--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A performance is a conversation between…" description: "\"A performance is a conversation between you and an audience.\" — Livingston Taylor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg" --- # A performance is a conversation between you and an audience. ![“A performance is a conversation between you and an audience.” quote by Livingston Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg) > “A performance is a conversation between you and an audience.” Livingston Taylor ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A performance is an exchange, a dialogue where the artist and audience co‑create meaning. **In simple terms:** Performance is a two‑way conversation. Key Takeaway Engage the audience as partners. Themes art communication dialogue Mood inspirational thoughtful Type art philosophical When to use this quote - concerts - theatre - public speaking Key Concepts performance theory audience interaction Questions to Reflect On - How can you read audience cues? - What if the dialogue stalls? A Different Perspective Audience may not always respond as expected. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) ## Related quotes > [To me, humor is part of a conversation with an audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-avett/to-me-humor-is-part-of-a-conversation-with-an-audience/) [Scott Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-avett/) > [I didn't get into film to win Academy Awards. I wanted to have a conversation with the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/i-didn-t-get-into-film-to-win-academy-awards-i-wanted-to-have-a/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [“A good ad leads to a two-way conversation where your audience is listening to you because you are listening to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-agnihotri/a-good-ad-leads-to-a-two-way-conversation-where-your-audience-is/) [Pooja Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-agnihotri/) > [Music is a conversation between the audience and me, and I love that about my profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-reeves/music-is-a-conversation-between-the-audience-and-me-and-i-love-that/) [Dianne Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-reeves/) > [This conversation with the audience has been going on since, what, '72, '73... Sometimes it's like a conversation after dinner with friends. You're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/this-conversation-with-the-audience-has-been-going-on-since-what-72/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [Good performance is about what you take in, not what you put out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/good-performance-is-about-what-you-take-in-not-what-you-put-out/) Livingston Taylor > [In acting, you are fulfilled if you give justice to your role... if you are able to do a credible performance and touch the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-hutton/in-acting-you-are-fulfilled-if-you-give-justice-to-your-role-if-you/) [Timothy Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-hutton/) > [I know what I want, and I know what needs to be done to make my performance better. So I do these little askings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-netrebko/i-know-what-i-want-and-i-know-what-needs-to-be-done-to-make-my/) [Anna Netrebko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-netrebko/) > [Rapturous and full bodied performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-jowitt/rapturous-and-full-bodied-performance/) Deborah Jowitt > [There is no better education than rap battling in terms of performance. It makes you fearless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-brown/there-is-no-better-education-than-rap-battling-in-terms-of/) [Doc Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-brown/) > [The most important thing about Jazz at Lincoln Center is the fact that it's the first time that perhaps the most important art form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-vinoly/the-most-important-thing-about-jazz-at-lincoln-center-is-the-fact/) [Rafael Vinoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-vinoly/) > [Every medium has its advantages and weaknesses and there are many things I can put down on paper that I might not be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wright/every-medium-has-its-advantages-and-weaknesses-and-there-are-many/) [Lawrence Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wright/) > [Performance capture is a tool that young actors will need in the next 10, 20 years. It's on the increase, as you say. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/performance-capture-is-a-tool-that-young-actors-will-need-in-the-next/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [I am always really buzzed after each performance, and at around one in the morning, Ill hit a brick wall and need to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hattie-morahan/i-am-always-really-buzzed-after-each-performance-and-at-around-one-in/) [Hattie Morahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hattie-morahan/) > [The best thing about the term 'performance artist' is that it includes just about everything you might want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/the-best-thing-about-the-term-performance-artist-is-that-it-includes/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## More by Livingston Taylor > [Good performance is about what you take in, not what you put out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/good-performance-is-about-what-you-take-in-not-what-you-put-out/) Livingston Taylor > [Well I started out on guitar, so it is still the mainstay of my music. But I have recently been working very hard on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/well-i-started-out-on-guitar-so-it-is-still-the-mainstay-of-my-music/) Livingston Taylor Explore all 3 Livingston Taylor quotes ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [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/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A performance is a conversation between you and an audience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Livingston Taylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/a-performance-is-a-conversation-between-you-and-an-audience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/a-performance-is-a-conversation-between-you-and-an-audience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/038/livingston-taylor-86853_audience_a-performance-is-a-conversation-between_500266.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A performance is a conversation between you and an audience.” — Livingston Taylor", "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": "Livingston Taylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livingston-taylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A performance is a conversation between...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/a-performance-is-a-conversation-between-you-and-an-audience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livingston-taylor/a-performance-is-a-conversation-between-you-and-an-audience/#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 } } ] } ```