Roscoe Mitchell Quotes

• I’m approaching a period in my life though where I’d like to be totally absorbed into music, doing concerts, writing something. Basically, that IS what I am doing.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Writing

• I don’t like to box myself in when I’m composing.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Composing

• I felt that I had been influenced by being in the city enough and I wanted to go off by myself to see what was going on. I remember going out there and looking in the mirror and thinking I wasn’t anything.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Thinking

• I always try to think of a vocabulary to match different musical situations.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Try, Musical

• I just consider myself a student, trying to learn more about it.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Myself, Trying

• I remember times when the whole music scene was just flourishing.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Remember

• I like to hear melodies that go from one extreme to the next- saxophone to a bell to a whistle, for instance.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Hear, Extreme

• I’ve always been interested in shaping music in odd ways, with odd riffs and that’s been probably something that I’ve continued on with my studies with improvisation as I’m working with people.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Interested

• If you listen to nature, all the sounds are done in a confident way. I’m trying to do that.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Nature

  Tags in Trying

• What I try to impart to a musician is to really try to practice the instrument in a really sincere way. Learn as much about music as you possibly can. Learn composition. Study to try to create compositions of your own and put your own personal touch on your music.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Music, Try

• You have to know composition to be a good improviser.

  Roscoe Mitchell

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Good

Roscoe Mitchell (11)

Birth:	3rd August, 1940
Nationality:	African, American
Profession:	Composer

About

Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past thirty years.

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Today's Anniversary - 31st May

Births

• 1884 - Phyllis Bottome
• 1819 - Walt Whitman
• 1948 - Duncan Hunter
• 1967 - Phil Keoghan
• 1962 - Larry Bucshon

Deaths

• 1981 - Barbara Ward
• 1970 - Terry Sawchuk
• 1847 - Thomas Chalmers
• 2004 - Robert Quine
• 1996 - Timothy Leary