--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Music is neither old nor modern: it is…" description: "\"Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance whatever. Dates and periods a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/peter-warlock-60156_ageless_music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-ei_219086.jpg" --- # Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad… ![“Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance whatever. Dates and periods are of interest only to the student of musical history. . . . All old music was modern once, and much more of the music of yesterday already sounds…” quote by Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/peter-warlock-60156_ageless_music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-ei_219086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/peter-warlock-60156_ageless_music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-ei_219086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/peter-warlock-60156_ageless_music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-ei_219086.jpg) > “Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance whatever. Dates and periods are of interest only to the student of musical history. . . . All old music was modern once, and much more of the music of yesterday already sounds more old-fashioned than works which were written three centuries ago. All good music, whatever its date, is ageless - as alive and significant today as it was when it was written” [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music’s value lies in its quality, not its era; dates matter only to historians, not to listeners. **In simple terms:** Good music is timeless, regardless of when it was composed. Key Takeaway Judge music by its merit, not its age. Themes timelessness quality historical perspective Mood reflective analytical contemplative Type philosophical critical observational When to use this quote - listening to classics - programming concerts - music education - curating playlists Key Concepts aesthetics cultural relativism Questions to Reflect On - How does knowing a piece’s era affect your enjoyment? - Can a modern piece ever feel timeless? A Different Perspective Historical context can influence perception, even if the music itself is timeless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ageless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageless/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Bad music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-music/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Modern music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Old fashioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-fashioned/) [Old music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-music/) [Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/significance/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [All old music was modern once, and much more of the music of yesterday already sounds more old-fashioned than works which were written three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/all-old-music-was-modern-once-and-much-more-of-the-music-of-yesterday/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-either-good-or-bad-music-and-2/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [What's holding me up is I'm confused about the nature of the music. Because the modern music doesn't reach me. I mean to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-strummer/what-s-holding-me-up-is-i-m-confused-about-the-nature-of-the-music/) [Joe Strummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-strummer/) > [I am quite certain in my heart of hearts that modern music and modern art is not a conspiracy, but is a form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tippett/i-am-quite-certain-in-my-heart-of-hearts-that-modern-music-and-modern/) [Michael Tippett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tippett/) > [The academic area of new music or modern music festivals is not something which attracts me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-bryars/the-academic-area-of-new-music-or-modern-music-festivals-is-not/) [Gavin Bryars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-bryars/) > [There's always been good and bad music. Many composers hide behind modern music in order to not make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepe-romero/there-s-always-been-good-and-bad-music-many-composers-hide-behind/) [Pepe Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepe-romero/) > [It sounds old-fashioned to say, but we have some kind of purpose for being here, not poets or writers, but all of us humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pattiann-rogers/it-sounds-old-fashioned-to-say-but-we-have-some-kind-of-purpose-for/) [Pattiann Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pattiann-rogers/) > [“In his book "Men to boys: The Making of Modern Immaturity", Gary Cross asks simply: "Where have all the men gone?" Like George Will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/in-his-book-men-to-boys-the-making-of-modern-immaturity-gary-cross/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [My music is not modern, it is merely badly played](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schoenberg/my-music-is-not-modern-it-is-merely-badly-played/) [Arnold Schoenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schoenberg/) > [“Just the sounds of an old building settling, I tell myself . . . but I wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/just-the-sounds-of-an-old-building-settling-i-tell-myself-but-i-wonder/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The construction of social housing and the attempt to support families seeking to buy their own homes are all projects from the 1960s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/the-construction-of-social-housing-and-the-attempt-to-support/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [All good music, whatever its date, is ageless - as alive and significant today as it was when it was written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/all-good-music-whatever-its-date-is-ageless-as-alive-and-significant/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [ I'm not making music for old people or young people. \[It's\] for everybody that wants to listen to it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-m-not-making-music-for-old-people-or-young-people-it-s-for/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [I like all kinds of music, be it old Hindi movie songs or English classics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/i-like-all-kinds-of-music-be-it-old-hindi-movie-songs-or-english/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [The first sign of real obsession with music was with an old wind-up gramophone that mum had thrown out into the garage. My parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/the-first-sign-of-real-obsession-with-music-was-with-an-old-wind-up/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) ## More by Peter Warlock > [All good music, whatever its date, is ageless - as alive and significant today as it was when it was written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/all-good-music-whatever-its-date-is-ageless-as-alive-and-significant/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [All old music was modern once, and much more of the music of yesterday already sounds more old-fashioned than works which were written three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/all-old-music-was-modern-once-and-much-more-of-the-music-of-yesterday/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/music-is-neither-old-nor-modern-it-is-either-good-or-bad-music-and-2/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [Dates and periods are of interest only to the student of musical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/dates-and-periods-are-of-interest-only-to-the-student-of-musical/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) [Explore all 5 Peter Warlock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) ## More Ageless quotes > [The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strong. The fittest are those endowed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-smalley/the-survival-of-the-fittest-is-the-ageless-law-of-nature-but-the/) [Dave Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-smalley/) > [My aging body transmits an ageless life stream. Molecular and atomic replacement change life's composition. Molecules take part in structure and in training, countless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/my-aging-body-transmits-an-ageless-life-stream-molecular-and-atomic/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [When I dream, I am ageless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-jane-coatsworth/when-i-dream-i-am-ageless/) [Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-jane-coatsworth/) > [Movies make you immortal and ageless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-scott-thomas/movies-make-you-immortal-and-ageless/) [Kristin Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-scott-thomas/) > [Your inside person doesn’t age. Your inside person is soul, is heart, in the eternal now, the ageless, the old, the young, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-inside-person-doesn-t-age-your-inside-person-is-soul-is-heart-in/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I like to consider myself young at heart and ageless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delisha-milton-jones/i-like-to-consider-myself-young-at-heart-and-ageless/) [DeLisha Milton-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delisha-milton-jones/) > [All good music, whatever its date, is ageless - as alive and significant today as it was when it was written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-warlock/all-good-music-whatever-its-date-is-ageless-as-alive-and-significant/) [Peter Warlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-warlock/) > [The ageless Dennis Wise, now in his thirties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-tyler/the-ageless-dennis-wise-now-in-his-thirties/) [Martin Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-tyler/) > [I feel that beauty and femininity are ageless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-feel-that-beauty-and-femininity-are-ageless/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [Desire, when it stems from the heart and spirit, when it is pure and intense, possesses awesome electromagnetic energy. This energy is released into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/desire-when-it-stems-from-the-heart-and-spirit-when-it-is-pure-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sex and beauty are inseparable, like life and consciousness. And the intelligence which goes with sex and beauty, and arises out of sex and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/sex-and-beauty-are-inseparable-like-life-and-consciousness-and-the/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Inside, we are ageless and when we talk to ourselves, it’s the same age of the person we were talking to when we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/inside-we-are-ageless-and-when-we-talk-to-ourselves-it-s-the-same-age/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [In marriage there are no manners to keep up, and beneath the wildest accusations no real criticism. Each is familiar with that ancient child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enid-bagnold/in-marriage-there-are-no-manners-to-keep-up-and-beneath-the-wildest/) [Enid Bagnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enid-bagnold/) > [“Friendship is ageless. It is the spirit we should like and care for, not the shell that encases it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friendship-is-ageless-it-is-the-spirit-we-should-like-and-care-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/within-every-woman-there-is-a-wild-and-natural-creature-a-powerful/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) [Browse all 69 Ageless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Music is neither old nor modern: it is either good or bad music, and the date at which it was written has no significance whatever. Dates and periods are of interest only to the student of musical history. . . . 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