--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The function of music is to release us…" description: "\"The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.\" — Thomas Beecham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg" --- # The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of… ![“The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.” quote by Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg) > “The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.” [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music frees the mind from over‑analysis, allowing intuition and emotion to surface. **In simple terms:** Music lets us escape overthinking. Key Takeaway Use music to quiet the mind. Themes creativity freedom mindfulness Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - studying - meditation - creative work - stress relief Key Concepts psychology artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - How does music change your thought patterns? - When do you feel most liberated by sound? A Different Perspective May not work for everyone; some need active engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) ## Related quotes > [The function of music is to release us from the boredom of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-horsley/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-boredom-of-existence/) [Sebastian Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-horsley/) > [I don't know how to function without music. When I'm not making it, I'm listening to it. It gives me courage and takes care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-eilish/i-don-t-know-how-to-function-without-music-when-i-m-not-making-it-i-m/) [Billie Eilish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-eilish/) > [The function of music is to liberate in the soul those feelings which normally we keep locked up in the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-faulks/the-function-of-music-is-to-liberate-in-the-soul-those-feelings-which/) [Sebastian Faulks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-faulks/) > [“He said that the principal function of music was to organize the details into harmonies that were intended to make us forget that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seldon-edwards/he-said-that-the-principal-function-of-music-was-to-organize-the/) Seldon Edwards > [Dancing is an important function of music, but so is crying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/dancing-is-an-important-function-of-music-but-so-is-crying/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [Music can be a distraction and an escape. Sometimes a welcome escape. You need it. But music can also serve a very important social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/music-can-be-a-distraction-and-an-escape-sometimes-a-welcome-escape/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [all conscious thought is a process in time; so that to think consciously about Time is like trying to use a foot-rule to measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/all-conscious-thought-is-a-process-in-time-so-that-to-think/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [There's really not much conscious thought involved when I record. I just kind of record what feels good. I'm not trying to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-rns/there-s-really-not-much-conscious-thought-involved-when-i-record-i/) [BØRNS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-rns/) > [I back away from conscious thought and turn the problem over to my unconscious mind. It will scan a broader array of patterns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-fry/i-back-away-from-conscious-thought-and-turn-the-problem-over-to-my/) Arthur Fry > [“Make rituals of the important elements of your work. It ensures that they get done without much conscious thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mani-s-sivasubramanian/make-rituals-of-the-important-elements-of-your-work-it-ensures-that/) [Mani S. Sivasubramanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mani-s-sivasubramanian/) > [We have no proper understanding of the relationship between conscious thought and conscious sensation. 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They haven't experienced what it means to be conscious without thought, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/for-most-people-on-the-planet-consciousness-can-be-equated-with/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Every conscious thought you have, every moment you spend on an idea, is a commitment to be stuck with that idea and with aspects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-michel/every-conscious-thought-you-have-every-moment-you-spend-on-an-idea-is/) [Kevin Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-michel/) > [“You are not who you think. You're not even the thinker. You are the one conscious of the thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/you-are-not-who-you-think-you-re-not-even-the-thinker-you-are-the-one/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) ## More by Thomas Beecham > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Without question the most unpopular medium of musical sound in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/without-question-the-most-unpopular-medium-of-musical-sound-in-the/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [The sound of the harpsichord resembles that of a bird-cage played with toasting-forks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-sound-of-the-harpsichord-resembles-that-of-a-bird-cage-played/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Composers and musicians have always starved and, as this is a sentimental country, we think the tradition should be continued.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/composers-and-musicians-have-always-starved-and-as-this-is-a/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [What can you do with it? It's like a lot of yaks jumping about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/what-can-you-do-with-it-it-s-like-a-lot-of-yaks-jumping-about/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [No woman is worth the loss of a night's sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/no-woman-is-worth-the-loss-of-a-night-s-sleep/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I prefer Offenbach to Bach often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/i-prefer-offenbach-to-bach-often/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [The grand tune is the only thing in music that the great public really understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-grand-tune-is-the-only-thing-in-music-that-the-great-public/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I have just been all round the world and have formed a very poor opinion of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/i-have-just-been-all-round-the-world-and-have-formed-a-very-poor/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable of giving pleasure to thousands and all you can do is scratch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/madam-you-have-between-your-legs-an-instrument-capable-of-giving/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [In the first movement alone, I took note of six pregnancies and at least four miscarriages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/in-the-first-movement-alone-i-took-note-of-six-pregnancies-and-at/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Beethoven's last quartets were written by a deaf man and should only be listened to by a deaf man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/beethoven-s-last-quartets-were-written-by-a-deaf-man-and-should-only/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Have you heard any Stockhausen?" Beecham was asked. "No, but I believe I have stepped in some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/have-you-heard-any-stockhausen-beecham-was-asked-no-but-i-believe-i/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [If she is attractive, I can't perform with her; if she is not, then I won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/if-she-is-attractive-i-can-t-perform-with-her-if-she-is-not-then-i/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [All the arts in America are a gigantic racket run by unscrupulous men for unhealthy women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/all-the-arts-in-america-are-a-gigantic-racket-run-by-unscrupulous-men/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) [Explore all 43 Thomas Beecham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) ## More Conscious quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. 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Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) Browse all 3,716 Conscious quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Beecham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-tyranny-of-conscious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-tyranny-of-conscious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/025/thomas-beecham-15482_conscious_the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-f_2165712.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.” — Thomas Beecham", "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": "Thomas Beecham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The function of music is to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-tyranny-of-conscious/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-tyranny-of-conscious/#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 } } ] } ```