--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know that I make a big…" description: "\"I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big pieces and the little pieces, because I don't experience them in that way. I mean, by the sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/philip-glass-14533_band_i-don-t-know-that-i-make-a-big-distincti_2093005.jpg" --- # I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big… ![“I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big pieces and the little pieces, because I don't experience them in that way. I mean, by the same token, you're out touring with a band and then you're writing string quartets, and in a funny way, isn't it all the same, in a way? It's all…” quote by Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/philip-glass-14533_band_i-don-t-know-that-i-make-a-big-distincti_2093005.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/philip-glass-14533_band_i-don-t-know-that-i-make-a-big-distincti_2093005.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/philip-glass-14533_band_i-don-t-know-that-i-make-a-big-distincti_2093005.jpg) > “I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big pieces and the little pieces, because I don't experience them in that way. I mean, by the same token, you're out touring with a band and then you're writing string quartets, and in a funny way, isn't it all the same, in a way? It's all just music.” [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All musical forms are interconnected; distinctions between big and small pieces are irrelevant. **In simple terms:** All music is fundamentally the same. Key Takeaway Recognize unity across artistic expressions. Themes music unity creativity artistic perspective interdisciplinary Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical musical When to use this quote - band touring - composing - teaching - collaborative projects Key Concepts holistic perception creative synthesis Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing music as one affect your creative process? - Can this perspective limit appreciation of genre specifics? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizing may ignore nuanced differences in form. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Band Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band-writing-269917/) [Big Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-pieces-283220/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Distinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinction/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Little Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-pieces-246592/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Pieces Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces-little-4145728/) [Quartets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quartets/) [String quartets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/string-quartets/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Tokens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tokens/) [Touring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touring/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [But the difference between the little pieces and the big pieces - I'm not actually sure which are the little pieces. With some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/but-the-difference-between-the-little-pieces-and-the-big-pieces-i-m/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I suppose subconsciously I was thinking in terms of having the scale of it matching the scale of the images. Hence the sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-greenwood/i-suppose-subconsciously-i-was-thinking-in-terms-of-having-the-scale/) [Jonny Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-greenwood/) > [There was one thing Beethoven didn't do. When one of his string quartets was played, you can believe the second violin wasn't improvising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/there-was-one-thing-beethoven-didn-t-do-when-one-of-his-string/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I would like to hear Elliot Carter's Fourth String Quartet, if only to discover what a cranky prostate does to one's polyphony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sellars/i-would-like-to-hear-elliot-carter-s-fourth-string-quartet-if-only-to/) [James Sellars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sellars/) > [Part of me is probably more conservative than people realise. I like my old string quartets, I don't like music that's trippy for trippy's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/part-of-me-is-probably-more-conservative-than-people-realise-i-like/) [Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/) > [A Beethoven string-quartet is truly, as some one has said, a scraping of horses' tails on cats' bowels, and may be exhaustively described in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/a-beethoven-string-quartet-is-truly-as-some-one-has-said-a-scraping/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [A noble space, unlike any other of our time, for it is both strong and delicate. It seems to call at once for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goldberger/a-noble-space-unlike-any-other-of-our-time-for-it-is-both-strong-and/) [Paul Goldberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goldberger/) > [I realized very early that I was never going to make by living by writing string quartets. But I wanted to write music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodney-bennett/i-realized-very-early-that-i-was-never-going-to-make-by-living-by/) [Richard Rodney Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodney-bennett/) > [The pieces that have survived, the ones that we all love, were not all popular in their time. Just look at Beethoven's late string…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-finckel/the-pieces-that-have-survived-the-ones-that-we-all-love-were-not-all/) [David Finckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-finckel/) > [The Detroit String Quartet played Brahms last night. Brahms lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/the-detroit-string-quartet-played-brahms-last-night-brahms-lost/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) > [The great thing about string quartets is the players are kind of like family. They work really well as a unit, so you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-riley/the-great-thing-about-string-quartets-is-the-players-are-kind-of-like/) [Terry Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-riley/) > [Beethoven's string quartets express pain itself; it is not MY pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/beethoven-s-string-quartets-express-pain-itself-it-is-not-my-pain/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The most perfect expression of human behavior is a string quartet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tate/the-most-perfect-expression-of-human-behavior-is-a-string-quartet/) [Jeffrey Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tate/) > [One is that you have to take time, lots of time, to let an idea grow from within. The second is that when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/one-is-that-you-have-to-take-time-lots-of-time-to-let-an-idea-grow/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [“Some people write string quartets, some grow lettuce and tomatoes. There have to be a few who build railroad stations,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-write-string-quartets-some-grow-lettuce-and-tomatoes/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Philip Glass > [I, as a young guy getting out of music school, I didn't like the prospect of spending my life writing music for about 200 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-as-a-young-guy-getting-out-of-music-school-i-didn-t-like-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [My biggest problem about writing is whenever I write piano pieces, because I then have to learn to play them, which is sometimes not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/my-biggest-problem-about-writing-is-whenever-i-write-piano-pieces/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [In order to arrive at a personal style, you have to have a technique to begin with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/in-order-to-arrive-at-a-personal-style-you-have-to-have-a-technique/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I think it's a great handicap to be discovered at an early age. I didn't have that burden of early success. I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-think-it-s-a-great-handicap-to-be-discovered-at-an-early-age-i-didn/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't know what I'm doing and it's the not knowing that makes it interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-and-it-s-the-not-knowing-that-makes-it/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [It takes about a year to write an opera for me, but not a really a year of writing. I'm touring at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/it-takes-about-a-year-to-write-an-opera-for-me-but-not-a-really-a/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I don't think I'm capable of making radical changes, but over a period of four or five years you can perceive very big changes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-don-t-think-i-m-capable-of-making-radical-changes-but-over-a-period/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [You practice and you get better. It's very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/you-practice-and-you-get-better-it-s-very-simple/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [ The generation of composers that are just preceded me, people like \[Karlheinz\] Stockhausen, \[Pierre\] Boulez, and, well, \[John\] Cage for that matter,\[Morton\] Feldman ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-generation-of-composers-that-are-just-preceded-me-people-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The hardest thing about traveling is that mostly you get to a point - and it always happens on every tour - where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-hardest-thing-about-traveling-is-that-mostly-you-get-to-a-point/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I travel the world, and I'm happy to say that America is still the great melting pot - maybe a chunky stew rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-travel-the-world-and-i-m-happy-to-say-that-america-is-still-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [Traditions are imploding and exploding everywhere - everything is coming together, for better or worse, and we can no longer pretend we're all living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/traditions-are-imploding-and-exploding-everywhere-everything-is/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [The work I've done is the work I know, and the work I do is the work I don't know. I don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/the-work-i-ve-done-is-the-work-i-know-and-the-work-i-do-is-the-work-i/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I'd say it's just part of the world that we live in; it's part of the music world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-d-say-it-s-just-part-of-the-world-that-we-live-in-it-s-part-of-the/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [There's almost no content in terms of language at all. I don't like using language to convey meaning. I'd rather use images and music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/there-s-almost-no-content-in-terms-of-language-at-all-i-don-t-like/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) [Explore all 46 Philip Glass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) [Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know that I make a big distinction between the big pieces and the little pieces, because I don't experience them in that way. I mean, by the same token, you're out touring with a band and then you're writing string quartets, and in a funny way, isn't it all the same, in a way? 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