--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By the time I was eight I was taking…" description: "\"By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work out. I graduated from high scho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/nina-simone-3396_concerts_by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-cla_657334.png" --- # By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano… ![“By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work out. I graduated from high school and my formal education ended.” quote by Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/nina-simone-3396_concerts_by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-cla_657334.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/nina-simone-3396_concerts_by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-cla_657334.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/nina-simone-3396_concerts_by-the-time-i-was-eight-i-was-taking-cla_657334.png) > “By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work out. I graduated from high school and my formal education ended.” [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early aspirations can shift when reality intervenes, leading to new paths beyond original dreams. **In simple terms:** Dreams may change as life unfolds. Key Takeaway Embrace new directions when plans change. Themes adaptation resilience identity career growth Mood reflective hopeful determined Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - career change - artistic pursuits - education decisions - personal reinvention Key Concepts self‑actualization life transitions skill development Questions to Reflect On - How do you redefine success after a setback? - What new passions emerged from that change? A Different Perspective Not all ambitions are attainable; external factors may limit original goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Formal education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formal-education/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Pianist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pianist/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Piano lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano-lessons/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [I am neither a lawyer nor a tax expert, in fact my formal education ended when I finished high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-saban/i-am-neither-a-lawyer-nor-a-tax-expert-in-fact-my-formal-education/) [Haim Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-saban/) > [Some people do piano lessons after school; I do movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/some-people-do-piano-lessons-after-school-i-do-movies/) [Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/) > [I always wanted to be a musician, 100 percent, my whole life. I went to school, I did music theory, I did voice training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adria-petty/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-musician-100-percent-my-whole-life-i-went-to/) [Adria Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adria-petty/) > [I feel like I always had a yin and yang experience with music. I've always been able to rock out, and then I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/son-lux/i-feel-like-i-always-had-a-yin-and-yang-experience-with-music-i-ve/) Son Lux > [I had piano lessons at five and started guitar at ten, but although music and acting was always around me, my parents never pressured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micky-dolenz/i-had-piano-lessons-at-five-and-started-guitar-at-ten-but-although/) [Micky Dolenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micky-dolenz/) > [My family is very musical, I was surrounded by it. And from four years old I was the one that asked my mother could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-family-is-very-musical-i-was-surrounded-by-it-and-from-four-years/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [I took piano lessons when I was younger and I've been trying to learn how to play the guitar recently. I'd really like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-hudgens/i-took-piano-lessons-when-i-was-younger-and-i-ve-been-trying-to-learn/) [Vanessa Hudgens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-hudgens/) > [At school there were some programs in music. I did take piano lessons, and we had a piano at home. I got very interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-school-there-were-some-programs-in-music-i-did-take-piano-lessons/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [At one point I had dreams of being in the school band, but I didn't play an instrument that qualified me, and that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/at-one-point-i-had-dreams-of-being-in-the-school-band-but-i-didn-t/) [Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/) > [I took classical piano lessons from the age of five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-van-halen/i-took-classical-piano-lessons-from-the-age-of-five/) [Eddie Van Halen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-van-halen/) > [I met my wife when we were both 19 or 20, at a music school where she was taking voice and piano lessons and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/i-met-my-wife-when-we-were-both-19-or-20-at-a-music-school-where-she/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-van-halen/i-never-took-guitar-lessons-i-took-classical-piano-lessons-from-the/) [Eddie Van Halen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-van-halen/) > [Kylie and I were both taking piano lessons at the time and didn't think of acting. A friend rang mum up and said, 'How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dannii-minogue/kylie-and-i-were-both-taking-piano-lessons-at-the-time-and-didn-t/) [Dannii Minogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dannii-minogue/) > [I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-glad-my-mother-didn-t-let-me-quit-piano-lessons-at-age-10/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [I want to take piano lessons, I want to study at university, I want to travel, I want to do other parts, make another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-want-to-take-piano-lessons-i-want-to-study-at-university-i-want-to/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) ## More by Nina Simone > [Music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel... through music...