--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I certainly think that my music is a…" description: "\"I certainly think that my music is a response to my experience as a person who doesn't identify as straight, as a person who grew up American.\" — Rosta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg" --- # I certainly think that my music is a response to my… ![“I certainly think that my music is a response to my experience as a person who doesn't identify as straight, as a person who grew up American.” quote by Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg) > “I certainly think that my music is a response to my experience as a person who doesn't identify as straight, as a person who grew up American.” [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist frames his music as a personal response to his non‑heterosexual identity and American upbringing. **In simple terms:** Music reflects personal identity. Key Takeaway Create art that expresses authentic self. Themes identity music culture self‑expression Mood introspective empowering Type personal artistic When to use this quote - songwriting - public performances - interviews Key Concepts LGBTQ+ experience American life artistic authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How does personal identity shape creative work? - What role does culture play in artistic expression? A Different Perspective May simplify complex experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Grew American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-american-725267/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-response-5846124/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Response Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response-experience-5293177/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Straight Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-person-1227214/) [Think Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-music/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [Patience lives in the gap between our experience of an event and our response to that experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-lokos/patience-lives-in-the-gap-between-our-experience-of-an-event-and-our/) [Allan Lokos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-lokos/) > [You know, I grew up in two American internment camps, and at that time I was very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/you-know-i-grew-up-in-two-american-internment-camps-and-at-that-time/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [To begin with, I've always known that I was a little bit different. And, I have a lot of relatives who own farms. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fowler/to-begin-with-i-ve-always-known-that-i-was-a-little-bit-different-and/) [Cary Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fowler/) > [I grew up very American but also fully Asian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-condor/i-grew-up-very-american-but-also-fully-asian/) [Lana Condor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-condor/) > [I grew up on American pop culture so everything that I fantasized about to get out of this sort of humdrum world of Bradford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aasif-mandvi/i-grew-up-on-american-pop-culture-so-everything-that-i-fantasized/) [Aasif Mandvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aasif-mandvi/) > [I didn't fit in anywhere when I grew up, but I was always American, so to survive, I created this 'ideal America.' Finally I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitski/i-didn-t-fit-in-anywhere-when-i-grew-up-but-i-was-always-american-so/) [Mitski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitski/) > [The reinvention of American culture as purely the self catapulted Las Vegas to prominence. The city took sin and made it choice -- a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-rothman/the-reinvention-of-american-culture-as-purely-the-self-catapulted-las/) [Hal Rothman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-rothman/) > [I grew up in the American South and came of age in the 1960s, an incredibly turbulent time. It was as if the seams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/i-grew-up-in-the-american-south-and-came-of-age-in-the-1960s-an/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [You'd never know it from reading the rest of the Native writers, but Indians actually grew up with American pop culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/you-d-never-know-it-from-reading-the-rest-of-the-native-writers-but/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I've never considered myself a locked-down straight person. I've had relationships with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-ve-never-considered-myself-a-locked-down-straight-person-i-ve-had/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [I’m never going to be considered brave for playing a straight person, and nor should I be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-m-never-going-to-be-considered-brave-for-playing-a-straight-person/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [I'm not a liar. I'm a pretty straight up person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/i-m-not-a-liar-i-m-a-pretty-straight-up-person/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [A straight person doesn't have to go in the media and tell them that they're straight, and I don't think a gay person should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/a-straight-person-doesn-t-have-to-go-in-the-media-and-tell-them-that/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [To be a straight person and discover you're infertile is almost like discovering you're not a straight person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/to-be-a-straight-person-and-discover-you-re-infertile-is-almost-like/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [I do a lot of comedy and I like that. I am happy doing funny films. I am often the straight person in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-do-a-lot-of-comedy-and-i-like-that-i-am-happy-doing-funny-films-i/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) ## More by Rostam Batmanglij > [I am a very big fan of Brian Eno, of his work as an artist and making his music, and as a producer. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-am-a-very-big-fan-of-brian-eno-of-his-work-as-an-artist-and-making/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I tend to use different microphones, different mic techniques, and different recording mediums - like analogue tape - that evoke multiple eras of recorded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-tend-to-use-different-microphones-different-mic-techniques-and/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I think the music that speaks to me the most is music that is personal. And that's the music that I'm trying to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-think-the-music-that-speaks-to-me-the-most-is-music-that-is/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I've always been very good at helping other people finish their songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-ve-always-been-very-good-at-helping-other-people-finish-their-songs/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [The most exciting songs to me are the unlikely hits, when you think, 'I love this, but why is it on the radio?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/the-most-exciting-songs-to-me-are-the-unlikely-hits-when-you-think-i/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Even though I've been making electronic music since I was 14, it's hard for people to see you as a producer with a musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/even-though-i-ve-been-making-electronic-music-since-i-was-14-it-s/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [There's a line in the Arthur Russell documentary where his partner talks about how Arthur is really interested in process. He never felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/there-s-a-line-in-the-arthur-russell-documentary-where-his-partner/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [The first Vampire Weekend record was the first full-length album that I produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/the-first-vampire-weekend-record-was-the-first-full-length-album-that/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Classical music can be catchy, so can African instrumental guitar music. It's not just pop songs that are catchy. Rhythms can be catchy, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/classical-music-can-be-catchy-so-can-african-instrumental-guitar/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Because of who I am, and how open I am, there's something inherently political about just writing love songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/because-of-who-i-am-and-how-open-i-am-there-s-something-inherently/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I've always had a complex relationship towards my identity as an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-ve-always-had-a-complex-relationship-towards-my-identity-as-an/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [When my mom was pregnant with me, my parents moved from France to America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/when-my-mom-was-pregnant-with-me-my-parents-moved-from-france-to/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [You want the personality of each performer - whether it's singing or bass or drums or piano - to be intact. In some ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/you-want-the-personality-of-each-performer-whether-it-s-singing-or/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [I thought it would be interesting to play classical music on rock instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-thought-it-would-be-interesting-to-play-classical-music-on-rock/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) [Explore all 125 Rostam Batmanglij quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly think that my music is a response to my experience as a person who doesn't identify as straight, as a person who grew up American.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rostam Batmanglij" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-response-to-my-experience-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-response-to-my-experience-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/rostam-batmanglij-3648_american_i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-res_3184037.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I certainly think that my music is a response to my experience as a person who doesn't identify as straight…” — Rostam Batmanglij", "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": "Rostam Batmanglij", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I certainly think that my music...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-response-to-my-experience-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/i-certainly-think-that-my-music-is-a-response-to-my-experience-as-a/#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 } } ] } ```