Aaron Copland Quotes
Born: November 14, 1900
Aaron Copland, the titan of American classical music, composed not just notes but a philosophy of bold action. Rejecting European pretension, he forged a distinctly American sound—open, optimistic, and deeply human. His music, from the sweeping vistas of Appalachian Spring to the urban pulse of Fanfare for the Common Man, embodies a relentless drive to create meaning from chaos. Copland believed art must speak directly to the people, urging them to embrace their own agency. His quotes resonate because they strip away pretense, revealing a core truth: greatness is forged through courage, discipline, and the audacity to move forward.
Aaron Copland Quotes (7)
"So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning."
— Aaron Copland"To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable."
— Aaron Copland"You compose because you want to somehow summarize in some permanent form your most basic feelings about being alive, to set down... some sort of permanent statement about the way it feels to live now, today."
— Aaron Copland"Inspiration may be a form of super-consciousness, or perhaps of subconsciousness I wouldn't know. But I am sure it is the antithesis of self-consciousness."
— Aaron Copland"If a literary man puts together two words about music, one of them will be wrong."
— Aaron Copland"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.'"
— Aaron Copland"A melody is not merely something you can hum."
— Aaron Copland