--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I really have in my head, my…" description: "\"What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.\" — Wynton Marsalis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png" --- # What I really have in my head, my imagination, my… ![“What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.” quote by Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png) > “What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.” [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative ideas often stay trapped inside unless actively expressed. **In simple terms:** Ideas stay hidden without expression. Key Takeaway Find ways to share your music. Themes creativity expression music Mood reflective inspired Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - composing - performing - teaching - collaborating Key Concepts artistic process self‑expression Questions to Reflect On - How can you externalize inner music? - What outlets best suit your style? A Different Perspective Even with sharing, ideas may be misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [My imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-imagination/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [I was very withdrawn and definitely played with dolls well into eighth grade. But I was the oldest of nine, and that grounded me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-was-very-withdrawn-and-definitely-played-with-dolls-well-into/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [It is literature which for me opened the mysterious and decisive doors of imagination and understanding. To see the way others see. To think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-is-literature-which-for-me-opened-the-mysterious-and-decisive/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I didn't have a philosophical understanding of music until I came to New York. I didn't understand how it applied to my kind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-didn-t-have-a-philosophical-understanding-of-music-until-i-came-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [The capacity you're thinking of is imagination; without it there can be no understanding, indeed no fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-trevor/the-capacity-you-re-thinking-of-is-imagination-without-it-there-can/) [William Trevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-trevor/) > [“What do you do when your head - your imagination is filled with tales to last a hundred lifetimes? You focus on the really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-princeholm/what-do-you-do-when-your-head-your-imagination-is-filled-with-tales/) Storm Princeholm > [“The darkness inside your head is something your imagination fills with stories that have nothing to do with the real darkness around you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-darkness-inside-your-head-is-something-your-imagination-fills/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [The picture is in your head, in your imagination, everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/the-picture-is-in-your-head-in-your-imagination-everything/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [I always wanted to know what the music behind some music was, or where it came from, and that gave me a point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-adams/i-always-wanted-to-know-what-the-music-behind-some-music-was-or-where/) [Justin Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-adams/) > [For me, jazz is an understanding of music, rather than an end in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/for-me-jazz-is-an-understanding-of-music-rather-than-an-end-in-itself/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [One does not realize the historical sensation as a re-experiencing, but as an understanding that is closely related to the understanding of music, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/one-does-not-realize-the-historical-sensation-as-a-re-experiencing/) [Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/) > [My whole being sonically comes from my dad's understanding of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thundercat/my-whole-being-sonically-comes-from-my-dad-s-understanding-of-music/) [Thundercat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thundercat/) > [Every time you learn a new language, your understanding of language overall grows, so every time I would learn new music, my understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/every-time-you-learn-a-new-language-your-understanding-of-language/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [Your understanding of music depends on your capacity to perceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/your-understanding-of-music-depends-on-your-capacity-to-perceive-it/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [Some people feel like you need to have a very specialized understanding of music to have the authority to talk about it. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jackman/some-people-feel-like-you-need-to-have-a-very-specialized/) [Henry Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jackman/) > [Truth is the same thing to the understanding, as Music to the ear, and Beauty to the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arbuthnot/truth-is-the-same-thing-to-the-understanding-as-music-to-the-ear-and/) [John Arbuthnot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-arbuthnot/) ## More by Wynton Marsalis > [I never minded giving my opinions. They are just opinions, and I had studied music and I had strong feelings. I was happy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-never-minded-giving-my-opinions-they-are-just-opinions-and-i-had/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I always read all these books about the slaves. My mother is very educated. My father would talk to us like we were grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-always-read-all-these-books-about-the-slaves-my-mother-is-very/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“The best musicians know this music isn't about "schools" at all. Like my father says, "There's only one school, the school of 'Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-best-musicians-know-this-music-isn-t-about-schools-at-all-like-my/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Louis Armstrong is jazz. He represents what the music is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/louis-armstrong-is-jazz-he-represents-what-the-music-is-all-about/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [And that's the soulful thing about playing: you offer something to somebody. You don't know if they'll like it, but you offer it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/and-that-s-the-soulful-thing-about-playing-you-offer-something-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Ethics are more important than laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/ethics-are-more-important-than-laws/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I'm not a person who writes really abstract things with oblique references. I look at abstraction like I look at condiments. Give me some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-m-not-a-person-who-writes-really-abstract-things-with-oblique/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/many-a-revolution-started-with-the-actions-of-a-few-only-56-men/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“Today you go into make a modern recording with all this technology. The bass plays first, then the drums come in later, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/today-you-go-into-make-a-modern-recording-with-all-this-technology/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [In the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra we play such a diversity of music, with 10 arrangers in the band, we don't really worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/in-the-jazz-at-lincoln-center-orchestra-we-play-such-a-diversity-of/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/commercialism-that-has-absolutely-no-relationship-to-quality/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Instead of imposing your will on every situation...focus on including everyone else, and just that little adjustment of attitude gives you the space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/instead-of-imposing-your-will-on-every-situation-focus-on-including/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I'm not afraid of you being yourself. That's America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-m-not-afraid-of-you-being-yourself-that-s-america/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“I noticed that religion gave some people a way to escape dealing with the world: “Things will be better when you die,” the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-noticed-that-religion-gave-some-people-a-way-to-escape-dealing-with/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Trumpet players see each other, and it's like we're getting ready to square off or get into a fight or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/trumpet-players-see-each-other-and-it-s-like-we-re-getting-ready-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) [Explore all 213 Wynton Marsalis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) ## More Imagination quotes > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/) [Lauren Schmidt Hissrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/) > [While the world of reality has its limits, the world of your imagination is without boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/while-the-world-of-reality-has-its-limits-the-world-of-your/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Edgy is fine - I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination - but what's wrong with a good ol' belly laugh?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/edgy-is-fine-i-m-not-a-prude-by-any-stretch-of-the-imagination-but/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [With VR, we have this same vision, which is create this ultimate platform for sharing your imagination. Our huge community of 300,000 developers creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baszucki/with-vr-we-have-this-same-vision-which-is-create-this-ultimate/) [David Baszucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baszucki/) > [I like the idea of letting the music do its own work and the stories being more expressionful - if that's a word -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-flynn/i-like-the-idea-of-letting-the-music-do-its-own-work-and-the-stories/) [Johnny Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-flynn/) [Browse all 9,060 Imagination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wynton Marsalis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagination-my-understanding-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Imagination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagination-my-understanding-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c01/wynton-marsalis-1721_imagination_what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagina_1267070.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.” — Wynton Marsalis", "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": "Wynton Marsalis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What I really have in my...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagination-my-understanding-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/what-i-really-have-in-my-head-my-imagination-my-understanding-of/#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 } } ] } ```