--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd been performing in bands since I was…" description: "\"I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which represented, at that point, about 16 years of playing music.\" — Van Morrison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg" --- # I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which… ![“I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which represented, at that point, about 16 years of playing music.” quote by Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg) > “I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which represented, at that point, about 16 years of playing music.” [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on a long musical career starting at age 12, totaling about 16 years of experience. **In simple terms:** He’s been playing music since childhood, gaining many years of experience. Key Takeaway Value early practice and persistence in your craft. Themes music career experience dedication Mood nostalgic inspirational Type personal reflective When to use this quote - band formation - songwriting - performance - career planning Key Concepts skill development artistic identity longevity Questions to Reflect On - What lessons have you learned from decades of music? - How does early experience shape your artistic voice? A Different Perspective Early start doesn’t guarantee success without adaptation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [16 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/16-years/) [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Bands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bands/) [Bands 12](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bands-12-6074986/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Performing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing/) [Performing Bands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing-bands-6074985/) [Playing music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-music/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-playing-972195/) ## Related quotes > [We found ourselves becoming more serious about playing music than our friends were - or just more committed and had more meaningful connections. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikal-cronin/we-found-ourselves-becoming-more-serious-about-playing-music-than-our/) [Mikal Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikal-cronin/) > [Actually the years when I was playing totally un - well, they were just roles that just went by the board, you wouldn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-lansbury/actually-the-years-when-i-was-playing-totally-un-well-they-were-just/) [Angela Lansbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-lansbury/) > [I never stopped trying to improve - after 15 years of playing, I was still trying to think of something I could do better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clyde-drexler/i-never-stopped-trying-to-improve-after-15-years-of-playing-i-was/) [Clyde Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clyde-drexler/) > [I didn't start really playing the guitar till I was about seventeen, and I never really had those formative years are where like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/i-didn-t-start-really-playing-the-guitar-till-i-was-about-seventeen/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [My experience over 17 years playing with the Yankees, these are a few of the things that I've learned. You've got to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-williams/my-experience-over-17-years-playing-with-the-yankees-these-are-a-few/) [Bernie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-williams/) > [When you add a period of 25 years between the playing and the listening, then the whole question of meaning gets very complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-parker/when-you-add-a-period-of-25-years-between-the-playing-and-the/) [Evan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-parker/) > [I think I've had more fun playing Varga than I've had for quite a number of years playing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-think-i-ve-had-more-fun-playing-varga-than-i-ve-had-for-quite-a/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [As an actor, there's nothing worse than the sound of 'seven years'. I'm sure to some people it sounds amazing, but to us, it's,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-foy/as-an-actor-there-s-nothing-worse-than-the-sound-of-seven-years-i-m/) [Claire Foy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-foy/) > [You have to learn the dynamics of a song, and that takes time and practice. Sometimes, it takes years of playing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/you-have-to-learn-the-dynamics-of-a-song-and-that-takes-time-and/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [With TV, you get on a show and you're there for 11 years playing the same character. I would pull my hair out. Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taraji-p-henson/with-tv-you-get-on-a-show-and-you-re-there-for-11-years-playing-the/) [Taraji P. Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taraji-p-henson/) > [It's like first grade where you make all your mistakes and people see it and yet some people see that there's something there that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/it-s-like-first-grade-where-you-make-all-your-mistakes-and-people-see/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [You know, going on three years playing with your twin brother. You're talking about a guy you played with on the same team for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquill-griffin/you-know-going-on-three-years-playing-with-your-twin-brother-you-re/) [Shaquill Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquill-griffin/) > [I think I've become a much better singer and a much better player. Years and years of playing a couple of hours every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-think-i-ve-become-a-much-better-singer-and-a-much-better-player/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [For 12 years, I was playing writer's rounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-hayes/for-12-years-i-was-playing-writer-s-rounds/) [Walker Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-hayes/) > [I have known people throughout my years of playing where maybe they had a gig, but then lost the gig because they didn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-palermo/i-have-known-people-throughout-my-years-of-playing-where-maybe-they/) [Tony Palermo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-palermo/) ## More by Van Morrison > [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Somebody's going to hear a song that will key in a nerve or something in their experience that represents their own vision. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/somebody-s-going-to-hear-a-song-that-will-key-in-a-nerve-or-something/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I realized that what I was looking for was doing collaborations with other people - people who can play a ballad, rock, jazz. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-realized-that-what-i-was-looking-for-was-doing-collaborations-with/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [It will make you feel good, and it will make you feel whole, when the spirit moves you and it fills you through and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/it-will-make-you-feel-good-and-it-will-make-you-feel-whole-when-the/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [ I'd much prefer to hear somebody like Ed Thigpen \[drummer with New York session group Stuff, and featured on innumerable hits\] take a solo.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-much-prefer-to-hear-somebody-like-ed-thigpen-drummer-with-new/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I've always listened to jazz or folk or blues. I was always listening to the prophets. I don't really go for...I don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-ve-always-listened-to-jazz-or-folk-or-blues-i-was-always-listening/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [My experiences with dope were not good for me. I had to go another route. Because in my experience, dope didn't give me those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/my-experiences-with-dope-were-not-good-for-me-i-had-to-go-another/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [You learn to read the audiences after a while, and there are all different kinds of gigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/you-learn-to-read-the-audiences-after-a-while-and-there-are-all/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [You gotta fight every day to keep mediocrity at bay...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/you-gotta-fight-every-day-to-keep-mediocrity-at-bay/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I didn't know what some of the stuff on Astral Weeks was about until years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-didn-t-know-what-some-of-the-stuff-on-astral-weeks-was-about-until/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Sometimes you do know where the ideas are coming from and sometimes you don't. You might get a song coming through that you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/sometimes-you-do-know-where-the-ideas-are-coming-from-and-sometimes/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [At the end of the day, we should give thanks and pray, to the one, to the one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/at-the-end-of-the-day-we-should-give-thanks-and-pray-to-the-one-to/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Have I told you lately that I love you, have I told you lately there's no one above you. Fill my heart with gladness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/have-i-told-you-lately-that-i-love-you-have-i-told-you-lately-there-s/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I also like to do physical things. I like swimming a lot. I like traveling. Not touring traveling but just plain traveling. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-also-like-to-do-physical-things-i-like-swimming-a-lot-i-like/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [There's no man alive who has any answers. We all know that. It's like the guru trip. All a guru can do is direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/there-s-no-man-alive-who-has-any-answers-we-all-know-that-it-s-like/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) [Explore all 276 Van Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [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/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [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/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) [Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which represented, at that point, about 16 years of playing music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Van Morrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was-12-which-represented-at-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was-12-which-represented-at-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/190/van-morrison-1192_band_i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was_3224537.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd been performing in bands since I was 12 which represented, at that point, about 16 years of playing music.” — Van Morrison", "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": "Van Morrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd been performing in bands since...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was-12-which-represented-at-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-been-performing-in-bands-since-i-was-12-which-represented-at-that/#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 } } ] } ```