Marvin Hamlisch Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“I started studying music at the age of five and a half. My older sister was taking piano lessons. When her teacher left our apartment, I would get up on the piano bench and start picking out the notes that were part of my sister's lessons.”

“My whole thing is not just to play music for people, but to make them part of the evening.”

“I think that when NASA works on a moon shot, they know too well that all of the people working on it must do their job at 110 percent. Sometimes they probably put in 18 hour days, but they're aiming for the moon, and that's what counts.”

“You know, anyone who invites me to do something makes me feel special.”

“As I get older, I'm slowing down and, yes, calming down in my desire to be taken seriously. That I can be entertaining and funny and high nervous energy can work against me as a serious composer, slowly but surely you'll see me be quieter just so that people will listen.”

“I never took any vocal training.”

“My show business career doesn't mean I can't write a symphony. It just means I was never asked to write one.”

“The biggest thrill you can have is to tell people one of your songs, and have them be able to hum it.”

“From the time I could play the piano, I remember trying to write tunes. They were in my head, and I would just sit down and start noodling. Next thing I knew, I had written a melody.”

“Let's say music is needed for only 43 seconds of film. You have to score it so it is an entity, so it won't bother anyone when it ends so quickly. Or if a song runs 2 minutes and 45 seconds, but the titles run a minute longer, you have to arrange that song so it doesn't get repetitious.”