--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a kid, I felt like I could do…" description: "\"When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. And then, once I started to play music professionally..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/patty-schemel-33019_big-fish_when-i-was-a-kid-i-felt-like-i-could-do_2789859.jpg" --- # When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play… ![“When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. And then, once I started to play music professionally, maybe it's from being from a small town, but you grow up and then you're suddenly a big fish in a small pond, and I realized that there were a…” quote by Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/patty-schemel-33019_big-fish_when-i-was-a-kid-i-felt-like-i-could-do_2789859.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/patty-schemel-33019_big-fish_when-i-was-a-kid-i-felt-like-i-could-do_2789859.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/patty-schemel-33019_big-fish_when-i-was-a-kid-i-felt-like-i-could-do_2789859.jpg) > “When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. And then, once I started to play music professionally, maybe it's from being from a small town, but you grow up and then you're suddenly a big fish in a small pond, and I realized that there were a billion other drummers out there that could play as good as you or better, and everybody wants that job.” [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early confidence fades when faced with competition, revealing the vast talent pool. **In simple terms:** Childhood confidence meets reality of many skilled peers. Key Takeaway Stay humble and keep improving. Themes confidence competition growth music career Mood hopeful realistic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - musician auditions - career planning - skill development Key Concepts psychology industry dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain confidence amid competition? - What strategies help you stand out? A Different Perspective Overconfidence may lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) [Drummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drummer/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [I love to go see live music. That used to be what I would do, almost every other night, and watch drummers play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/i-love-to-go-see-live-music-that-used-to-be-what-i-would-do-almost/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [Drummers - sometimes they play and they listen. And that little listen takes a speck away from the right tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/drummers-sometimes-they-play-and-they-listen-and-that-little-listen/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [You'd be surprised. Drummers ape each other. The way every rock n' roll record sounds like something else but not all together. Everything other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/you-d-be-surprised-drummers-ape-each-other-the-way-every-rock-n-roll/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [I've not been able to avoid periods of time where I felt super-lonely. Luckily, I have a side that is able to always see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/i-ve-not-been-able-to-avoid-periods-of-time-where-i-felt-super-lonely/) [Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/) > [I never really felt super-Texan. It wasn't like I was unhappy, but I wasn't superhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/win-butler/i-never-really-felt-super-texan-it-wasn-t-like-i-was-unhappy-but-i/) [Win Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/win-butler/) > [Having an opportunity to sit down with Directors, Actors, Musicians, Writers and Composers to talk about their relationship with music, both professionally and personally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-bowman/having-an-opportunity-to-sit-down-with-directors-actors-musicians/) [Edith Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-bowman/) > [I didn't think it would be possible for me to do music professionally. I was afraid to speak up and say I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid/i-didn-t-think-it-would-be-possible-for-me-to-do-music-professionally/) [Sigrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid/) > [I've been playing music professionally, full time since 1980 when I graduated college at the age of 22.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-ve-been-playing-music-professionally-full-time-since-1980-when-i/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [I started making music professionally when I was 14. I did songs on that program GarageBand, and then I'd put demos up on MySpace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sky-ferreira/i-started-making-music-professionally-when-i-was-14-i-did-songs-on/) [Sky Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sky-ferreira/) > [No one pursued music professionally in my family but they are all music lovers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/borns/no-one-pursued-music-professionally-in-my-family-but-they-are-all/) [Borns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/borns/) > [It is completely a God thing that I am here today because for the first 17 years of my life, I never thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/it-is-completely-a-god-thing-that-i-am-here-today-because-for-the/) [Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/) > [There was a time when I thought I would try to pursue music professionally. But at the same time, I was also working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-russ/there-was-a-time-when-i-thought-i-would-try-to-pursue-music/) [Tim Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-russ/) > [I started making music professionally when I was 14.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sky-ferreira/i-started-making-music-professionally-when-i-was-14/) [Sky Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sky-ferreira/) > [Nobody in my family plays music professionally, but I definitely grew up around the culture of when my parents got together, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-doyle-kennedy/nobody-in-my-family-plays-music-professionally-but-i-definitely-grew/) [Maria Doyle Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-doyle-kennedy/) > [I am a storyteller, and I grew up with a father who told big-fish stories, so storytelling is very much a part of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stroman/i-am-a-storyteller-and-i-grew-up-with-a-father-who-told-big-fish/) [Susan Stroman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stroman/) ## More by Patty Schemel > [You've really got to keep on improving and improving and improving. It still involves work. It's not like you get to a point, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/you-ve-really-got-to-keep-on-improving-and-improving-and-improving-it/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [The drums are what drives the whole thing. It's the backbone of the song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/the-drums-are-what-drives-the-whole-thing-it-s-the-backbone-of-the/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [You don't really think that things will ever get better, but they do. People always ask me, "What would you say to gay teen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/you-don-t-really-think-that-things-will-ever-get-better-but-they-do/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [No one really listens to the drums, I don't think. They're there, but it's not a conscious thing to listen to. Everyone listens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/no-one-really-listens-to-the-drums-i-don-t-think-they-re-there-but-it/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [I feel like I'm 11 again, with my drums. