--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was writing songs by 12 and had a band…" description: "\"I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14.\" — Jon Pardi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg" --- # I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14. ![“I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14.” quote by Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg) > “I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14.” [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Starting songwriting at 12 and forming a band by 14 shows early dedication to music. **In simple terms:** Early start leads to musical growth. Key Takeaway Cultivate talent early. Themes music career early talent Mood inspirational proud Type advice biographical When to use this quote - songwriting - band formation - performance - music industry Key Concepts creative development discipline Questions to Reflect On - How did early experiences shape your style? - What advice for late bloomers? A Different Perspective Late starters can also succeed with effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songs/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-songs/) ## Related quotes > [I was writing songs from when I was 12. My songs always came from questions that I need answers for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-mayfield/i-was-writing-songs-from-when-i-was-12-my-songs-always-came-from/) [Curtis Mayfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-mayfield/) > [Growing up as a singer, and a cast member, and now as an adult, a songwriter, I get the luxury of choosing the kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/growing-up-as-a-singer-and-a-cast-member-and-now-as-an-adult-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I was playing in bands before high school even. My first band I was in at 14. And we were playing just Beatles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-was-playing-in-bands-before-high-school-even-my-first-band-i-was-in/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I met the Santana band when I was 14. By the time I was 15, I was a member of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-schon/i-met-the-santana-band-when-i-was-14-by-the-time-i-was-15-i-was-a/) [Neal Schon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-schon/) > [I sang and wrote songs when I was 12 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-sang-and-wrote-songs-when-i-was-12-years-old/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [The first project, I made 16 songs and put 12 of them on the mixtape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-baby/the-first-project-i-made-16-songs-and-put-12-of-them-on-the-mixtape/) [Lil Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-baby/) > [I'm writing songs that I want to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-m-writing-songs-that-i-want-to-sing/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I've been writing songs all along, and since moving to Nashville in the late-'80s, I'd begun writing something like 15-20 songs a year, instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-leadon/i-ve-been-writing-songs-all-along-and-since-moving-to-nashville-in/) Bernie Leadon > ['Still Writing Songs About You' - that one hits me every time. For some reason, I really feel that song every time we play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-ramsey/still-writing-songs-about-you-that-one-hits-me-every-time-for-some/) [Matthew Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-ramsey/) > [Writing songs has always been hard and easy. It's not always easy when you want it to be, and then sometimes it's just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/writing-songs-has-always-been-hard-and-easy-it-s-not-always-easy-when/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [If you want to be a singer, you've got to concentrate on it twenty-four hours a day. You can't be a well driller, too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-redding/if-you-want-to-be-a-singer-you-ve-got-to-concentrate-on-it-twenty/) [Otis Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-redding/) > [When people start writing songs for award shows, there's a very limited palette you can use. You end up not sounding like you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dirnt/when-people-start-writing-songs-for-award-shows-there-s-a-very/) [Mike Dirnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dirnt/) > [I've never really suffered complete and utter writer's block, really. I equate it with sex: in the beginning of my career, I was writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loudon-wainwright-iii/i-ve-never-really-suffered-complete-and-utter-writer-s-block-really-i/) [Loudon Wainwright III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loudon-wainwright-iii/) > [Writing songs is kind of like a wrestling match to me. You have to pin it down and make it do what you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-joseph/writing-songs-is-kind-of-like-a-wrestling-match-to-me-you-have-to-pin/) [Tyler Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-joseph/) > [That has been my outlet and a way to provide for my child - writing songs for myself and for other artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lynn-spears/that-has-been-my-outlet-and-a-way-to-provide-for-my-child-writing/) [Jamie Lynn Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lynn-spears/) ## More by Jon Pardi > [I love coming back around Northern California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-love-coming-back-around-northern-california/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > ['Swagger' would be the word for 'Dirt On My Boots.' With the real funky drum loop and the ganjo rolling down, and then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/swagger-would-be-the-word-for-dirt-on-my-boots-with-the-real-funky/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I always want to have the traditional country soul while meeting the new standards of country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-always-want-to-have-the-traditional-country-soul-while-meeting-the/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [We're boot-friendly here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/we-re-boot-friendly-here/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [Take everything you can from what people say. Keep going and stick to your instincts. And what your soul tells you to do, use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/take-everything-you-can-from-what-people-say-keep-going-and-stick-to/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I like hearing fiddles, steel guitar, acoustics up loud - really rock & roll stuff but with a country sound behind it. That's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-like-hearing-fiddles-steel-guitar-acoustics-up-loud-really-rock/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [If you get music on a personal level, you are doing something right. It's not just in one ear and out the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/if-you-get-music-on-a-personal-level-you-are-doing-something-right-it/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [What I can feel the most and what I can remember the most are the melodies I want to write to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/what-i-can-feel-the-most-and-what-i-can-remember-the-most-are-the/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I was a huge Garth Brooks fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-was-a-huge-garth-brooks-fan/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [Having two back-to-back No. 1's is unbelievable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/having-two-back-to-back-no-1-s-is-unbelievable/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I played the bars in northern California since I was 18. We played at least three hours, and there's no which-way about it: That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-played-the-bars-in-northern-california-since-i-was-18-we-played-at/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [People out west love country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/people-out-west-love-country-music/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I'm a funny guy. You've got to be able to make fun of yourself. We only live once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-m-a-funny-guy-you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-make-fun-of-yourself-we-only/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I'm a guy who doesn't know the name of the chord, but I know that it sounds good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-m-a-guy-who-doesn-t-know-the-name-of-the-chord-but-i-know-that-it/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) > [I chose to be this guy. It's who I want to be, and it's always been me - just keepin' it country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-chose-to-be-this-guy-it-s-who-i-want-to-be-and-it-s-always-been-me/) [Jon Pardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) [Explore all 68 Jon Pardi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Pardi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band-by-14/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band-by-14/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df3/jon-pardi-9988_band_i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band_678589.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was writing songs by 12 and had a band by 14.” — Jon Pardi", "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 Pardi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pardi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was writing songs by 12...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band-by-14/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pardi/i-was-writing-songs-by-12-and-had-a-band-by-14/#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 } } ] } ```