--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever you face a man who's playing…" description: "\"Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.\" — Wynton Marsalis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png" --- # Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument… ![“Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.” quote by Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png) > “Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.” [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. Playing a piece that mirrors your style creates rivalry and growth. **In simple terms:** Competition arises when others echo your sound. Key Takeaway Embrace rivalry as motivation. Themes competition creativity music Mood inspired challenged Type observational motivational When to use this quote - Band rehearsal - solo performance - recording session - music lesson - jam night Key Concepts Jazz improvisation artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - What can you learn from a competitor? - How do you keep collaboration alive? A Different Perspective Rivalry can breed resentment if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Instrument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrument/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [When I got to high school, to be playing an instrument was really uncool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/when-i-got-to-high-school-to-be-playing-an-instrument-was-really/) [Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/) > [I play a whole lot of instruments pretty badly, instead of playing one instrument really well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikal-cronin/i-play-a-whole-lot-of-instruments-pretty-badly-instead-of-playing-one/) [Mikal Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikal-cronin/) > [Playing an instrument is such a wonderful pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-chatto/playing-an-instrument-is-such-a-wonderful-pleasure/) [Grace Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-chatto/) > [Being in a band is far more than playing an instrument. It's surviving. It's getting an album together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-silver/being-in-a-band-is-far-more-than-playing-an-instrument-it-s-surviving/) [Josh Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-silver/) > [Why would you want to stand there waving a stick when you could be playing an instrument?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kennedy/why-would-you-want-to-stand-there-waving-a-stick-when-you-could-be/) [Nigel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kennedy/) > [Good taste - that's all you really need when you're playing an instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hersh/good-taste-that-s-all-you-really-need-when-you-re-playing-an/) [Kristin Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hersh/) > [If you listen to the way I speak, I have a lot of rhythm, use a lot of accents. When I'm playing my instrument,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefon-harris/if-you-listen-to-the-way-i-speak-i-have-a-lot-of-rhythm-use-a-lot-of/) [Stefon Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefon-harris/) > [I've been playing my instrument since I was about three or four. That's when I started banging around on the piano, trying to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-wolff/i-ve-been-playing-my-instrument-since-i-was-about-three-or-four-that/) [Nat Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-wolff/) > [“There is only One Man Playing your Game, You!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/there-is-only-one-man-playing-your-game-you/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [If a man….who’s playing in front of the public, is being well paid, and he doesn’t dedicate himself to the job, I’d be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/if-a-man-who-s-playing-in-front-of-the-public-is-being-well-paid-and/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [There is a man, playing a violin, and the strings are the nerves in his own arm...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-barr/there-is-a-man-playing-a-violin-and-the-strings-are-the-nerves-in-his/) [James O'Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-barr/) > [Word leaked out that there's only one man playing all Loompas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deep-roy/word-leaked-out-that-there-s-only-one-man-playing-all-loompas/) [Deep Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deep-roy/) > [“That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-stark-iron-man/that-man-is-playing-galaga-thought-we-wouldn-t-notice-but-we-did/) Tony Stark Iron Man > [Managing the Royals is a job for a man playing without a full deck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/managing-the-royals-is-a-job-for-a-man-playing-without-a-full-deck/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [The world resembles a stage on which every man is playing a part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-schubert/the-world-resembles-a-stage-on-which-every-man-is-playing-a-part/) [Franz Schubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-schubert/) ## 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 Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wynton Marsalis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-your-instrument-there-s-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-your-instrument-there-s-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/wynton-marsalis-1721_competition_whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-yo_1236777.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition.” — 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": "Whenever you face a man who's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-your-instrument-there-s-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/whenever-you-face-a-man-who-s-playing-your-instrument-there-s-a/#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 } } ] } ```