--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why would you want to stand there waving…" description: "\"Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?\" — Nigel Kennedy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg" --- # Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you… ![“Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?” quote by Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg) > “Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?” [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing to play music is more meaningful than merely waving a stick, emphasizing active creation over empty gestures. **In simple terms:** Play music instead of waving a stick. Key Takeaway Prefer creative action over symbolic gestures. Themes creativity purpose expression choice Mood inspirational reflective playful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - concert performance - personal hobbies - public demonstrations Key Concepts artistic fulfillment meaningful engagement Questions to Reflect On - What does the stick symbolize for you? - When is symbolic action valuable? A Different Perspective Waving a stick may still convey important messages. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrument/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) ## Related quotes > [“Erwachsen, wer ist das schon? Vernünftig, was ist das schon?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maffay/erwachsen-wer-ist-das-schon-vern-nftig-was-ist-das-schon/) Peter Maffay > [“He begged hard, and said he couldn't play—a plausible excuse, but too thin; there wasn't a musician in the country that could.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/he-begged-hard-and-said-he-couldn-t-play-a-plausible-excuse-but-too/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I play a whole lot of instruments pretty badly, instead of playing one instrument really well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikal-cronin/i-play-a-whole-lot-of-instruments-pretty-badly-instead-of-playing-one/) [Mikal Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikal-cronin/) > [ Practice. Listen. Use you ears. And as Rob \[Halford\] said, that team effort. You can learn your instrument in your room, but being in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-faulkner/practice-listen-use-you-ears-and-as-rob-halford-said-that-team-effort/) [Richie Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-faulkner/) > [Being in a band is far more than playing an instrument. It's surviving. It's getting an album together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-silver/being-in-a-band-is-far-more-than-playing-an-instrument-it-s-surviving/) [Josh Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-silver/) > [Music itself is a great source of relaxation. Parts of it anyway. Working in the studio, that's not relaxing, but playing an instrument that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/music-itself-is-a-great-source-of-relaxation-parts-of-it-anyway/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [To me, playing an instrument and singing, all of these different things are just as natural to me as rhyming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/to-me-playing-an-instrument-and-singing-all-of-these-different-things/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-your-instrument-there-s-a/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“Think of playing an instrument. When first picking up a new piece of music, a musician hammers out the notes slowly and methodically to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ciccarelli/think-of-playing-an-instrument-when-first-picking-up-a-new-piece-of/) S. Ciccarelli > [Good taste - that's all you really need when you're playing an instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hersh/good-taste-that-s-all-you-really-need-when-you-re-playing-an/) [Kristin Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hersh/) > [Most of the time, I'll be conducting the orchestra, but there will be some pieces that I'll be playing an instrument as well, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramin-djawadi/most-of-the-time-i-ll-be-conducting-the-orchestra-but-there-will-be/) [Ramin Djawadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramin-djawadi/) > [If you listen to the way I speak, I have a lot of rhythm, use a lot of accents. When I'm playing my instrument,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/if-you-listen-to-the-way-i-speak-i-have-a-lot-of-rhythm-use-a-lot-of/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [I think it all comes back to the individual. My instrument's just a pile of metal and wood! If you listen to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/i-think-it-all-comes-back-to-the-individual-my-instrument-s-just-a/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [I've been playing my instrument since I was about three or four. That's when I started banging around on the piano, trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-wolff/i-ve-been-playing-my-instrument-since-i-was-about-three-or-four-that/) [Nat Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-wolff/) > [When I got to high school, to be playing an instrument was really uncool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/when-i-got-to-high-school-to-be-playing-an-instrument-was-really/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) ## More by Nigel Kennedy > [Yes, I mean like you know, having studied with Yehudi Menuhin that is like some direct route into Bach, because he was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/yes-i-mean-like-you-know-having-studied-with-yehudi-menuhin-that-is/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [The Four Seasons was making me popular in Britain, but EMI America had no interest in making that happen in the States, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/the-four-seasons-was-making-me-popular-in-britain-but-emi-america-had/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Even if you're playing Brahms or a Beethoven concerto, you've got to have a different vantage point, slightly, each time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/even-if-you-re-playing-brahms-or-a-beethoven-concerto-you-ve-got-to/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [The Beatles are a classical group because they're classic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/the-beatles-are-a-classical-group-because-they-re-classic/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [You can't learn pathos or profundity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/you-can-t-learn-pathos-or-profundity/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Menuhin was playing Bach on a fantastic spiritual level when he was a teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/menuhin-was-playing-bach-on-a-fantastic-spiritual-level-when-he-was-a/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [I hate complacency. I play every gig as if it could be my last, then I enjoy it more than ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/i-hate-complacency-i-play-every-gig-as-if-it-could-be-my-last-then-i/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [I've learnt new scales through playing different types of music, like Indian raga scales, gipsy scales and harmonically-based jazz scales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/i-ve-learnt-new-scales-through-playing-different-types-of-music-like/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [I think Bach is equally a romantic composer because he laid the seeds harmonically for people like Chopin and the great Romantics, Brahms, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/i-think-bach-is-equally-a-romantic-composer-because-he-laid-the-seeds/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Bach was a top harmonist geezer, which is why the jazz cats love him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/bach-was-a-top-harmonist-geezer-which-is-why-the-jazz-cats-love-him/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [If you do the same thing every night, that's the death of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/if-you-do-the-same-thing-every-night-that-s-the-death-of-music/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [If you're not pushing your own technique to its own limits with the risk that it might just crumble at any moment, then you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/if-you-re-not-pushing-your-own-technique-to-its-own-limits-with-the/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [If you're playing within your capability, what's the point? If you're not pushing your own technique to its own limits with the risk that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/if-you-re-playing-within-your-capability-what-s-the-point-if-you-re/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [I'm always improving and I want to get better and never hit a plateau. I find it an amazing adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/i-m-always-improving-and-i-want-to-get-better-and-never-hit-a-plateau/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Maybe it's egocentric or whatever, but when I'm playing Beethoven, Bach, Hendrix, or whoever it is, in the end, it just feels like my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/maybe-it-s-egocentric-or-whatever-but-when-i-m-playing-beethoven-bach/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) [Explore all 18 Nigel Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) ## More Could quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/) [Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) > [I don't think Joe Louis could take the punches today fighting in this era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-holmes/i-don-t-think-joe-louis-could-take-the-punches-today-fighting-in-this/) [Larry Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-holmes/) > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/if-my-wisdom-could-get-support-from-officials-i-think-society-would/) [Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/) [Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. For some reason, all the advanced courses in philosophy were offered 4:30 to 6:30, so I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-jackson/i-studied-philosophy-and-ended-on-sociology-for-some-reason-all-the/) [Lawrence Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-jackson/) Browse all 8,032 Could quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nigel Kennedy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving-a-stick-when-you-could-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Could" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving-a-stick-when-you-could-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac5/nigel-kennedy-29256_could_why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving_1691619.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?” — Nigel Kennedy", "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": "Nigel Kennedy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why would you want to stand...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving-a-stick-when-you-could-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving-a-stick-when-you-could-be/#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 } } ] } ```