---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's probable that in the artistic…"
description: "\"It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.\" — Olivier Messiaen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg"
---

#  It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the…

![“It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.” quote by Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg)

> “It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.”

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker suggests birds may be the ultimate musicians, embodying natural harmony and complex song.

**In simple terms:** Birds could be the best musicians on Earth.

Key Takeaway

Listen to natural sounds for inspiration.

Themes

nature music creativity

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

philosophical artistic

When to use this quote

- birdwatching
- sound design
- environmental education

Key Concepts

bioacoustics aesthetic theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What can human composers learn from birds?
- How does natural music influence art?

A Different Perspective

Human music also has unique cultural value.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Birds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birds/) [Hierarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hierarchy/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/)

## Related quotes

> [Birds are the first and the greatest performers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/birds-are-the-first-and-the-greatest-performers/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [I can't really say enough about Chris Potter. He is one of the greatest musicians I have ever known, and every second I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-can-t-really-say-enough-about-chris-potter-he-is-one-of-the/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [I'm fortunate enough to socialize with some of the greatest musicians around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/i-m-fortunate-enough-to-socialize-with-some-of-the-greatest-musicians/)

[Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/)

> [I met Gary (Burton) at the Wichita Jazz Festival when I was 18 -- he was one of my favorite musicians and I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-met-gary-burton-at-the-wichita-jazz-festival-when-i-was-18-he-was/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [Many of our greatest musicians abandoned all of their aesthetic objectives to try to become pertinent. And, at the end of the day, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/many-of-our-greatest-musicians-abandoned-all-of-their-aesthetic/)

[Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/)

> [John Coltrane is still probably one of the greatest musicians of this century. His tone truly puts demons on a leash. His gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/john-coltrane-is-still-probably-one-of-the-greatest-musicians-of-this/)

[Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/)

> [I’ve worked with such legendary guitar players as Allan Holdsworth, Ronnie Montrose, Eric Clapton, Lowell George and Steve Vai, but none of them come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-templeman/i-ve-worked-with-such-legendary-guitar-players-as-allan-holdsworth/)

Ted Templeman

> [“One way or another, we spend our whole lives being conditioned into accepting some line or order, some position of domination or subjection. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-james/one-way-or-another-we-spend-our-whole-lives-being-conditioned-into/)

[Cliff James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-james/)

> [“The lowly have small ambitions, and are satisfied with small indulgences. They need not get fair treatment. They need only think that they do... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-lowly-have-small-ambitions-and-are-satisfied-with-small/)

[Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/)

> [Once you have hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/once-you-have-hierarchy-you-need-rules-to-protect-and-administer-it/)

[William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/)

> [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [The entire hierarchy of angels can best be described as an endlessly vast sphere of beings, who surround an unknowable centre-point, which is called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-godwin/the-entire-hierarchy-of-angels-can-best-be-described-as-an-endlessly/)

[Malcolm Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-godwin/)

> [In the hierarchy of the family, I'm just above the dog. But I like it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-voigt/in-the-hierarchy-of-the-family-i-m-just-above-the-dog-but-i-like-it/)

[Jens Voigt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-voigt/)

> [Love is the supreme form of communication. In the hierarchy of needs, love stands as the supreme developing agent of the humanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/love-is-the-supreme-form-of-communication-in-the-hierarchy-of-needs/)

[Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/)

> [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/)

[Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/)

## More by Olivier Messiaen

> [I give bird songs to those who dwell in cities and have never heard them, make rhythms for those who know only military marches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/i-give-bird-songs-to-those-who-dwell-in-cities-and-have-never-heard/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [A true music, that is to say, spiritual, a music which may be an act of faith; a music which may touch upon all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/a-true-music-that-is-to-say-spiritual-a-music-which-may-be-an-act-of/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [Birds are the first and the greatest performers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/birds-are-the-first-and-the-greatest-performers/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [My faith is the grand drama of my life. I'm a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/my-faith-is-the-grand-drama-of-my-life-i-m-a-believer-so-i-sing-words/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [The human being is flesh and consciousness, body and soul; his heart is an abyss which can only be filled by that which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/the-human-being-is-flesh-and-consciousness-body-and-soul-his-heart-is/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [No one should be allowed to make music as if he were made of wood. One must reproduce the musical text exactly, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/no-one-should-be-allowed-to-make-music-as-if-he-were-made-of-wood-one/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

> [My faith is the grand drama of my life. I'm a believer, so I sing words of God to those who have no faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/my-faith-is-the-grand-drama-of-my-life-i-m-a-believer-so-i-sing-words-2/)

[Olivier Messiaen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

[Explore all 8 Olivier Messiaen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

Taf Teh

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Olivier Messiaen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hierarchy-birds-are-the-greatest/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hierarchy-birds-are-the-greatest/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/olivier-messiaen-48831_art_it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hiera_1119794.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's probable that in the artistic hierarchy birds are the greatest musicians existing on our planet.” — Olivier Messiaen",
                "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": "Olivier Messiaen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-messiaen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's probable that in the artistic...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hierarchy-birds-are-the-greatest/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-messiaen/it-s-probable-that-in-the-artistic-hierarchy-birds-are-the-greatest/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
