--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I dare suggest that the composer would do…" description: "\"I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total, resolute and voluntary withdrawal from this..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png" --- # I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his… ![“I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total, resolute and voluntary withdrawal from this public world to one of private performance and electronic media.” quote by Milton Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png) > “I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total, resolute and voluntary withdrawal from this public world to one of private performance and electronic media.” [Milton Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates retreating from public life to focus on private creation, believing it benefits both the artist and the work. **In simple terms:** Isolation can enhance artistic integrity. Key Takeaway Privacy fuels deeper artistic development. Themes Artistic autonomy Creative solitude Digital media Self‑discipline Public vs private Legacy Mood Reflective Determined Introspective Type Philosophical Aspirational When to use this quote - Composing in a home studio - Preparing a digital album - Avoiding media distractions - Developing a niche audience - Balancing public performances with private work Key Concepts Composition Technology Personal growth Cultural impact Practical Applications - Create a private digital portfolio - Release music exclusively online Questions to Reflect On - How does public exposure affect artistic authenticity? - What trade‑offs exist between privacy and influence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dare/) [Electronic media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electronic-media/) [Immediate Eventual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immediate-eventual-1149525/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Immediate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-immediate-1149523/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Resolute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolute/) [Suggest Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggest-composer-1149521/) [Voluntary Withdrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voluntary-withdrawal-1149524/) [Withdrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/withdrawal/) [Withdrawal Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/withdrawal-public-1149522/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [... music is an immediate art; it's always happening right now ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-andrew/music-is-an-immediate-art-it-s-always-happening-right-now/) [Sam Andrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-andrew/) > [Music has an immediate effect. If you want to go beyond that and look underneath, film is a good way of explaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-copeland/music-has-an-immediate-effect-if-you-want-to-go-beyond-that-and-look/) [Stewart Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-copeland/) > [That's what I love about music. It's immediate. There's a connection whether you are playing at Hyde Park or Chicago, and it's been happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/that-s-what-i-love-about-music-it-s-immediate-there-s-a-connection/) [Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/) > [Avoid demonizing television, computer games, and new technologies. Electronic media may compete for kids' attention, but we're not going to get kids reading by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/avoid-demonizing-television-computer-games-and-new-technologies/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [With technology expanding at this ridiculous pace, bit by bit we're losing our humanity and our ability to connect with each other without having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-trout/with-technology-expanding-at-this-ridiculous-pace-bit-by-bit-we-re/) [Walter Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-trout/) > [People are more likely to search for specific books in which they are actively interested and that justify all of that effort of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-meyrowitz/people-are-more-likely-to-search-for-specific-books-in-which-they-are/) [Joshua Meyrowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-meyrowitz/) > [The modern wars are also omnipresent in our electronic media - to be cynical about it, we now have 24 hours of non-stop bloodshed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-abrams/the-modern-wars-are-also-omnipresent-in-our-electronic-media-to-be/) [Dave Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-abrams/) > [Young people know they are being betrayed by he mass electronic media. It caricatures them, caricatures others. It is not really about them though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/young-people-know-they-are-being-betrayed-by-he-mass-electronic-media/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The public owns the airwaves; Congress gave them to broadcasters for free, with the understanding that they would serve the public interest while trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hundt/the-public-owns-the-airwaves-congress-gave-them-to-broadcasters-for/) [Reed Hundt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hundt/) > [There is a line between scurrilous nonsense and serious discussion that laps over, especially in this day and age when you've got all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/there-is-a-line-between-scurrilous-nonsense-and-serious-discussion/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [A first hint of the power of the electronic media to bring disaster directly into living rooms came with the radio broadcast of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-w-apple/a-first-hint-of-the-power-of-the-electronic-media-to-bring-disaster/) [R. W. Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-w-apple/) > [The tribalizing power of the new electronic media, the way in which they return to us to the unified fields of the old oral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-tribalizing-power-of-the-new-electronic-media-the-way-in-which/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The world is beset by many problems, but in my opinion, this hijacking of our brain's reward centers by electronic media is potentially one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/the-world-is-beset-by-many-problems-but-in-my-opinion-this-hijacking/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/the-time-is-long-overdue-for-a-massive-flooding-of-the-earth-with-the/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [The electronic media introduced this idea to the larger audience very, very quickly. We spent years and years and years meeting with activists all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/the-electronic-media-introduced-this-idea-to-the-larger-audience-very/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) ## More by Milton Babbitt > [The new limitations are the human ones of perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/the-new-limitations-are-the-human-ones-of-perception/) [Milton Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/) > [I can't believe that people really prefer to go to the concert hall under intellectually trying, socially trying, physically trying conditions, unable to repeat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-can-t-believe-that-people-really-prefer-to-go-to-the-concert-hall/) [Milton Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/) > [Music is that great language where a lot can be said and little can be proven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/music-is-that-great-language-where-a-lot-can-be-said-and-little-can/) [Milton Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/) [Explore all 4 Milton Babbitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/) ## More Composer quotes > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) [Hanns Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanns-eisler/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [Trombone virtuoso and innovative composer, Papo combines the best of jazz and Latin music to create a genre that is unique and wild. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brecker/trombone-virtuoso-and-innovative-composer-papo-combines-the-best-of/) [Michael Brecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brecker/) > [“- Mom, can I tell them there that I'm Romanian? - Sure, why not tell them? - I was thinking that they wouldn't think...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-enescu/mom-can-i-tell-them-there-that-i-m-romanian-sure-why-not-tell-them-i/) [George Enescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-enescu/) > [The number of e-mails and letters that I get from choreographers, from sculptors, from composers who are being inspired by science is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-number-of-e-mails-and-letters-that-i-get-from-choreographers-from/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/if-a-composer-could-state-in-words-what-being-a-composer-means-he/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [Seen from the point of view of the composer, the most nonsensical practice is that of casting people in musicals who are unable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-gold/seen-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-composer-the-most-nonsensical/) [Ernest Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-gold/) > [I think there's just been this "thing" that's developed, this way that we have of talking about our music that alienates people. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-mazzoli/i-think-there-s-just-been-this-thing-that-s-developed-this-way-that/) [Missy Mazzoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-mazzoli/) > [The ability to understand and deliver comedy and tragedy is extremely rare in one composer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/signe-baumane/the-ability-to-understand-and-deliver-comedy-and-tragedy-is-extremely/) [Signe Baumane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/signe-baumane/) > [When synthesizers appeared everyone was a composer suddenly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/when-synthesizers-appeared-everyone-was-a-composer-suddenly/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [A mission that comes from the heart to promote these things and to encourage composers to write, then of course they should do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/a-mission-that-comes-from-the-heart-to-promote-these-things-and-to/) [Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/) > [The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-beauty-and-genius-of-a-work-of-art-may-be-reconceived-though-its/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Every time I see a film or TV show, I think about how that composer made those choices and how that director envisioned music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lopez/every-time-i-see-a-film-or-tv-show-i-think-about-how-that-composer/) [Robert Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lopez/) > [Like any other composer of opera, I choose a subject not for polemical reasons, but because it contains vivid characters in highly charged dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/like-any-other-composer-of-opera-i-choose-a-subject-not-for-polemical/) [Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/) [Browse all 885 Composer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total, resolute and voluntary withdrawal from this public world to one of private performance and electronic media.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Babbitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-do-himself-and-his-music-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Composer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-do-himself-and-his-music-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ca/milton-babbitt-66608_composer_i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-d_93041.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I dare suggest that the composer would do himself and his music an immediate and eventual service by total…” — Milton Babbitt", "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": "Milton Babbitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-babbitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I dare suggest that the composer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-do-himself-and-his-music-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-dare-suggest-that-the-composer-would-do-himself-and-his-music-an/#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 } } ] } ```