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad. I'm just playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/i-feel-like-i-m-11-again-with-my-drums-it-doesn-t-matter-if-it-s-good/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [I always wanted to play music, and always loved it. I saw a band come to school, when I was in elementary school, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/i-always-wanted-to-play-music-and-always-loved-it-i-saw-a-band-come/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [For a person that's on tour, the environment is difficult. I don't want to come off sounding like, "Oh, it's so hard!," but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/for-a-person-that-s-on-tour-the-environment-is-difficult-i-don-t-want/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [I love to go see live music. That used to be what I would do, almost every other night, and watch drummers play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/i-love-to-go-see-live-music-that-used-to-be-what-i-would-do-almost/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [To play the drums, you have to spread your legs and use your arms. It's a very physical instrument to play. It's not feminine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/to-play-the-drums-you-have-to-spread-your-legs-and-use-your-arms-it-s/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [It's uncomfortable, definitely, but it's also really, really great to talk drums with kids and hear them get excited about music and talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/it-s-uncomfortable-definitely-but-it-s-also-really-really-great-to/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [Nowadays, there's a lot more that comes before music, that I need to take care of before I can sit down and play, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/nowadays-there-s-a-lot-more-that-comes-before-music-that-i-need-to/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [Talking about music and talking about drums brings me back to my beginning and the simplicity, and the excitement about trying to play something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/talking-about-music-and-talking-about-drums-brings-me-back-to-my/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [For people that are in recovery, you really need to stick by your boundaries. It's hard because you're sharing this space and this experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/for-people-that-are-in-recovery-you-really-need-to-stick-by-your/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) > [It's always inspiring to watch live music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-schemel/it-s-always-inspiring-to-watch-live-music/) [Patty Schemel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) [Explore all 15 Patty Schemel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-schemel/) ## More Big fish quotes > [I am a storyteller, and I grew up with a father who told big-fish stories, so storytelling is very much a part of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stroman/i-am-a-storyteller-and-i-grew-up-with-a-father-who-told-big-fish/) [Susan Stroman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stroman/) > [They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wallace/they-say-when-you-meet-the-love-of-your-life-time-stops-and-that-s/) [Daniel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wallace/) > [“Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time, we were young Our dreams hung like apples Waiting to be picked and peeled And hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-l-koyczan/remember-how-we-forgot-once-upon-a-time-we-were-young-our-dreams-hung/) Shane L. Koyczan > [I'm a big fish eater. Salmon - I love salmon. My sister loves Chinese food and sushi and all that. I'm not as big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/i-m-a-big-fish-eater-salmon-i-love-salmon-my-sister-loves-chinese/) [Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/) > [Big fish eat small fish with as much right as they have power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/big-fish-eat-small-fish-with-as-much-right-as-they-have-power/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I'm never sure one is exactly ready. You jump in, with both feet, into a very big fish pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/i-m-never-sure-one-is-exactly-ready-you-jump-in-with-both-feet-into-a/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [Captains who fish for compliments are limited to shallow shores. You'll catch big fish in deep waters by opening more doors than you close!~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-compton/captains-who-fish-for-compliments-are-limited-to-shallow-shores-you/) [Bobby Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-compton/) > [“At the Fishhouses Although it is a cold evening, down by one of the fishhouses an old man sits netting, his net, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/at-the-fishhouses-although-it-is-a-cold-evening-down-by-one-of-the/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [The storms come and go, the waves crash overhead, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling. (Varys)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-storms-come-and-go-the-waves-crash-overhead-the-big-fish-eat-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Big fishes need big baits..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/big-fishes-need-big-baits/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Lesson number one: “Not my problem” is not a philosophy. It’s a mental illness. Right up there with pessimism. Other people’s problems are our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/lesson-number-one-not-my-problem-is-not-a-philosophy-it-s-a-mental/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [I flung open the door. I got a momentary flash of about a hundred and fifteen cats of all sizes and colours scrapping in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-flung-open-the-door-i-got-a-momentary-flash-of-about-a-hundred-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a huge 'Nightmare before Christmas' fan, but that was also Henry Selick. I'm a really big fan of 'Sleepy Hollow.' I love 'Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-leth/i-m-a-huge-nightmare-before-christmas-fan-but-that-was-also-henry/) [Kate Leth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-leth/) > [Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let's be honest. A man who catches a big fish doesn't go home through an alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/bragging-is-not-an-attractive-trait-but-let-s-be-honest-a-man-who/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [The finest gift you can give to any fisherman is to put a good fish back, and who knows if the fish that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wulff/the-finest-gift-you-can-give-to-any-fisherman-is-to-put-a-good-fish/) [Lee Wulff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wulff/) [Browse all 89 Big fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. 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