--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why become a second-rate Ravel when…" description: "\"Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?\" — Maurice Ravel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg" --- # Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a… ![“Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?” quote by Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg) > “Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?” [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages embracing one's unique talent rather than imitating others, even if they are great. **In simple terms:** Be original, not a copy. Key Takeaway Cultivate your own artistic voice. Themes creativity self-identity artistic integrity Mood inspirational motivational Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - composition - performance - career development Key Concepts originality self-esteem musical evolution Questions to Reflect On - What unique strengths set you apart? - How can you nurture your own style? A Different Perspective Comparison can stifle growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ravel/) [Second rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-rate/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [You might lose your spontaneity and, instead of composing first-rate Gershwin, end up with second rate Ravel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/you-might-lose-your-spontaneity-and-instead-of-composing-first-rate/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [To George Gershwin, on refusinghim as a pupil: You would only lose the spontaneous quality of your melody, and end by writing bad Ravel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/to-george-gershwin-on-refusinghim-as-a-pupil-you-would-only-lose-the/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [I don't know what will become of this piece. Our brave critics will no doubt charge me with imitating Ravel's Bolero. Too bad -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-shostakovich/i-don-t-know-what-will-become-of-this-piece-our-brave-critics-will-no/) [Dmitri Shostakovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-shostakovich/) > [“Ravel said. “And I order people around really well. This morning, Tipstaff came over with a cup of tea and I told him no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/ravel-said-and-i-order-people-around-really-well-this-morning/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [The fabric of my faithful love No power shall dim or ravel Whilst I stay here - but oh, my dear, If I should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/the-fabric-of-my-faithful-love-no-power-shall-dim-or-ravel-whilst-i/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [The story comes around, pushing at our brains, and soon we are trying to ravel back to the beginning, trying to put families into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-story-comes-around-pushing-at-our-brains-and-soon-we-are-trying/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [And, you know, I think the original recording of Ravel's Bolero, probably whoever played percussion on that, will never have It played better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-rich/and-you-know-i-think-the-original-recording-of-ravel-s-bolero/) [Buddy Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-rich/) > [Composers are influenced by all the important music in their lives - and I suppose that since radio started playing popular music, that's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/composers-are-influenced-by-all-the-important-music-in-their-lives/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [Whenever I ravel I seek the benefits of this great profession of chiropractic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-severinsen/whenever-i-ravel-i-seek-the-benefits-of-this-great-profession-of/) [Doc Severinsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-severinsen/) > [If you could just ravel out into time. That would be nice. It would be nice if you could just ravel out into time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/if-you-could-just-ravel-out-into-time-that-would-be-nice-it-would-be/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Corrival looked around. 'So is this it? Is everyone here? Erskine, maybe you should start the ball rolling. I have places to go and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/corrival-looked-around-so-is-this-it-is-everyone-here-erskine-maybe/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [Look, there's nothing wrong with people being happy, but there's more to life than turning on and screwing to Ravel's Bolero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-edwards/look-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-people-being-happy-but-there-s-more/) [Blake Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-edwards/) > [My father had a varied ear, from Hank Williams to Ravel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-peyroux/my-father-had-a-varied-ear-from-hank-williams-to-ravel/) [Madeleine Peyroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-peyroux/) > [How do our lives ravel out into the no-wind, no-sound, the weary gestures wearily recapitulant: echoes of old compulsions with no-hand on no-string: in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/how-do-our-lives-ravel-out-into-the-no-wind-no-sound-the-weary/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I listen to everything from Ravel to the Bee Gees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy/i-listen-to-everything-from-ravel-to-the-bee-gees/) [Lemmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy/) ## More by Maurice Ravel > [The only love affair I have ever had was with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/the-only-love-affair-i-have-ever-had-was-with-music/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [We should always remember that sensitiveness and emotion constitute the real content of a work of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/we-should-always-remember-that-sensitiveness-and-emotion-constitute/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [My intention here is to make it clear that not a single cell of my composition, here in regard to The Raven, is found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/my-intention-here-is-to-make-it-clear-that-not-a-single-cell-of-my/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [“Does it not occur to people that I might be artificial by nature?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/does-it-not-occur-to-people-that-i-might-be-artificial-by-nature/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [I begin by considering an effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/i-begin-by-considering-an-effect/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [I did my work slowly, drop by drop. I tore it out of me by pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/i-did-my-work-slowly-drop-by-drop-i-tore-it-out-of-me-by-pieces/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [I am not one of the great composers. All the great have produced enormously. There is everything in their work - the best and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/i-am-not-one-of-the-great-composers-all-the-great-have-produced/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [Tell me that not everything I wrote was bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/tell-me-that-not-everything-i-wrote-was-bad/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [To George Gershwin, on refusinghim as a pupil: You would only lose the spontaneous quality of your melody, and end by writing bad Ravel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/to-george-gershwin-on-refusinghim-as-a-pupil-you-would-only-lose-the/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [Remember that I wrote a pavane for a dead princess, and not a dead pavane for a princess!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/remember-that-i-wrote-a-pavane-for-a-dead-princess-and-not-a-dead/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [For Debussy the musician and the man I have had profound admiration, but by nature I'm different from him. I think I have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/for-debussy-the-musician-and-the-man-i-have-had-profound-admiration/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [You might lose your spontaneity and, instead of composing first-rate Gershwin, end up with second rate Ravel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/you-might-lose-your-spontaneity-and-instead-of-composing-first-rate/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [In fact, the influence of Schoenberg may be overwhelming on his followers, but the significance of his art is to be identified with influences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/in-fact-the-influence-of-schoenberg-may-be-overwhelming-on-his/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [If he'd been making shell-cases during the war it might have been better for music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/if-he-d-been-making-shell-cases-during-the-war-it-might-have-been/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) > [I do not ask for my music to be interpreted, but only for it to be played.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/i-do-not-ask-for-my-music-to-be-interpreted-but-only-for-it-to-be/) [Maurice Ravel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) [Explore all 17 Maurice Ravel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maurice Ravel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you-re-already-a-first-rate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you-re-already-a-first-rate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/771/maurice-ravel-30757_firsts_why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you_1198226.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why become a second-rate Ravel when you're already a first-rate Gershwin?” — Maurice Ravel", "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": "Maurice Ravel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-ravel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why become a second-rate Ravel when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you-re-already-a-first-rate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-ravel/why-become-a-second-rate-ravel-when-you-re-already-a-first-rate/#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 } } ] } ```