--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mother says I was two-and-a-half when…" description: "\"My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started playing. My father was a minister, and when he went to church in the morning, she would put on Fats ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/tori-amos-679_billie-holiday_my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when_85141.png" --- # My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started… ![“My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started playing. My father was a minister, and when he went to church in the morning, she would put on Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Cole Porter records. I'd crawl up on the piano stool, sit on a phone book and play.” quote by Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/tori-amos-679_billie-holiday_my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when_85141.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/tori-amos-679_billie-holiday_my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when_85141.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/tori-amos-679_billie-holiday_my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when_85141.png) > “My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started playing. My father was a minister, and when he went to church in the morning, she would put on Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Cole Porter records. I'd crawl up on the piano stool, sit on a phone book and play.” [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early exposure to diverse music shaped a lifelong passion for piano, illustrating how familial environment can ignite artistic talent. **In simple terms:** Family music exposure fuels artistic development. Key Takeaway Early diverse musical exposure nurtures talent. Themes musical upbringing cultural influence family legacy artistic development early talent Mood nostalgic inspired reflective Type personal anecdote musical memoir artist origin story When to use this quote - learning piano as a child - listening to jazz and standards at home - growing up with musician parents - exploring music across genres Key Concepts music family piano cultural heritage Practical Applications - music education programs - family music sharing initiatives Questions to Reflect On - How does early musical environment influence creative paths? - What role does genre diversity play in skill development? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billie holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billie-holiday/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fats/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holiday/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Ministers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministers/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Nat King Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nat-king-cole/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-father-299258/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Started Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-playing/) [Stools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stools/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [I was a 12 year old kid in Northern Idaho listening to Billie Holiday and Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyenne-jackson/i-was-a-12-year-old-kid-in-northern-idaho-listening-to-billie-holiday/) [Cheyenne Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyenne-jackson/) > [I certainly knew who was there before me - Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Billie Holiday - not only because that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-uggams/i-certainly-knew-who-was-there-before-me-nat-king-cole-lena-horne/) [Leslie Uggams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-uggams/) > [I couldn't get away from the gramophone. It was the only thing that I ever really liked, and I was singing along by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-masekela/i-couldn-t-get-away-from-the-gramophone-it-was-the-only-thing-that-i/) [Hugh Masekela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-masekela/) > [Feels good to try, but playing a father, I'm getting a little older. I see now that I'm taking it more serious and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/feels-good-to-try-but-playing-a-father-i-m-getting-a-little-older-i/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [What I discovered with acting is that you step out of your own personal life and you connect with characters that are not you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-aaron-wade/what-i-discovered-with-acting-is-that-you-step-out-of-your-own/) [Travis Aaron Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-aaron-wade/) > [In terms of playing for my father, that was an amazing experience that me and him got to do. But that was that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/in-terms-of-playing-for-my-father-that-was-an-amazing-experience-that/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [I was typecast in 'Bonanza.' NBC officials - didn't realize this for about a year - had seen me in a 'Wagon Train' as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/i-was-typecast-in-bonanza-nbc-officials-didn-t-realize-this-for-about/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [After playing my father used to coach, we used to follow him around Spain. We used to travel with him to many cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcos-alonso/after-playing-my-father-used-to-coach-we-used-to-follow-him-around/) [Marcos Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcos-alonso/) > [Playing for Yogi is like playing for your father; playing for Billy is like playing for your father-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-baylor/playing-for-yogi-is-like-playing-for-your-father-playing-for-billy-is/) [Don Baylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-baylor/) > [“A child playing with its father screams louder, laughs harder, jumps more eagerly, puts more faith in everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-netzer/a-child-playing-with-its-father-screams-louder-laughs-harder-jumps/) [Lydia Netzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-netzer/) > [It's interesting to be playing a father who's on the other side because that's not my world and not where I came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-kravitz/it-s-interesting-to-be-playing-a-father-who-s-on-the-other-side/) [Lenny Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-kravitz/) > [What I mostly do is take the script, analyse the hell out of it, see what's in there, see what kind of person I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mahoney/what-i-mostly-do-is-take-the-script-analyse-the-hell-out-of-it-see/) [John Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mahoney/) > [The first film I was in was called 'Straight Time.' I was five-years old, and I was playing my father's son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-busey/the-first-film-i-was-in-was-called-straight-time-i-was-five-years-old/) [Jake Busey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-busey/) > [As an actor, it's a very strange adjustment to start playing the father. I was used to playing a kid my whole life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerr-smith/as-an-actor-it-s-a-very-strange-adjustment-to-start-playing-the/) [Kerr Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerr-smith/) > [I gave up trying to please others and started playing for myself, and because I love music, things naturally happened then. Funny how that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-gave-up-trying-to-please-others-and-started-playing-for-myself-and/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) ## More by Tori Amos > [My childhood was extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/my-childhood-was-extreme/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [The truth lies in between the 1st and the 40th drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/the-truth-lies-in-between-the-1st-and-the-40th-drink/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [“Sometimes I fantasize backstage about how people do their laundry. Woolite? Mixed-color loads? Do they fold? Do they press? Do they Shout it out?