Bobby McFerrin

The true musician is to bring light into people’s hearts.

I use the audience as my color palette, my instrument.

Don’t worry, be happy!

Some players get very philosophical and cerebral about Jazz. You don’t need any prologues, you just play.

I went through a lot of mental pains and anguish about choosing between jazz and classical. I realized that where I functioned was where I should be, and where I functioned was in jazz, so that was it.

Oh, my darling, it’s incredible, that someone so unforgettable should think I am unforgettable, too.

I don’t care if a dude is purple with green breath as long as he can swing.

Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission far beyond just making music for the sake of music.

You never get it figured out. You just keep playing.

If you want to play somebody’s music, you’d better go into his house.

Jazz is a living music; since its beginning has expressed the feelings, dreams and hopes of the people.

New artists can own their content and completely build their base and their following without having to sell or be owned by anybody and it creates such a diversity.

The guitar and the dog, in order not to be separated from man, have submitted themselves with resignation to the worst alterations of size and appearance.

I’ve sung a lot of emotional songs, but when you’re writing it’s very difficult to decide what to reveal.

Sometimes I think I was making music through the wrong end of a magnifying glass.

Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar kinda bothers me a little bit, but not that much yet. I figure in time I won’t do much because of my age.

I was a nerd academically. But I was also an athlete and a musician. I never wanted to be shut out of any situation. I think it was that more than anything.

I always liked the steel guitar. I also love the guys that play the bottleneck. But I could never do it; I never made it do what I want. So every time I would pick up the guitar, I ‘d shake my hand and trill it a bit. For some strange reason my ears would say to me that sounds similar to what those guys were doing. I can’t pick up the guitar now without doing it. So that’s how I got into making my sound. It was nothing pretty. Just trying to please myself. I heard that sound.