--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who…" description: "\"...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so many layers. So when you solo, yeah, you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bd/sonny-rollins-13594_dilemma_this-is-my-dilemma-i-m-a-guy-who-makes-t_993578.jpg" --- # ...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I… ![“...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so many layers. So when you solo, yeah, you might get into one thing, but then, hey, everything has implications! You can hear the next level. And that's how I feel about improvising…” quote by Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bd/sonny-rollins-13594_dilemma_this-is-my-dilemma-i-m-a-guy-who-makes-t_993578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bd/sonny-rollins-13594_dilemma_this-is-my-dilemma-i-m-a-guy-who-makes-t_993578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bd/sonny-rollins-13594_dilemma_this-is-my-dilemma-i-m-a-guy-who-makes-t_993578.jpg) > “...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so many layers. So when you solo, yeah, you might get into one thing, but then, hey, everything has implications! You can hear the next level. And that's how I feel about improvising - there's always another level.” [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improvisation creates endless layers; each idea leads to another, never fully finished. **In simple terms:** Improvisation always spawns new ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace the unfolding process. Themes creativity improvisation complexity Mood reflective energetic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - Live performance - solo practice - creative brainstorming - problem solving Key Concepts Jazz musical dialogue layered thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide when to stop adding layers? - What helps you maintain coherence? A Different Perspective May become overwhelming without focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Another Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-level/) [Dilemma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) [Feel Improvising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-improvising-2050374/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Hey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey/) [Implications](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications/) [Improvisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvisation/) [Improvising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvising/) [Improvising Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvising-level-2050375/) [Layers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layers/) [Layers Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/layers-solo-2050376/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-level/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Solo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solo/) [Yeah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yeah/) ## Related quotes > [For the most part, improvising while cameras are rolling is very difficult. 99% of people you should never ask to do that, because they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/for-the-most-part-improvising-while-cameras-are-rolling-is-very/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [A person improvising is sometimes very fortunate that just at that second things coincide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-ornstein/a-person-improvising-is-sometimes-very-fortunate-that-just-at-that/) [Leo Ornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-ornstein/) > [Jazz music should be inclusive. Smooth jazz to me rules out a certain kind of drama and a certain tension that I think all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sanborn/jazz-music-should-be-inclusive-smooth-jazz-to-me-rules-out-a-certain/) [David Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sanborn/) > [Maybe it's because improvisational people have the same kind of understood language when you're working together. It really only took, like, maybe an hour...feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-levy/maybe-it-s-because-improvisational-people-have-the-same-kind-of/) [Eugene Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-levy/) > [Even if you're improvising, the fact that beforehand you know certain things will work helps you make those improvisations successful. It really helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cale/even-if-you-re-improvising-the-fact-that-beforehand-you-know-certain/) [John Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cale/) > [As much as I think John Coltrane belongs on the list, I think without Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, both of whom defined improvising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-mann/as-much-as-i-think-john-coltrane-belongs-on-the-list-i-think-without/) [Herbie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-mann/) > [I think jazz is a beautiful, democratic music. It encourages musicians with very strong, and many times, very different points of view to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-miller/i-think-jazz-is-a-beautiful-democratic-music-it-encourages-musicians/) [Marcus Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-miller/) > [If you're improvising with Paul Reiser, man, you'd better hold on tight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-stern/if-you-re-improvising-with-paul-reiser-man-you-d-better-hold-on-tight/) [Daniel Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-stern/) > [In life, sometimes everything falls into place, and sometimes everything just falls to pieces. The key is to begin creating with these fallen pieces.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/in-life-sometimes-everything-falls-into-place-and-sometimes/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Sometimes when you start improvising on stage, which I do a fair bit of, obviously you haven't planned it. But to be honest, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-skinner/sometimes-when-you-start-improvising-on-stage-which-i-do-a-fair-bit/) [Frank Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-skinner/) > [I enjoy the challenge of taking something which was not meant for the piano, distilling its essence and writing or improvising it for/at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hersch/i-enjoy-the-challenge-of-taking-something-which-was-not-meant-for-the/) [Michael Hersch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hersch/) > [I found the recording sessions very freeing because you can really try things. When you're filming something, if you're improvising a film and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-found-the-recording-sessions-very-freeing-because-you-can-really/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I'm an improviser at heart, when I'm writing, I'm improvising in my head. When you're an improviser on stage, you can never be precious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scot-armstrong/i-m-an-improviser-at-heart-when-i-m-writing-i-m-improvising-in-my/) [Scot Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scot-armstrong/) > [In the U.S., it's like, you start with a great script, and then on set - not everybody, but definitely in the Apatow group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/in-the-u-s-it-s-like-you-start-with-a-great-script-and-then-on-set/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [Symphony musicians are not trained in improvising, certainly not in a jazz style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunther-schuller/symphony-musicians-are-not-trained-in-improvising-certainly-not-in-a/) [Gunther Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunther-schuller/) ## More by Sonny Rollins > [I'm fortunate that I'm making a living at it now because I'm not equipped to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-fortunate-that-i-m-making-a-living-at-it-now-because-i-m-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [How ironic that the Negro, who more than any other people can claim America's culture as his own, is being persecuted and