--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Looking back, I think we were very much a…" description: "\"Looking back, I think we were very much a part of democratizing music, and we wanted to demystify the process of making music - to show it's a myth.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg" --- # Looking back, I think we were very much a part of… ![“Looking back, I think we were very much a part of democratizing music, and we wanted to demystify the process of making music - to show it's a myth.” quote by Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg) > “Looking back, I think we were very much a part of democratizing music, and we wanted to demystify the process of making music - to show it's a myth.” [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims they helped make music creation accessible and dispel myths about its difficulty. **In simple terms:** They helped democratize music and debunk myths. Key Takeaway Make music creation open to all. Themes music democratization myths creativity Mood optimistic inspirational Type statement reflective When to use this quote - music workshops - online tutorials - community projects - DIY recording Key Concepts cultural shift accessibility education Questions to Reflect On - How can we further lower barriers to music creation? - What myths about music still persist? A Different Perspective Some may argue true democratization requires systemic industry change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democratizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratizing-318174/) [Democratizing Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratizing-music-1052732/) [Looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-back/) [Making Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-myth-700550/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Think Democratizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-democratizing-5439557/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Demystify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-demystify-5439558/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that a musician can submit music online for the chance to have it promoted to a nationwide audience is the American dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-partovi/the-idea-that-a-musician-can-submit-music-online-for-the-chance-to/) [Ali Partovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-partovi/) > [Folk music has been our popular music... There is a myth that youngsters only like heavy metal or rock music, but that's not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-mahadevan/folk-music-has-been-our-popular-music-there-is-a-myth-that-youngsters/) [Shankar Mahadevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-mahadevan/) > [Music is our myth of the inner life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/music-is-our-myth-of-the-inner-life/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [We're living at a time where if you do a Google search for a 'show, review and network,' you'll get 'The New York Times'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/we-re-living-at-a-time-where-if-you-do-a-google-search-for-a-show/) [J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/) > [As technology changes the way we communicate, connect, create, consume and innovate, it is democratizing access to opportunity. Education is no exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-technology-changes-the-way-we-communicate-connect-create-consume/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, Microsoft is about empowerment... we are the original democratizing force, putting a PC in every home and every desk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/to-me-microsoft-is-about-empowerment-we-are-the-original/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [The very good thing about MFA programs is their democratizing. They bring a lot of different people to the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/the-very-good-thing-about-mfa-programs-is-their-democratizing-they/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [“Yes, the internet is democratizing in that sense that the cheap equipment is democratizing. But just because a football is cheap and anyone can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yes-the-internet-is-democratizing-in-that-sense-that-the-cheap/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Over the course of my career as an engineer-turned-tech evangelist, I've had the privilege of travelling the world and seeing the extraordinary impact of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-johnson/over-the-course-of-my-career-as-an-engineer-turned-tech-evangelist-i/) [Peggy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-johnson/) > [Having defeated and then occupied Iraq, democratizing the country should not be too tall an order for the world's sole superpower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kristol/having-defeated-and-then-occupied-iraq-democratizing-the-country/) [William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kristol/) > [There are enough bad films coming out of this town already without the process being more democratized. I'm a guy who loves democracy. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/there-are-enough-bad-films-coming-out-of-this-town-already-without/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I like the immediacy of blogs and the democratizing effects of letting millions of voices bloom on the Web.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-like-the-immediacy-of-blogs-and-the-democratizing-effects-of/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Right now, we happen to be in a general period of regression, not just in education. A lot of what's happening is sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/right-now-we-happen-to-be-in-a-general-period-of-regression-not-just/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We're democratizing the tools of creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-re-democratizing-the-tools-of-creativity/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [The internet is very democratizing in some ways, but it also has other effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-internet-is-very-democratizing-in-some-ways-but-it-also-has-other/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) ## More by Stephen Mallinder > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [Music doesn't have to be so rule-based - and so strict in its structures, construction and perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/music-doesn-t-have-to-be-so-rule-based-and-so-strict-in-its/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [We had always used found sound, but we had always used it in an analogue way. And it was the early days of using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/we-had-always-used-found-sound-but-we-had-always-used-it-in-an/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [Crackdown, the video, interpreted and reflected a sense of authority and austerity and a sense of slight, impending doom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/crackdown-the-video-interpreted-and-reflected-a-sense-of-authority/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [I think what we tried to do lyrically, vocally and musically was to capture a sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/i-think-what-we-tried-to-do-lyrically-vocally-and-musically-was-to/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [ I think probably underneath it all, film \[Kino\] has its own rhythm and its own dynamic, and we were trying to capture the movement… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/i-think-probably-underneath-it-all-film-kino-has-its-own-rhythm-and/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [If you're going to change things, one of the things we had to change is to get away from that traditional model of rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/if-you-re-going-to-change-things-one-of-the-things-we-had-to-change/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [Even though we were influenced by American culture and music, we like the rest of Europe have been colonized with that in the post-war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/even-though-we-were-influenced-by-american-culture-and-music-we-like/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [We were sort of coming from an angle where we wanted to break rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/we-were-sort-of-coming-from-an-angle-where-we-wanted-to-break-rules/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [We were iconoclastic. We weren't there to sort of follow the trends really. So it was important that we were making a statement against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/we-were-iconoclastic-we-weren-t-there-to-sort-of-follow-the-trends/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [Even if that statement was ambiguous, we kind of wanted to cause a stir. We thought that by having the name "Cabaret Voltaire", that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/even-if-that-statement-was-ambiguous-we-kind-of-wanted-to-cause-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [I think we saw our reaction coming from Dada, but at the same time, it formed into punk, which was very much a reaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/i-think-we-saw-our-reaction-coming-from-dada-but-at-the-same-time-it/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [I edited Big Funk, some of the footage was shot by Peter Care. We were film buffs as much as music buffs, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/i-edited-big-funk-some-of-the-footage-was-shot-by-peter-care-we-were/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [You don't have to be trained in music to create sounds and to produce and release music. That's what we were saying back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/you-don-t-have-to-be-trained-in-music-to-create-sounds-and-to-produce/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [Some of it was shot in Berlin, but a lot of it was filmed in Hamburg, along the Reeperbahn in Hamburg in the famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/some-of-it-was-shot-in-berlin-but-a-lot-of-it-was-filmed-in-hamburg/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) [Explore all 36 Stephen Mallinder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) ## More Looking back quotes > [I'm just always looking forwards. I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [I don't spend much time looking back at what happened. I do remember it, but I don't see any purpose of wanting to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitabh-bachchan/i-don-t-spend-much-time-looking-back-at-what-happened-i-do-remember/) [Amitabh Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitabh-bachchan/) > [I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack;The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-van-dyke/i-know-that-europe-s-wonderful-yet-something-seems-to-lack-the-past/) [Henry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-van-dyke/) > [I would tell all women entrepreneurs to stay focussed and positive. One just needs to keep moving without looking back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/i-would-tell-all-women-entrepreneurs-to-stay-focussed-and-positive/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [Looking back now, thinking about that moment in the lights, with my heart pounding, Oscar in my hand, all I can say is I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/looking-back-now-thinking-about-that-moment-in-the-lights-with-my/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) > [Yelena.” I halted in the doorway, looking back over my shoulder. “You once said I wasn’t ready to believe your reason for killing Reyad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/yelena-i-halted-in-the-doorway-looking-back-over-my-shoulder-you-once/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) > [ \[Virginia Madsen\] big part in that movie \['Class'\] required her shirt to get ripped off, and looking back, it couldn't be a more egregious,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/virginia-madsen-big-part-in-that-movie-class-required-her-shirt-to/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I hate looking backward, but every once in a while it sneaks up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-lancaster/i-hate-looking-backward-but-every-once-in-a-while-it-sneaks-up-on-you/) [Burt Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-lancaster/) > [“Do you think the memory of someone should dictate how we live going forward?' he asks, threading and unthreading his fingers together. 'It depends,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/do-you-think-the-memory-of-someone-should-dictate-how-we-live-going/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [The only thing a person can ever really do is keep moving forward. Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-noel/the-only-thing-a-person-can-ever-really-do-is-keep-moving-forward/) [Alyson Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-noel/) > [Technology has just been the major progression of the last 15 years - instant communication. That stuff has gone so global. That's what's interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-west/technology-has-just-been-the-major-progression-of-the-last-15-years/) [Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti-west/) > [I don't want to keep looking back in the past. I want to move forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-kufrin/i-don-t-want-to-keep-looking-back-in-the-past-i-want-to-move-forward/) [Becca Kufrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-kufrin/) > [The decision to let go of that which has completed its course in your experience is even more important than the decision to welcome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-charles-barker/the-decision-to-let-go-of-that-which-has-completed-its-course-in-your/) [Raymond Charles Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-charles-barker/) > [You have to find what’s good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And, age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-have-to-find-what-s-good-and-true-and-beautiful-in-your-life-as/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I look into my heart and see the abyss looking back at me.' 'I won't let you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-look-into-my-heart-and-see-the-abyss-looking-back-at-me-i-won-t-let/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) [Browse all 912 Looking back quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-back/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Looking back, I think we were very much a part of democratizing music, and we wanted to demystify the process of making music - to show it's a myth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Mallinder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a-part-of-democratizing-music/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Looking back" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a-part-of-democratizing-music/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dc/stephen-mallinder-17708_looking-back_looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a_3112471.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Looking back, I think we were very much a part of democratizing music, and we wanted to demystify the…” — Stephen Mallinder", "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": "Stephen Mallinder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Looking back, I think we were...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a-part-of-democratizing-music/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/looking-back-i-think-we-were-very-much-a-part-of-democratizing-music/#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 } } ] } ```