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/music-is-one-of-the-ways-by-which-you-can-know-everything-which-is/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [My love is like the wind and wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress, satisfy my hungriness. Let the wind blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/my-love-is-like-the-wind-and-wild-is-the-wind-give-me-more-than-one/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I can't stand loud guitars that make me deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-can-t-stand-loud-guitars-that-make-me-deaf/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-don-t-like-to-go-to-strange-places-i-was-in-italy-for-about-five/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [We have ordered things so long in a certain way, we are numb. Nobody dares question it. This is what is wrong, symbolically, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/we-have-ordered-things-so-long-in-a-certain-way-we-are-numb-nobody/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I wasn't a jazz player, but a classical musician, and I improvised arrangements of popular songs using classical motifs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-wasn-t-a-jazz-player-but-a-classical-musician-and-i-improvised/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-think-the-rich-will-eventually-have-to-cave-in-too-because-the/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [There's no excuse for the young...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/there-s-no-excuse-for-the-young/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Everything that happened to me as a child involved music. It was part of everyday life, as automatic as breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/everything-that-happened-to-me-as-a-child-involved-music-it-was-part/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/when-i-was-studying-there-weren-t-any-black-concert-pianists-my/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [You have to learn to get up from the table when love is not being served.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/you-have-to-learn-to-get-up-from-the-table-when-love-is-not-being/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [That's a very high goal to have, study eight hours a day to be a concert pianist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/that-s-a-very-high-goal-to-have-study-eight-hours-a-day-to-be-a/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that was written for Simone, she confronted the band's lead singer, Eric Burdon. "So you're the honky,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/don-t-let-me-be-misunderstood-a-song-that-was-written-for-simone-she/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [This is the world you have made yourself, now you have to live in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/this-is-the-world-you-have-made-yourself-now-you-have-to-live-in-it/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-ll-tell-you-what-freedom-is-to-me-no-fear-i-mean-really-no-fear/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) [Explore all 132 Nina Simone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) ## More Concerts quotes > [The live concert industry has become corporate-ized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perry-farrell/the-live-concert-industry-has-become-corporate-ized/) [Perry Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perry-farrell/) > [I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-still-get-nervous-about-singing-i-drink-tea-with-honey-and-lemon/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [In fact, when Jaan wanted to be a part of some of my live concerts, I let him join me for a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-sanu/in-fact-when-jaan-wanted-to-be-a-part-of-some-of-my-live-concerts-i/) [Kumar Sanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-sanu/) > [Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks which still isn't that important, but again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/well-a-lot-of-our-concerts-do-okay-and-i-know-we-still-get-royalty/) [Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/) > [Britain has the IRA and no one cancels concerts there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-osbourne/britain-has-the-ira-and-no-one-cancels-concerts-there/) [Sharon Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-osbourne/) > [Congratulations to each and every one of you for the concert last night in New York and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/congratulations-to-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-the-concert-last/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/) [Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/) > [I've always said about 50% of what happens at a concert has to do with the audience. If you play for a dead audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/i-ve-always-said-about-50-of-what-happens-at-a-concert-has-to-do-with/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [My first concert isn't that cool or ironic. I wish it had been like, "My first concert was the Backstreet Boys," but the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kroll/my-first-concert-isn-t-that-cool-or-ironic-i-wish-it-had-been-like-my/) [Nick Kroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kroll/) > [Since it is impossible for the people spontaneously and universally, to move in concert towards their object; and it is therefore essential, that such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/since-it-is-impossible-for-the-people-spontaneously-and-universally/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Of course we're still having the concert. Don't let a little rain ruin your night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-dee-messina/of-course-we-re-still-having-the-concert-don-t-let-a-little-rain-ruin/) [Jo Dee Messina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-dee-messina/) > [I like to go to concerts because I love to see my favorite band through the phone of the asshole who's standing in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-like-to-go-to-concerts-because-i-love-to-see-my-favorite-band/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [The reader's impression is one of a dream - the only thing that's left upon waking is the memory of a melody at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/the-reader-s-impression-is-one-of-a-dream-the-only-thing-that-s-left/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [My ex-wife was trying to be nice once, so she took me to a concert in Los Angeles. I went with her to Symphony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/my-ex-wife-was-trying-to-be-nice-once-so-she-took-me-to-a-concert-in/) [B. B. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-b-king/) > [Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-taylor/do-not-have-your-concert-first-and-then-tune-your-instrument/) [Hudson Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hudson-taylor/) [Browse all 988 Concerts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work out. 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