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/sometimes-i-fantasize-backstage-about-how-people-do-their-laundry/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I don't feel I'm as good a mum as my mum was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-don-t-feel-i-m-as-good-a-mum-as-my-mum-was/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I'm obsessed with crocodiles and getting eaten by one. When I hear that someone's been eaten by a crocodile or shark, I just get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-m-obsessed-with-crocodiles-and-getting-eaten-by-one-when-i-hear/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Being stylish is about enjoying your life and expressing yourself and your inner light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/being-stylish-is-about-enjoying-your-life-and-expressing-yourself-and/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [There certainly are situations where I feel not empowered or uninspired. Particularly when the person's agenda is to intimidate through abusing their position or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/there-certainly-are-situations-where-i-feel-not-empowered-or/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [When I play live, it's a conversation that we're all having with the song, and the audience... their response and relationship with the songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/when-i-play-live-it-s-a-conversation-that-we-re-all-having-with-the/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Parenting is not for everybody. It changes your life. Especially when they're little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/parenting-is-not-for-everybody-it-changes-your-life-especially-when/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Pretty is never beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/pretty-is-never-beautiful/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Though I can't change what happened, I can choose how to react. And I don't want to spend the rest of my life being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/though-i-can-t-change-what-happened-i-can-choose-how-to-react-and-i/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [When you don't have people in your life pushing you, can you push yourself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/when-you-don-t-have-people-in-your-life-pushing-you-can-you-push/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Boys are cute, but food is cuter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/boys-are-cute-but-food-is-cuter/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [A lot of the carols were not as you hear them now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/a-lot-of-the-carols-were-not-as-you-hear-them-now/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [“This is very simple in the world of chicks: some are hoochies, some are not, and some should never try to be. It's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/this-is-very-simple-in-the-world-of-chicks-some-are-hoochies-some-are/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) [Explore all 413 Tori Amos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) ## More Billie holiday quotes > [With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/with-few-exceptions-every-major-pop-singer-in-the-us-during-her/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Billie Holiday's voice was the voice of living intensity of soul in the true sense of that greatly abused word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-feather/billie-holiday-s-voice-was-the-voice-of-living-intensity-of-soul-in/) [Leonard Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-feather/) > [I love to sing old Motown songs to myself, or some Patti Smith Edith Piaf or Billie Holiday. That gets me in the mood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siobhan-fahey/i-love-to-sing-old-motown-songs-to-myself-or-some-patti-smith-edith/) [Siobhan Fahey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siobhan-fahey/) > [ The other songs \[of Billie Holiday\] - "Body and Soul" is like the standard - I also wanted some songs that I knew I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/the-other-songs-of-billie-holiday-body-and-soul-is-like-the-standard/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [“Beyond the table, there is an altar, with candles lit for Billie Holiday and Willa Carter and Hypatia and Patsy Cline. Next to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-maria-machado/beyond-the-table-there-is-an-altar-with-candles-lit-for-billie/) [Carmen Maria Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-maria-machado/) > [ \[Billie Holiday\] was keeping it super real, and you can feel that to this day. Everything that she sang, she believed in. So I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/billie-holiday-was-keeping-it-super-real-and-you-can-feel-that-to/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [My big influences are Joni Mitchell, and a lot of classical and Indian music, as well as Nina Simone and the personal blues and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-naim/my-big-influences-are-joni-mitchell-and-a-lot-of-classical-and-indian/) [Yael Naim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yael-naim/) > [“He died at forty-two. I was there to collect his talent. I was there at the hospital deathbed of my beloved Billie Holiday, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-died-at-forty-two-i-was-there-to-collect-his-talent-i-was-there-at/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I know I idolise someone like Billie Holiday, but I don't look at her and think I have to imitate her lifestyle, to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/i-know-i-idolise-someone-like-billie-holiday-but-i-don-t-look-at-her/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [I feel like, in many ways, Billie Holiday's still very under-appreciated as an artist. People focus on her voice, and all of the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/i-feel-like-in-many-ways-billie-holiday-s-still-very-under/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [I know the history of the record business so well because I followed Billie Holiday into the record studios. It was so primitive compared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bennett/i-know-the-history-of-the-record-business-so-well-because-i-followed/) [Tony Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bennett/) > [If you look at the other singers of Billie Holiday's time, they were really trying to entertain. They were trying to make people feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/if-you-look-at-the-other-singers-of-billie-holiday-s-time-they-were/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [I also tried to focus on songs that Billie Holiday wrote, songs that she had a hand in shaping, like "Strange Fruit"; songs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-james/i-also-tried-to-focus-on-songs-that-billie-holiday-wrote-songs-that/) [Jose James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-james/) > [I've made my own music, and the way I've always described it is Peggy Lee with an electric guitar, or Billie Holiday with some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-rachel-wood/i-ve-made-my-own-music-and-the-way-i-ve-always-described-it-is-peggy/) [Evan Rachel Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-rachel-wood/) > [“And in the background of Early's story was her voice. Her soul. Her sadness and longing. Because when it's raining, it's always Billie Holiday.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/and-in-the-background-of-early-s-story-was-her-voice-her-soul-her/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) [Browse all 86 Billie holiday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billie-holiday/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My mother says I was two-and-a-half when I started playing. My father was a minister, and when he went to church in the morning, she would put on Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Cole Porter records. 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