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say…” — Jon Gordon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Gordon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had played some festivals with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people-and-met-and-been-around-some/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-had-played-some-festivals-with-people-and-met-and-been-around-some/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```