--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started, I'd never had a…" description: "\"When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it.\" — Richard Bonynge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg" --- # When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my… ![“When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it.” quote by Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg) > “When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it.” [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He learned conducting without formal lessons, relying on intuition and self‑confidence. **In simple terms:** Self‑taught conducting. Key Takeaway Trust your instincts. Themes self‑reliance confidence music Mood determined reflective Type inspirational musical When to use this quote - orchestra rehearsal - solo performance - music education - career start Key Concepts intuition learning by doing Questions to Reflect On - How did you compensate for missing technique? - What risks arise from self‑teaching? A Different Perspective Lack of formal training may limit technical depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conducting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducting/) [Conducting Lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducting-lesson-1063399/) [Could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/could/) [Just do it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-do-it/) [Lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [My life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-life/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Conducting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-conducting-1063398/) ## Related quotes > [I did the one concert, and I was not bitten by the conducting bug, and I thought I was done, but then the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/i-did-the-one-concert-and-i-was-not-bitten-by-the-conducting-bug-and/) [Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/) > [I just wish, maybe, that I'd started conducting earlier. I was about 40 when I started. Apart from that I don't really have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-marriner/i-just-wish-maybe-that-i-d-started-conducting-earlier-i-was-about-40/) [Neville Marriner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-marriner/) > [Well, I started conducting kind of by accident. I wanted to give myself a special birthday present for my fortieth birthday, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/well-i-started-conducting-kind-of-by-accident-i-wanted-to-give-myself/) [Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/) > [I started conducting lessons and I realized that this is actually something I like doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/i-started-conducting-lessons-and-i-realized-that-this-is-actually/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [Both of my sons used to coach high school football. When they started, I'd say things I shouldn't have. 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I demonstrated a technique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-jules-henry-nicole/at-the-time-when-i-was-conducting-my-research-there-was-no-known/) [Charles Jules Henry Nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-jules-henry-nicole/) > [I am a muso, and I love doing it. I assumed that would be my career for a long time. I always wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-robert-brown/i-am-a-muso-and-i-love-doing-it-i-assumed-that-would-be-my-career-for/) [Jason Robert Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-robert-brown/) ## More by Richard Bonynge > [Lots of young singers come to me and ask, 'May I sing to you?' I say, 'Yes, you can sing to me as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/lots-of-young-singers-come-to-me-and-ask-may-i-sing-to-you-i-say-yes/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [I am busy all day long. Never bored - I don't know what the word means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/i-am-busy-all-day-long-never-bored-i-don-t-know-what-the-word-means/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [Don't talk to me about Freud. I'll go up the wall!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/don-t-talk-to-me-about-freud-i-ll-go-up-the-wall/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [I'm very fortunate. I've led a charmed life, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/i-m-very-fortunate-i-ve-led-a-charmed-life-i-think/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [I think the air in New York is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/i-think-the-air-in-new-york-is-death/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [I like digging around. I'm a real magpie. 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I don't get tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/i-go-to-bed-at-midnight-and-get-up-at-9-i-never-take-a-nap-i-don-t/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [If I can't do an opera as well as most people, I won't do it at all. I don't want to touch Wagner because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/if-i-can-t-do-an-opera-as-well-as-most-people-i-won-t-do-it-at-all-i/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [I've had a wonderful life - I really didn't expect to have this career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/i-ve-had-a-wonderful-life-i-really-didn-t-expect-to-have-this-career/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [The most important thing for any performer is to know your own weaknesses. 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I remember musicals when they didn't use microphones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/you-go-to-a-musical-you-are-deafened-by-them-with-everything-blown-up/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) > [It takes a big voice a long time to develop properly; the bigger it is, the harder it is to develop the technique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/it-takes-a-big-voice-a-long-time-to-develop-properly-the-bigger-it-is/) [Richard Bonynge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) [Explore all 15 Richard Bonynge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/) ## More Conducting quotes > [I am a muso, and I love doing it. I assumed that would be my career for a long time. 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And I believe that Blair - of whom I have many criticisms - in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/the-kosovo-campaign-was-a-just-and-necessary-war-and-i-believe-that/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I do three things. I do teaching, I do conducting and I do playing. And each one of those sort of helps the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itzhak-perlman/i-do-three-things-i-do-teaching-i-do-conducting-and-i-do-playing-and/) [Itzhak Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/itzhak-perlman/) > [Well, I started conducting kind of by accident. I wanted to give myself a special birthday present for my fortieth birthday, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-mcferrin/well-i-started-conducting-kind-of-by-accident-i-wanted-to-give-myself/) [Bobby McFerrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-mcferrin/) > [ That Iran is willing to threaten Israel is wrong\[. . . .\] We pose no threat and if we are conducting nuclear research and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-larijani/that-iran-is-willing-to-threaten-israel-is-wrong-we-pose-no-threat/) [Ali Larijani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-larijani/) > [While some of them acknowledge the obligation of natural morality in their mode of conducting their cases, and preserve their individual character as gentlemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-combe/while-some-of-them-acknowledge-the-obligation-of-natural-morality-in/) [George Combe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-combe/) > [The 10 or 12 artists I have known really well all my life are at least as competitive as professional athletes. They may express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-10-or-12-artists-i-have-known-really-well-all-my-life-are-at/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Conducting is like making love to a hundred people at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/conducting-is-like-making-love-to-a-hundred-people-at-the-same-time/) [Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/) > [..The argument he was conducting with his neighbor as to whether the English magician had gone mad because he was a magician, or because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/the-argument-he-was-conducting-with-his-neighbor-as-to-whether-the/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) [Browse all 223 Conducting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Bonynge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conducting-lesson-in-my-life-i-could/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conducting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conducting-lesson-in-my-life-i-could/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a92/richard-bonynge-32803_conducting_when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conductin_2501310.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I started, I'd never had a conducting lesson in my life; I could just do it.” — Richard Bonynge", "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": "Richard Bonynge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bonynge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I started, I'd never had...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conducting-lesson-in-my-life-i-could/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bonynge/when-i-started-i-d-never-had-a-conducting-lesson-in-my-life-i-could/#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 } } ] } ```