--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't want to record anything unless it…" description: "\"I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.\" — Renee Fleming" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg" --- # I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and… ![“I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.” quote by Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg) > “I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.” [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only record when the work can be truly great and interesting. **In simple terms:** Create only truly compelling work. Key Takeaway Pursue excellence, not mediocrity. Themes creativity quality authenticity Mood inspired determined Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - music production - writing - visual arts Key Concepts artistic integrity inspiration Questions to Reflect On - What defines 'great' for you? - How do you balance interest and quality? A Different Perspective Perfectionism can hinder output. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Genuinely Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genuinely-interesting-3161250/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record/) [Record Unless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-unless-1617444/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Unless Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-great-269727/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-record/) ## Related quotes > [Most of us have only two or three genuinely interesting moments in our lives; the rest is filler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/most-of-us-have-only-two-or-three-genuinely-interesting-moments-in/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Unless you give yourself to some great cause you haven't even begun to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-merrill/unless-you-give-yourself-to-some-great-cause-you-haven-t-even-begun/) [William P. Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-merrill/) > [I know how to win. You can't win unless you have a great temperament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-know-how-to-win-you-can-t-win-unless-you-have-a-great-temperament/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I don't really feel like you're making a record unless you pay attention to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/i-don-t-really-feel-like-you-re-making-a-record-unless-you-pay/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [It's like you don't know you're making a record unless you're half-killing yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/it-s-like-you-don-t-know-you-re-making-a-record-unless-you-re-half/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [I can't leave the studio until everything is as it should be. And I can't put a record out unless I am completely happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-jenkins/i-can-t-leave-the-studio-until-everything-is-as-it-should-be-and-i/) [Katherine Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-jenkins/) > [Everyone that I work with is a friend. I won't make a record with anyone unless we kick it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/everyone-that-i-work-with-is-a-friend-i-won-t-make-a-record-with/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) > [I want to record the name of Chen Guangbiao in Chinese history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/i-want-to-record-the-name-of-chen-guangbiao-in-chinese-history/) [Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/) > [I want to do a record with Adam Green of all German schlager songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-want-to-do-a-record-with-adam-green-of-all-german-schlager-songs/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [The last thing you want to see is your record sit on a shelf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-kracker/the-last-thing-you-want-to-see-is-your-record-sit-on-a-shelf/) [Uncle Kracker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-kracker/) > [We live in a difficult but inspiring world, and there is so much out there that I want to record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/we-live-in-a-difficult-but-inspiring-world-and-there-is-so-much-out/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [I always said, if I got a record deal, I'd want to record the best songs I could, whether I wrote them or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-swindell/i-always-said-if-i-got-a-record-deal-i-d-want-to-record-the-best/) [Cole Swindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-swindell/) > [I don't want to manipulate actuality; I want to record it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/i-don-t-want-to-manipulate-actuality-i-want-to-record-it/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [All through the kind of late '80s and '90s, every A&R record company man was saying, 'Now what we want is another record like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/all-through-the-kind-of-late-80s-and-90s-every-a-r-record-company-man/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I write all year long, and at the end of the year I pull these forty or fifty things out and say, 'Which of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/i-write-all-year-long-and-at-the-end-of-the-year-i-pull-these-forty/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) ## More by Renee Fleming > [My worry is that opera will become an historic art form as opposed to a living, breathing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-worry-is-that-opera-will-become-an-historic-art-form-as-opposed-to/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [The more you put into it, the more you and the audience will get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/the-more-you-put-into-it-the-more-you-and-the-audience-will-get-out/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Among the important realizations I had in my own days in the practice room was that if any one route to any one phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/among-the-important-realizations-i-had-in-my-own-days-in-the-practice/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I'm not exactly an angry young person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-m-not-exactly-an-angry-young-person/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [“Today, “crossover” has become the golden word of the age. Crossover is based, in fact, on the model used for the development of pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/today-crossover-has-become-the-golden-word-of-the-age-crossover-is/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Your brain has a music room, and evolution would not have gone to the trouble of designing that if it didn't have some benefits.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/your-brain-has-a-music-room-and-evolution-would-not-have-gone-to-the/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I was always a very good student.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-was-always-a-very-good-student/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [“pulled out my Valery Gergiev trump card and said I would have to call him about getting another hotel. There are many ways in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/pulled-out-my-valery-gergiev-trump-card-and-said-i-would-have-to-call/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I listen to archival and historic recordings. I love watching singers. I learned a lot from watching videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-listen-to-archival-and-historic-recordings-i-love-watching-singers/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Music enabled me as a fragile young person to give voice to emotions I could barely name, and how it enables me to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/music-enabled-me-as-a-fragile-young-person-to-give-voice-to-emotions/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Well, any time Im preparing for a performance or even a rehearsal, its as if in a way, like any other athletes, these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/well-any-time-im-preparing-for-a-performance-or-even-a-rehearsal-its/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Some of my first teachers were incredibly tough. You could never sing more than three words without being stopped and having to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/some-of-my-first-teachers-were-incredibly-tough-you-could-never-sing/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [It is always fragile, being a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/it-is-always-fragile-being-a-parent/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [Opera is really fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/opera-is-really-fun/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [My philosophy is that the people around us are there doing as much work if not more work behind the scenes and they're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-philosophy-is-that-the-people-around-us-are-there-doing-as-much/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) [Explore all 95 Renee Fleming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) [Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Renee Fleming" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-it-can-be-great-and-genuinely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anything" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-it-can-be-great-and-genuinely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c6/renee-fleming-7065_anything_i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-i_2931206.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't want to record anything unless it can be great and genuinely interesting.” — Renee Fleming", "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": "Renee Fleming", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't want to record anything...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-it-can-be-great-and-genuinely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/i-don-t-want-to-record-anything-unless-it-can-be-great-and-genuinely/#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 } } ] } ```