And it has become a kind of a truism in the study of creativity that you can’t be creating anything with less than 10 years of technical knowledge immersion in a particular field.
––– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, researcher in happiness, creativity and “flow”

Lengthy immersion in the works of other composers can tire. The music of Mozart does not tire, and this is one of its miracles.
––– George Snell

It’s so important to listen to music, to listen again and again. Eat, sleep and drink music.
––– Arturo Sandoval

I once went to a Miles Davis concert when I was 17, where I met all of the musicians, except him. I was too intimidated by him. But I love his playing, and I love the creative drive that he somehow challenged us all to strive for. Like my other quote posts, this one has three quotes. One general, one music-specific and one trumpet-specific. This time they’re all by Miles.

It’s like, how did Columbus discover America when the Indians were already here? What kind of shit is that, but white people’s shit?
― Miles Davis, Miles: The Autobiography

Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.
― Miles Davis

Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the motherfucker who plays it is 80 percent.
― Miles Davis