Music is powered by ideas. If you don't have clarity of ideas, you're just communicating sheer sound. Yo-Yo Ma claritycommunicateidea Change image and share on social
What came up at age 49 is I realized that of all the things I'm interested in, the thing I'm most interested in is figuring out what makes people tick, why people think the way they do, why they act the way they do. And I realized that music is such a great way to investigate why people do what they do. Yo-Yo Ma actagefigure share on social
I think all musicians have at one time or another experienced one physical problem or another. I have had tendinitis a couple of times, so I try to be really careful. It takes patience and persistence to overcome injury. Yo-Yo Ma carefulcoupleexperience share on social
When we have a good balance between thinking and feeling... our actions and lives are always the richer for it. Yo-Yo Ma actionbalancefelt Change image and share on social
Children, in a way, are constant learners. Certainly sponge-like. Absorbing everything without careful analysis, even though, at the same time, they are certainly capable of incredible insights. Yo-Yo Ma absorbanalysiscapable Change image and share on social
I think there are so many ways to become interested in music. I believe signs of sustained interest gives a sense of the right time. Music, if thought of as a language, would perhaps indicate that as early as possible is not so bad. I do believe that a really nurturing first teacher that makes the child love something is crucial. Yo-Yo Ma badchildcrucial share on social
I think of a piece of music as something that comes alive when it is being performed, and I feel that my role in the transmission of music is to be its best advocate at that moment. Yo-Yo Ma advocatealivefeel Change image and share on social
Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together. Yo-Yo Ma backwardedgefaith share on social
The role of the musician is to go from concept to full execution. Put another way, it's to go from understanding the content of something to really learning how to communicate it and make sure it's well-received and lives in somebody else. Yo-Yo Ma communicateconceptcontent share on social
I think anybody who goes away finds you appreciate home more when you return. Yo-Yo Ma findhomereturn Change image and share on social