Famous Quotes by Aaron Copland

“Inspiration may be a form of super-consciousness, orperhaps of subconsciousness—I wouldn't know. But I amsure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness.”

There’s a great deal of music that doesn’t communicate anything to me, and that’s probably the greatest sin in music.

The beauty of music is that it can bring people together across cultures and languages.

The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.

The art of composition is a kind of design, not just in terms of the musical elements but also in the structure and shape.

There is no greater force in music than the human spirit.

For me, the greatest joy of being a composer is to create something new and unique.

To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.

Music is a universal language; it speaks to the heart of humanity.

I think the best way to see what you can do with your music is to see what you can do without it.

I believe that the best music comes from personal experience and emotional engagement.

I think a composer should be able to write in many different styles.

It’s important to be open to new ideas in music; that’s how you grow as an artist.

Good music should be able to speak for itself, without needing to be explained.

The more we know about music, the more we realize how little we know.

I think that music can be both an escape from reality and a way to engage with it.

Music should be an integral part of life, not something separate from it.

One of the most important things to realize is that music is a living, breathing art form.

A great deal of music is about emotion; if it doesn’t touch you, it hasn’t done its job.

I’ve always believed that music has the power to change the world.

Music is the shorthand of emotion.