37 Quotes by Gavin Bryars

My thinking in this was as follows: in all the versions I had made everything that is played serves to accompany and support the old man's voice.

The transition from one form of percussion to another and the ways in which it's possible to blur those distinctions is quite interesting.

As much as mixing instruments, I'm also mixing acoustic space so the music will travel through some different sorts of environments.

The ideal, of course, is to have the respect of professionals and the admiration of amateurs. I suppose this was the case in the past.

Craft is part of the creative process.

The virtuoso element in jazz playing, all those very fast runs in the upper extremes, simply doesn't appeal to me. That's why I don't want to make my concerto "virtuosic" in the sense of a technical show-off. I want a beautiful sound and a melodic and lyrical line. I am more interested in the way someone can play musically.

One thing I’m doing on the new Titanic recording is actually bringing in different acoustic spaces.

It makes sense to invest in new work. It’s almost like having a research department in a scientific laboratory. You have to try things out. You’ll make some bad mistakes. Some things will fail but at least you’ll energise the organisation.

It’s rather like attending a university seminar where you are talking to a few gifted specialists who deliver a paper to an audience of their peers. That’s one way of making music.