--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I demand perfection in what I do, and I…" description: "\"I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.\" — Nina Simone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png" --- # I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard… ![“I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.” quote by Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png) > “I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.” [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. She emphasizes relentless practice and high standards as essential to performance excellence. **In simple terms:** Hard work and perfectionism lead to great concerts. Key Takeaway Practice intensively and demand excellence. Themes discipline perfectionism music performance dedication Mood determined focused intense Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - concert preparation - daily practice - skill refinement - career development Key Concepts musical mastery work ethic self‑expectation audience impact Questions to Reflect On - What limits does perfectionism impose on creativity? - How can you sustain intense practice healthily? A Different Perspective Extreme practice may cause burnout or limit spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Playing a concert for 2 hours is pie. I would do that every minute of every day if I could. I love to perform.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/playing-a-concert-for-2-hours-is-pie-i-would-do-that-every-minute-of/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [No good work whatever can be perfect, and the demand for perfection is always a sign of a misunderstanding of the ends of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/no-good-work-whatever-can-be-perfect-and-the-demand-for-perfection-is-2/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Sometimes human always demand perfection without never see the reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-human-always-demand-perfection-without-never-see-the-reality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you demand perfection within yourself, you become more fallible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/when-you-demand-perfection-within-yourself-you-become-more-fallible/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [In a fallen world, if you demand perfection or nothing, you will always get nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/in-a-fallen-world-if-you-demand-perfection-or-nothing-you-will-always/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [“If you demand perfection or nothing, you will always end up with nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/if-you-demand-perfection-or-nothing-you-will-always-end-up-with/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“You clean and organize; you demand perfection—did you ever wonder why?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/you-clean-and-organize-you-demand-perfection-did-you-ever-wonder-why/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [People tell me I'm a perfectionist. They tell me I'm too extreme and that I work too hard. I tell them, that is all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/people-tell-me-i-m-a-perfectionist-they-tell-me-i-m-too-extreme-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [Love doesn't demand perfection, but it does ask you to give yourself with less reserve than you'd prefer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-moore/love-doesn-t-demand-perfection-but-it-does-ask-you-to-give-yourself/) [Thomas Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-moore/) > [There is no better news than that the God who makes the demand for perfection also meets the demand for perfection on our behalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/there-is-no-better-news-than-that-the-god-who-makes-the-demand-for/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) > [Perfectionists demand perfection from themselves first and foremost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/perfectionists-demand-perfection-from-themselves-first-and-foremost/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Demand perfection of yourself and you'll seldom attain it. Fear of making a mistake is the biggest single cause of making one. Relax -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-winter/demand-perfection-of-yourself-and-you-ll-seldom-attain-it-fear-of/) Lloyd Winter > [Like I said, repetition in practice and hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/like-i-said-repetition-in-practice-and-hard-work/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I try to practice hard every week, so when I get a chance to go in the game I play hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/i-try-to-practice-hard-every-week-so-when-i-get-a-chance-to-go-in-the/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Study hard, practice hard, play ferociously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/study-hard-practice-hard-play-ferociously/) [John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/) ## 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": "I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nina Simone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-practice-very-hard-before-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Concerts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-practice-very-hard-before-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nina-simone-3396_concerts_i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-p_368858.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six…” — Nina Simone", "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": "Nina Simone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I demand perfection in what I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-practice-very-hard-before-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/i-demand-perfection-in-what-i-do-and-i-practice-very-hard-before-i/#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 } } ] } ```