As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the

As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the

Wynton Marsalis
22/09/2025
22/09/2025

As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.

(6 evaluate)
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the
As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the

The words of Wynton Marsalis—“As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the sound. You also have a responsibility to function in the context of other people who have that power also.”—are not merely about music, but about the essence of life itself. They speak of the balance between individual power and collective harmony, reminding us that freedom without regard for others becomes chaos, while unity without individuality becomes silence. In jazz, as in life, each soul has a voice, yet that voice must learn to weave itself into the larger tapestry.

This utterance is a hymn to the dual nature of freedom and responsibility. The jazz musician may improvise, shaping notes as the spirit demands, but he must also listen—to the trumpet, the bass, the drum, the piano. For his brilliance is not diminished by restraint; rather, it is magnified when it dances with the brilliance of others. So too must each person in society hold fast to their uniqueness, yet live with awareness that others, too, carry the fire of creation.

History reveals this lesson in the story of Athenian democracy. Each citizen had the power to speak, to shape laws, to guide the destiny of the city. Yet this freedom carried the responsibility to honor the voices of others, lest liberty collapse into tyranny. Just as jazz thrives when each musician honors the ensemble, Athens endured when its citizens balanced personal power with civic duty. Marsalis’ words, though about music, carry the same eternal truth.

The quote also sings of respect and humility. The great musician does not drown out the others, though he may dazzle; instead, he knows when to soar and when to fall silent. This is wisdom for all who walk among others: to shine is not to overshadow, but to lift the whole with one’s light. The rhythm of life, like the rhythm of jazz, is born of this delicate balance between self-expression and shared purpose.

Let this teaching endure across generations: cherish your individual power, but never forget the sacred responsibility that comes with it. Whether in music, in marriage, in governance, or in daily life, your voice matters, but it is not the only voice. Greatness is not found in dominance, but in harmony. As jazz shows us through its ever-living song, when many voices of power honor one another, the result is not noise, but beauty eternal.

Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis

American - Musician Born: October 18, 1961

With the author

What I really have in my head, my imagination, my understanding of music, I never really get that out.

Wynton Marsalis

We looked up to our father. He still is much greater than us.

Wynton Marsalis

Jazz music is America's past and its potential, summed up and sanctified and accessible to anybody who learns to listen to, feel, and understand it. The music can connect us to our earlier selves and to our better selves-to-come. It can remind us of where we fit on the time line of human achievement, an ultimate value of art.

Wynton Marsalis

Jazz is not the kind of music you are going to learn to play in three or four years or that you can just get because you have some talent for music.

Wynton Marsalis

I believed in studying just because I knew education was a privilege. It was the discipline of study, to get into the habit of doing something that you don't want to do.

Wynton Marsalis

Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead a nation to change.

Wynton Marsalis

The heart of a music is its rhythm. The heart of rhythm section music is the rhythm.

Wynton Marsalis

I'm not a person who writes really abstract things with oblique references. I look at abstraction like I look at condiments. Give me some Tabasco sauce, some ketchup, some mayonnaise. I love all of that. Put it on a trumpet. I've just got to have the ketchup and Tabasco sauce. That's my attitude about musical philosophy.

Wynton Marsalis

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The law always limits every power it gives.

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Autocratic power requires the degradation of moral authority - not the capture of moral high ground.

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There is a power in God's gospel beyond all description.

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Receiving the authority of the priesthood by the laying on of hands is an important beginning, but it is not enough. Ordination confers authority, but righteousness is required to act with power as we strive to lift souls, to teach and testify, to bless and counsel, and to advance the work of salvation.

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Have 6 Comment As a jazz musician, you have individual power to create the

TMTinh Minh

The wisdom in this is striking. It suggests that individual brilliance only reaches its full potential through collective awareness. Jazz becomes a metaphor for democracy—everyone has a voice, but everyone must also listen. I can’t help but wonder if society would function better if more people embraced this mindset: personal freedom grounded in empathy and collaboration.

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UGUser Google

This quote beautifully expresses the paradox of freedom within structure. Jazz musicians improvise, but their creativity still depends on listening, timing, and balance. It’s a subtle reminder that independence and interdependence can coexist. I think that’s a valuable lesson for artists and leaders alike—having power means understanding context, not just expressing yourself without limits.

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STSon Tran

I love how this turns music into philosophy. The idea that every musician has both freedom and responsibility resonates deeply. It’s not just about talent—it’s about sensitivity to others. It makes me wonder—how often do we think of power as something to coordinate rather than compete for? Maybe jazz teaches us that harmony, not hierarchy, is the real goal.

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VKNguyen Van Kien

This statement highlights an essential truth about collaboration. Having power doesn’t mean dominating—it means contributing meaningfully without silencing others. In jazz, if everyone played as loudly as they could, it would be chaos. That feels like a lesson for leadership too: the strongest teams aren’t built on control but on mutual respect and the awareness of shared power.

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UGUser Google

I find this so insightful. It’s a reminder that creativity doesn’t exist in isolation. Every musician in a jazz band brings their own style, but they still have to listen and adapt to others. It’s a beautiful metaphor for life: power isn’t just about expression—it’s about restraint, timing, and connection. I wonder if true mastery comes from knowing when to lead and when to blend.

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