repressed; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/how-ironic-that-the-negro-who-more-than-any-other-people-can-claim/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I'm now a legend, whether I want to be or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-now-a-legend-whether-i-want-to-be-or-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I enjoy playing clubs. I still enjoy the closeness of the nightclub venue. However, after a certain period of time and after playing around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-enjoy-playing-clubs-i-still-enjoy-the-closeness-of-the-nightclub/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Music represents nature. Nature represents life. Jazz represents nature. Jazz is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/music-represents-nature-nature-represents-life-jazz-represents-nature/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Improvisation is the ability to create something very spiritual, something of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/improvisation-is-the-ability-to-create-something-very-spiritual/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Even the most jingoistic person would have to admit that even American cultural music comes from Europe. That's what classical music is, real European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/even-the-most-jingoistic-person-would-have-to-admit-that-even/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/jazz-is-the-type-of-music-that-can-absorb-so-many-things-and-still-be/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [My mother came from St. Thomas. I heard that melody and all I did was actually adapt it. I made my adaptation of sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/my-mother-came-from-st-thomas-i-heard-that-melody-and-all-i-did-was/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I feel that L.A. has not always been my strongest base for support. That can be for various reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-feel-that-l-a-has-not-always-been-my-strongest-base-for-support/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [You had many jazz musicians who lived in the United States, who had a hard time being accepted over here and had to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/you-had-many-jazz-musicians-who-lived-in-the-united-states-who-had-a/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I miss playing with Miles. I did play with him a little while before he left the planet, but even at that time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-miss-playing-with-miles-i-did-play-with-him-a-little-while-before/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Improvisation is really not so much remembering things. And this is what I do when I play. I forget things. When I go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/improvisation-is-really-not-so-much-remembering-things-and-this-is/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I simply want to reach a level where I will never cease to make progress...so that, even on the bad evenings, I may never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-simply-want-to-reach-a-level-where-i-will-never-cease-to-make/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [It's all about creation and surprise. It just needs to be appreciated and watered like flowers. You have to water flowers. These peaks will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/it-s-all-about-creation-and-surprise-it-just-needs-to-be-appreciated/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) [Explore all 50 Sonny Rollins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) ## More Dilemma quotes > [“When in dilemma, pause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/when-in-dilemma-pause/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [Anyone who will look at my life from the outside won't see the struggles inside. Sometimes, things are not always as we see or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-kaushik/anyone-who-will-look-at-my-life-from-the-outside-won-t-see-the/) [Chanda Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-kaushik/) > [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I understand why creative people like dark, but American audiences dont like dark. They like story. They do not respond to nervous breakdowns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-moonves/i-understand-why-creative-people-like-dark-but-american-audiences/) [Leslie Moonves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-moonves/) > [“How can we get what we really want and at the same time deal with the needs of others in our lives? Perhaps no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/how-can-we-get-what-we-really-want-and-at-the-same-time-deal-with-the/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [Pure, hard-core liberals believe in a superior race. They think they're it. They believe they're more intelligent than the general run of mankind, better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/pure-hard-core-liberals-believe-in-a-superior-race-they-think-they-re/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On earth where love lives, Also the place where dilemma exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddhachild/on-earth-where-love-lives-also-the-place-where-dilemma-exists/) [BuddhaChild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddhachild/) > [“Such elusive puzzles recall the historian's basic dilemma: the absence of evidence does not always signify evidence of absence. In the end, we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-markel/such-elusive-puzzles-recall-the-historian-s-basic-dilemma-the-absence/) [Howard Markel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-markel/) > [This is our problem, our dilemma, yes? We cannot celebrate and declare ourselves to belong to the victorious nations because our brothers and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-rommel/this-is-our-problem-our-dilemma-yes-we-cannot-celebrate-and-declare/) [Manfred Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-rommel/) > [“It was the dilemma all three of us had. Every choice we made cut us off permanently from someone we loved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyeonseo-lee/it-was-the-dilemma-all-three-of-us-had-every-choice-we-made-cut-us/) [Hyeonseo Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyeonseo-lee/) > [As the Hindu gods are 'immortal' only in a very particular sense - for they had born and they die - they experience most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-hindu-gods-are-immortal-only-in-a-very-particular-sense-for-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Science is important, but so is ethics, so is balancing life. To destroy life to save life - it's one of the real ethical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/science-is-important-but-so-is-ethics-so-is-balancing-life-to-destroy/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The great thing about the dilemma we're in is that we get to re-imagine every single thing we do...There isn't a single thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/the-great-thing-about-the-dilemma-we-re-in-is-that-we-get-to-re/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [Our only goal is to strengthen the opposition and to avoid the dilemma whereby we only have the choice between Bashar Assad and al-Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/our-only-goal-is-to-strengthen-the-opposition-and-to-avoid-the/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [Developed and benefited from the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which have produced our present dilemma. It is clear that current lifestyles and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/developed-and-benefited-from-the-unsustainable-patterns-of-production/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) [Browse all 417 Dilemma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilemma/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so many layers. So when you solo, yeah, you might get into one thing, but then, hey, everything has implications! You can hear the next level. 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