--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't care how much people understand…" description: "\"I don't care how much people understand what it is that I'm doing, except if they're players in my ensemble or other ensembles. I just want people to b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/steve-reich-35155_care_i-don-t-care-how-much-people-understand_2131464.jpg" --- # I don't care how much people understand what it is that… ![“I don't care how much people understand what it is that I'm doing, except if they're players in my ensemble or other ensembles. I just want people to be moved by the music. If you're not moved by the music, then everything else falls away. You're not interested in the text, you're not interested…” quote by Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/steve-reich-35155_care_i-don-t-care-how-much-people-understand_2131464.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/steve-reich-35155_care_i-don-t-care-how-much-people-understand_2131464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f57/steve-reich-35155_care_i-don-t-care-how-much-people-understand_2131464.jpg) > “I don't care how much people understand what it is that I'm doing, except if they're players in my ensemble or other ensembles. I just want people to be moved by the music. If you're not moved by the music, then everything else falls away. You're not interested in the text, you're not interested in how it was done, and you're not interested in interviewing the composer and all the rest of it.” [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The impact of music depends on emotional response, not technical analysis; if listeners aren’t moved, other details become irrelevant. **In simple terms:** Music matters only if it moves you. Key Takeaway Focus on emotional connection. Themes art emotion audience engagement Mood introspective inspired Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - concert programming - music education - creative collaboration Key Concepts aesthetic experience subjective perception Questions to Reflect On - What emotions does a piece evoke in you? - How can you balance feeling and analysis? A Different Perspective Some listeners appreciate technical aspects, so dismissing them may alienate part of the audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Don-t-care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-care/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Ensemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ensemble/) [Ensembles Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ensembles-just-4394496/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [I don't care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-don-t-care/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interviewing Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviewing-composer-4394497/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Moved Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved-music-237147/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Not interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-interested/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Players Ensemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/players-ensemble-4394498/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Some people have been listening to the Beatles their whole lives; I didn't discover them until I was 18 years old. As a result,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danger-mouse/some-people-have-been-listening-to-the-beatles-their-whole-lives-i-2/) [Danger Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danger-mouse/) > [I don't think I have ever met a single person who isn't moved by music of some kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-garrett/i-don-t-think-i-have-ever-met-a-single-person-who-isn-t-moved-by/) [Lesley Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-garrett/) > [I just want people to connect to the songs. I want people to be really moved by the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/griff/i-just-want-people-to-connect-to-the-songs-i-want-people-to-be-really/) [Griff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/griff/) > [The way we do music in Brazil is very different because we are so moved by music; we grow up with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-alves/the-way-we-do-music-in-brazil-is-very-different-because-we-are-so/) [Camila Alves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-alves/) > [I am moved by music, and certain things just make my day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-sherman/i-am-moved-by-music-and-certain-things-just-make-my-day/) [Bobby Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-sherman/) > [When you're moved by music, that's always good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-gossard/when-you-re-moved-by-music-that-s-always-good/) [Stone Gossard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-gossard/) > [I'm still very affected and moved by their music - maybe in a way that's different from someone who grew up around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-m-still-very-affected-and-moved-by-their-music-maybe-in-a-way-that/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I remember reading a book that was on songwriting at some point that I found in my dad's store, and just... I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larkin-grimm/i-remember-reading-a-book-that-was-on-songwriting-at-some-point-that/) [Larkin Grimm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larkin-grimm/) > [It's really nice to pass the ball when you're in an ensemble cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rohm/it-s-really-nice-to-pass-the-ball-when-you-re-in-an-ensemble-cast/) [Elisabeth Rohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-rohm/) > [In spite of my great admiration for individual splendid talents I do not accept the star system. Collective creative effort is the root of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constantin-stanislavski/in-spite-of-my-great-admiration-for-individual-splendid-talents-i-do/) [Constantin Stanislavski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constantin-stanislavski/) > [Maybe it's just my improv and sketch background, but I'm a lot more comfortable in a group. I like sharing focus and populating an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mantzoukas/maybe-it-s-just-my-improv-and-sketch-background-but-i-m-a-lot-more/) [Jason Mantzoukas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mantzoukas/) > [ We're really fleshing out the whole world of the show \[Difficult People\]. It's more of an ensemble now, whereas last season we were very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/we-re-really-fleshing-out-the-whole-world-of-the-show-difficult/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [Adam Berenson knows how to compose, organize an ensemble, do musical research, play solo and trio piano, write for musical journals, and enlist others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/adam-berenson-knows-how-to-compose-organize-an-ensemble-do-musical/) [Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/) > [My mother did like to make clothes, and in I think the worst picture I've ever seen of myself - I must have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/my-mother-did-like-to-make-clothes-and-in-i-think-the-worst-picture-i/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) ## More by Steve Reich > [Up to the age of 14 I had not heard a note of anything before 1750, never heard a note of Bach, never heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/up-to-the-age-of-14-i-had-not-heard-a-note-of-anything-before-1750/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [In the pop world, instead of saying I want to get an album by such and such a group, it's I like this particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/in-the-pop-world-instead-of-saying-i-want-to-get-an-album-by-such-and/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [What I don't want to do is to go and buy a bunch of exotic-looking drums and set up an Afrikanische Musik in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/what-i-don-t-want-to-do-is-to-go-and-buy-a-bunch-of-exotic-looking/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [It's very important for any artist, in any field, to take their own temperature and check out their own energy, and see what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/it-s-very-important-for-any-artist-in-any-field-to-take-their-own/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [As a matter of fact, I personally would much rather hear Perotin than Mozart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/as-a-matter-of-fact-i-personally-would-much-rather-hear-perotin-than/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [I'm not making any absurd comparisons between myself and Bach, but I aspire to that, that my music will have the legs to survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/i-m-not-making-any-absurd-comparisons-between-myself-and-bach-but-i/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [I write music, and I want people to listen to it and care about it and have it make some difference in their lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/i-write-music-and-i-want-people-to-listen-to-it-and-care-about-it-and/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [I've learned over the years that geography is not that important, except that I seem to work better in the country than the city.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-geography-is-not-that-important/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [All great music is contemporary. If it's still alive and kicking, then it's contemporary. If it fades away, it was a period piece. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/all-great-music-is-contemporary-if-it-s-still-alive-and-kicking-then/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [All music does come from a time and place. I was born and raised in New York. I moved out of New York, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/all-music-does-come-from-a-time-and-place-i-was-born-and-raised-in/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [In serial music, the series itself is seldom audible... What I'm interested in is a compositional process and a sounding music that are one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/in-serial-music-the-series-itself-is-seldom-audible-what-i-m/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) > [I discovered that the most interesting music of all was made by simply lining the loops in unison, and letting them slowly shift out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-reich/i-discovered-that-the-most-interesting-music-of-all-was-made-by/) [Steve Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) [Explore all 13 Steve Reich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-reich/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [What makes you care about nature, about the planet? Is it really that you're afraid of what's going to happen if you don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/what-makes-you-care-about-nature-about-the-planet-is-it-really-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I don't care if you make a print on a bath mat, just as long as it is a good print.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/i-don-t-care-if-you-make-a-print-on-a-bath-mat-just-as-long-as-it-is/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [The world's problems are, by and large, human problems-the unavoidable consequence of egoic sleepwalking. If we care to look, all the signs are present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/the-world-s-problems-are-by-and-large-human-problems-the-unavoidable/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Browse all 19,019 Care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't care how much people understand what it is that I'm doing, except if they're players in my ensemble or other ensembles. I just want people to be moved by the music. If you're not moved by the music, then everything else falls away. 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