--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What kills music in films is when it's…" description: "\"What kills music in films is when it's done as performance, drawing attention to the fact that someone's in the background playing it.\" — Ry Cooder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/ry-cooder-3690_attention_what-kills-music-in-films-is-when-it-s-d_1542042.jpg" --- # What kills music in films is when it's done as… ![“What kills music in films is when it's done as performance, drawing attention to the fact that someone's in the background playing it.” quote by Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/ry-cooder-3690_attention_what-kills-music-in-films-is-when-it-s-d_1542042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/ry-cooder-3690_attention_what-kills-music-in-films-is-when-it-s-d_1542042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/ry-cooder-3690_attention_what-kills-music-in-films-is-when-it-s-d_1542042.jpg) > “What kills music in films is when it's done as performance, drawing attention to the fact that someone's in the background playing it.” [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music that draws attention to its performance distracts viewers from the story. **In simple terms:** Music should support, not dominate, a film. Key Takeaway Use music subtly to enhance narrative. Themes film scoring audio design storytelling Mood thoughtful reflective Type analysis instructional When to use this quote - action scenes - emotional montages - dialogue scenes Key Concepts aesthetics attention focus Questions to Reflect On - When does music become too noticeable? - How can you blend music with ambient sounds? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis can break immersion and feel jarring. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Background Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-playing-5744848/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Drawing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Films Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-performance-2448926/) [Kills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills/) [Kills Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kills-music-2999926/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-films-432912/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) ## Related quotes > [“You know, Aerosmith will be the thing that kills off your music. Not them directly, mind you. What they represent. Bands are going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/you-know-aerosmith-will-be-the-thing-that-kills-off-your-music-not/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [At times I do feel that there is some issue with child actors because in all my films my performance has been appreciated but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/at-times-i-do-feel-that-there-is-some-issue-with-child-actors-because/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [I was slightly disheartened when three of my films didn't work at the box-office. But the silver lining is that people did appreciate my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abraham/i-was-slightly-disheartened-when-three-of-my-films-didn-t-work-at-the/) [John Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abraham/) > [ Me and music are not good friends, so I do my best to augment the music part \[of my films\] and come up with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jon-augustavo/me-and-music-are-not-good-friends-so-i-do-my-best-to-augment-the/) [Jon Jon Augustavo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jon-augustavo/) > [Since the start of my career I've been doing a lot of music for films. It was important for me to focus on only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaal-mallik/since-the-start-of-my-career-i-ve-been-doing-a-lot-of-music-for-films/) [Amaal Mallik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaal-mallik/) > [I had difficulty in grasping how music was made for films. It was a huge learning curve and the toughest phase of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/i-had-difficulty-in-grasping-how-music-was-made-for-films-it-was-a/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [I've been doing a lot of music for films and television for quite a few years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-hammer/i-ve-been-doing-a-lot-of-music-for-films-and-television-for-quite-a/) [Jan Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-hammer/) > [Our responsibility is not just to make films for music but to make music for films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhushan-kumar/our-responsibility-is-not-just-to-make-films-for-music-but-to-make/) [Bhushan Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhushan-kumar/) > [I'm not doing any more music films!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/i-m-not-doing-any-more-music-films/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I've always been a film lover - that's why I've always wanted to write music for films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/i-ve-always-been-a-film-lover-that-s-why-i-ve-always-wanted-to-write/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [I compose music for films, and by the grace of God, I've got a few awards. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-compose-music-for-films-and-by-the-grace-of-god-i-ve-got-a-few/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [I've done some music for films and I really enjoy doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikue-mori/i-ve-done-some-music-for-films-and-i-really-enjoy-doing-it/) [Ikue Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikue-mori/) > [There is rap music in all my films. In 'La Vie des Morts,' there is rap music too. It's because I'm French, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnaud-desplechin/there-is-rap-music-in-all-my-films-in-la-vie-des-morts-there-is-rap/) [Arnaud Desplechin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnaud-desplechin/) > [I have been as influenced by music and films as by books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-barry/i-have-been-as-influenced-by-music-and-films-as-by-books/) [Kevin Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-barry/) > [I've always wanted to make music for films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anirudh-ravichander/i-ve-always-wanted-to-make-music-for-films/) [Anirudh Ravichander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anirudh-ravichander/) ## More by Ry Cooder > [I got a reputation for being 'eclectic' or some damn thing like that, but to me, the different kinds of music I play are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/i-got-a-reputation-for-being-eclectic-or-some-damn-thing-like-that/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [The '50s was the golden age of music all over the world for some crazy, 'X-File'-like reason I can't quite understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/the-50s-was-the-golden-age-of-music-all-over-the-world-for-some-crazy/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [I had a lot of luck in meeting great musicians who were kind enough to show me things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/i-had-a-lot-of-luck-in-meeting-great-musicians-who-were-kind-enough/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [You can play as good as you want, but you have to sing from a place of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/you-can-play-as-good-as-you-want-but-you-have-to-sing-from-a-place-of/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [I give up on pop music. 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You dig and dig, and sometimes you find something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/music-is-a-treasure-hunt-you-dig-and-dig-and-sometimes-you-find/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [I always have felt that most people don't have the first idea about what musicians, in the traditional sense - I don't mean in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/i-always-have-felt-that-most-people-don-t-have-the-first-idea-about/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [Music is all starting to sound alike in the modern era. Afro-pop sounds exactly like L.A. pop - there's no difference, no ambience, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/music-is-all-starting-to-sound-alike-in-the-modern-era-afro-pop/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [I'm sort of an osmotic fellow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/i-m-sort-of-an-osmotic-fellow/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [The Delmore Brothers is hit music - very, very popular - and it still retains that rural flavor and simplicity. I always think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/the-delmore-brothers-is-hit-music-very-very-popular-and-it-still/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [Needless to say, you've got to have someone who can speak for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/needless-to-say-you-ve-got-to-have-someone-who-can-speak-for-you/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) [Explore all 124 Ry Cooder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. 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