---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You think it matters to the kids whether…"
description: "\"You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning to play on a Steinway or a normal piano?\" — Malcolm Gladwell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png"
---

#  You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning…

![“You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning to play on a Steinway or a normal piano?” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png)

> “You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning to play on a Steinway or a normal piano?”

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quality of education matters more than the prestige of the instrument; focus on learning and practice.

**In simple terms:** Learning matters more than the brand of the piano.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize learning over status symbols.

Themes

education equity music access quality

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- music lessons
- school programs
- community workshops
- online tutorials

Key Concepts

deliberate practice skill development

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you do to value effort over equipment?
- How does instrument choice affect learning motivation?

A Different Perspective

Prestige can distract from genuine skill growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters/) [Matters Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-kids-1817400/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-piano-1936776/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Steinway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-steinway-1936778/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Steinway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steinway/) [Steinway Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steinway-normal-1936777/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/)

## Related quotes

> [I was very fortunate to take piano lessons from a young age, and the only times that we were able to play on Steinways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/i-was-very-fortunate-to-take-piano-lessons-from-a-young-age-and-the/)

[Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/)

> [When she started to play, Steinway came down personally and rubbed his name off the piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/when-she-started-to-play-steinway-came-down-personally-and-rubbed-his/)

[Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/)

> [What matters to me is that my four kids think I'm a good dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/what-matters-to-me-is-that-my-four-kids-think-i-m-a-good-dad/)

[Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/)

> [When kids know that you refuse to let them fail ... they don't give up as easy. So sometimes they don't have it inside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/when-kids-know-that-you-refuse-to-let-them-fail-they-don-t-give-up-as/)

[Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/)

> [I wish to thank Steinway for its wonderful pianos which I've been privileged to play in all my concerts. There is no piano like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-kissin/i-wish-to-thank-steinway-for-its-wonderful-pianos-which-i-ve-been/)

[Evgeny Kissin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-kissin/)

> [Steinway grand pianos are the best in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-pollini/steinway-grand-pianos-are-the-best-in-the-world/)

[Maurizio Pollini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-pollini/)

> [I want to make music. That means I prefer the Steinway piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-brendel/i-want-to-make-music-that-means-i-prefer-the-steinway-piano/)

[Alfred Brendel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-brendel/)

> [My friendship with the Steinway piano is one of the most important and beautiful things in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystian-zimerman/my-friendship-with-the-steinway-piano-is-one-of-the-most-important/)

[Krystian Zimerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystian-zimerman/)

> [I have long admired Steinway pianos for their qualities of tone, clarity, pitch consistency, touch responsiveness, and superior craftsmanship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-have-long-admired-steinway-pianos-for-their-qualities-of-tone/)

[Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/)

> [Steinway is the finest piano ever made. Its tone is magnificent and its well-balanced action superb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-taylor/steinway-is-the-finest-piano-ever-made-its-tone-is-magnificent-and/)

[Billy Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-taylor/)

> [Steinway is the only piano on which the pianist can do everything he wants. And everything he dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-ashkenazy/steinway-is-the-only-piano-on-which-the-pianist-can-do-everything-he/)

[Vladimir Ashkenazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-ashkenazy/)

> [“To wake up one day and be Steinway and Glen in One... Glen Steinway, Steinway Glen, all for Bach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/to-wake-up-one-day-and-be-steinway-and-glen-in-one-glen-steinway/)

[Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/)

> [“But of course it was precisely this destruction process of my beloved Steinway that I had wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/but-of-course-it-was-precisely-this-destruction-process-of-my-beloved/)

[Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/)

> [With a tone so rich, I would never be afraid of the dark. Steinway is the only and the best!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/with-a-tone-so-rich-i-would-never-be-afraid-of-the-dark-steinway-is/)

[Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/)

> [ “The advantages of \[a Steinway concert grand\]--highly different as it is from the usual rich, mellow and quietly brilliant Steinway--lie not only in its… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lipman/the-advantages-of-a-steinway-concert-grand-highly-different-as-it-is/)

[Samuel Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lipman/)

## More by Malcolm Gladwell

> [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

[Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

## More Kids quotes

> [I would tell kids not be like me, but to try and be better than me. Because I always wanted to be better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/i-would-tell-kids-not-be-like-me-but-to-try-and-be-better-than-me/)

[Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/)

> [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/)

[Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/)

> [With young kids (I have four including the newborn) times passes weirdly for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-s-kemp/with-young-kids-i-have-four-including-the-newborn-times-passes/)

[Paul S. Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-s-kemp/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [I've got three kids, so there's not much downtime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-froning-jr/i-ve-got-three-kids-so-there-s-not-much-downtime/)

[Rich Froning Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-froning-jr/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/)

[Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/)

> [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/)

[Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/)

> [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/)

[Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/)

> [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/)

[Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/)

[Browse all 18,096 Kids quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning to play on a Steinway or a normal piano?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Malcolm Gladwell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether-they-re-learning-to-play-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Kids"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether-they-re-learning-to-play-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1f/malcolm-gladwell-348_kids_you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether_181022.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You think it matters to the kids whether they're learning to play on a Steinway or a normal piano?” — Malcolm Gladwell",
                "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": "Malcolm Gladwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You think it matters to the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether-they-re-learning-to-play-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/you-think-it-matters-to-the-kids-whether-they-re-learning-to-play-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
