John McLaughlin Quotes
The whole point of working and practicing your whole life is so that you're ready when that moment arrives; when the inspiration arrives, you are ready to be at the disposal of inspiration.
Music speaks from spirit to spirit and in that sense you could call it a true spiritual language.
My entire life is dedicated to music, and at my age, that makes a lot of years! But all the work and dedication is only that I'm able to forget myself and let the music do the 'talking.'
I practice all the scales. Everyone should know lots of scales. Actually, I feel there are only scales. What is a chord, if not the notes of a scale hooked together?
There are two kinds of success. One is musical or artistic and the other is commercial.
I'm not any different from you or the guy down the street or across the globe, we're all connected in some way and hopefully my music can integrate that feeling of human connectedness.
I don't have any particular goals in making a recording. In a way the recording is itself the goal. The music comes into my mind, and from there the main job is to give form to it.
I'm never trying to preach to anybody with my music, but I'm aware of the universal nature of the human experience and I try to reach out and connect with people in that manner.
The music dictates to me which instrument I use. I'm basically waiting for orders as it were.
For me, rhythm is a type of divine mathematics in a way. No matter where you're from, we can all understand the mathematics of rhythm. I try to apply this mathematical thinking to my playing.
When you open box after box of old comics and they're ALL "Archie," you have suffered a trauma from which it is difficult to ever recover.
I never read comics growing up. I didn't have money and I don't like to touch paper.
At the risk of sounding hopelessly romantic, love is the key element. I really love to play with different musicians who come from different cultural backgrounds.
When the music arrives in my mind, it gives me the direction and the form at the same time. It's integrated into the music itself.
The moment you start to talk about playing music, you destroy music. It cannot be talked about. It can only be played, enjoyed and listened to.
I just want to keep exploring music and hopefully the orders will keep coming in and I'll be able to keep growing the interior and exterior sides of my life.
The mathematics of rhythm are universal. They don't belong to any particular culture.
Everyone can lock into the rhythm on a tune. It's organic in nature. It connects the band as a whole and connects the band to the audience.
In a way records are like paintings. Instead of using paints and brushes we use sounds and instruments.
Interplay and interaction are the integral parts of music - they're as important as the notes.
Music that touches the transcendental aspect of a human being is reserved for a marginal audience
I've been more or less vegetarian for about 40 years. Health diet really helps. I do meditation every day, and either yoga or sport several times a week.
