---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a great inventor from scratch…"
description: "\"I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to use, steal, acquire, reproduce or re-cycle music from other musicians.\" — Michael Nyman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png"
---

#  I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to…

![“I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to use, steal, acquire, reproduce or re-cycle music from other musicians.” quote by Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png)

> “I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to use, steal, acquire, reproduce or re-cycle music from other musicians.”

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

## About This Quote

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

Creative work often builds on existing ideas, repurposing and remixing to produce something new.

**In simple terms:** Artists remix others' work.

Key Takeaway

Embrace influence, transform it creatively.

Themes

creativity remix collaboration intellectual property innovation

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

analytical commentary

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- film scoring
- teaching music
- software development

Key Concepts

cultural transmission artistic evolution ethical reuse

Questions to Reflect On

- Where is the line between inspiration and plagiarism?
- How can creators credit sources responsibly?

A Different Perspective

Legal issues can arise from uncredited borrowing.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acquire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) [Inventor Scratch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor-scratch-3150773/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-musicians-682652/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Scratches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scratches/) [Steal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steal/) [Steal Acquire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steal-acquire-3150774/) [Stealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stealing/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/)

## Related quotes

> [An inventor's path is chorused with groans, riddled with fist-banging and punctuated by head scratches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/an-inventor-s-path-is-chorused-with-groans-riddled-with-fist-banging/)

[James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/)

> [Money is part of the game, but let's take this music as musicians to the next level, don't be recycling beats over and over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xzibit/money-is-part-of-the-game-but-let-s-take-this-music-as-musicians-to/)

[Xzibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xzibit/)

> [Naturally, no one knows more about music than musicians. They talk about their own work all the time, but they rarely get to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-azerrad/naturally-no-one-knows-more-about-music-than-musicians-they-talk/)

[Michael Azerrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-azerrad/)

> [The future is in the kids, and they're more likely to listen to music and musicians that they can look up to and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snow-tha-product/the-future-is-in-the-kids-and-they-re-more-likely-to-listen-to-music/)

[Snow Tha Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snow-tha-product/)

> [“In music, musicians must be able to read musical notes and have developed the skill to follow the music from their studies. This skill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inna-k-shingareva/in-music-musicians-must-be-able-to-read-musical-notes-and-have/)

[Inna K. Shingareva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inna-k-shingareva/)

> [It's interesting because neither of my parents play instruments. They both love music, but neither of them are musicians. Somehow, I was drawn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-interesting-because-neither-of-my-parents-play-instruments-they/)

[Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/)

> [Rock musicians, and a vast array of popular-music musicians, due to their wealth, acquired through the mass of their notoriety, are able to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dixon/rock-musicians-and-a-vast-array-of-popular-music-musicians-due-to/)

[Bill Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dixon/)

> [Worship the music, not the musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/worship-the-music-not-the-musicians/)

[Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/)

> [Some musicians make and record music; other musicians play in a band... I just make and record music, and I don't feel a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/some-musicians-make-and-record-music-other-musicians-play-in-a-band-i/)

[Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/)

> [I always think of it in terms of music. You're not always going to be a huge rock star in music, but musicians can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bryan/i-always-think-of-it-in-terms-of-music-you-re-not-always-going-to-be/)

[Daniel Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bryan/)

> [Even though I have often recorded alone, I still feel the best music is made by musicians playing off each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/even-though-i-have-often-recorded-alone-i-still-feel-the-best-music/)

[John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/)

> [A South Korean inventor has finally created the robot that mankind has been waiting for. Scientists who have been worried about the robot apocalypse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pesca/a-south-korean-inventor-has-finally-created-the-robot-that-mankind/)

[Mike Pesca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pesca/)

> [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/)

[Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/)

> [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

## More by Michael Nyman

> [I'm like a decathlete who does all of the events he's used to, but is being forced by certain circumstances to focus on three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-like-a-decathlete-who-does-all-of-the-events-he-s-used-to-but-is/)

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

> [I feel absolutely no threat or fear in Mexico City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-feel-absolutely-no-threat-or-fear-in-mexico-city/)

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

> [I was rather disappointed, because the one thing I wanted to gain from that opportunity was to add something to his music, and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-was-rather-disappointed-because-the-one-thing-i-wanted-to-gain-from/)

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

> [I'm not saying that there weren't other inherent problems with the score that couldn't have been overcome with a bit of remixing, but why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-not-saying-that-there-weren-t-other-inherent-problems-with-the/)

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

> [There's always a question of duration, there's a question of who the orchestra is. No one is free to write what you want -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/there-s-always-a-question-of-duration-there-s-a-question-of-who-the/)

[Michael Nyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

[Explore all 6 Michael Nyman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/)

## More Acquire quotes

> [Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/most-people-seek-after-what-they-do-not-possess-and-are-enslaved-by/)

[Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Humility is an elusive virtue. The more we pursue it - and the more we seem to acquire it - the more we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-aquilina/humility-is-an-elusive-virtue-the-more-we-pursue-it-and-the-more-we/)

[Mike Aquilina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-aquilina/)

> [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [This was Shakespeare's form ; Who walk'd in every path of human life, Felt every passion ; and to all mankind Doth now, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-akenside/this-was-shakespeare-s-form-who-walk-d-in-every-path-of-human-life/)

[Mark Akenside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-akenside/)

> [Wasn't Saddam destroyed? Wasn't Gaddafi liquidated? Didn't Milosevic go to the Hague? All true. But Stalin survived. Kim Jong-un isn't doing too badly, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/wasn-t-saddam-destroyed-wasn-t-gaddafi-liquidated-didn-t-milosevic-go/)

[Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/)

> [The best way for women to acquire knowledge is from conversation with a father, a brother, or a friend, in the way of family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/the-best-way-for-women-to-acquire-knowledge-is-from-conversation-with/)

[Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/)

> [Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything, believe anything in order to acquire it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/have-you-ever-wanted-something-so-badly-that-you-would-do-anything/)

[Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/)

> [Ballet is pure and demands that you serve something larger than yourself, whether it be beauty or art, or a combination of both. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-martins/ballet-is-pure-and-demands-that-you-serve-something-larger-than/)

[Peter Martins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-martins/)

> [You can't know it all. No matter how smart you are, no matter how comprehensive your education, no matter how wide ranging your experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-can-t-know-it-all-no-matter-how-smart-you-are-no-matter-how/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [A better distribution of incomes would increase that efficiency by diverting a great fund of wealth from the useless to the useful members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-better-distribution-of-incomes-would-increase-that-efficiency-by/)

[Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/)

> [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [In the late 1950s a major topic under discussion was whether Canada should acquire nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/in-the-late-1950s-a-major-topic-under-discussion-was-whether-canada/)

[John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/)

> [Shamanism is a path of knowledge, not of faith, and that knowledge cannot come from me or anyone else in this reality. To acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-harner/shamanism-is-a-path-of-knowledge-not-of-faith-and-that-knowledge/)

[Michael Harner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-harner/)

[Browse all 1,020 Acquire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to use, steal, acquire, reproduce or re-cycle music from other musicians.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Nyman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-what-i-do-is-to-use-steal/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acquire"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-what-i-do-is-to-use-steal/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/michael-nyman-54437_acquire_i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-wh_1949002.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm not a great inventor from scratch. What I do is to use, steal, acquire, reproduce or re-cycle music from…” — Michael Nyman",
                "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": "Michael Nyman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nyman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm not a great inventor from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-what-i-do-is-to-use-steal/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nyman/i-m-not-a-great-inventor-from-scratch-what-i-do-is-to-use-steal/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
