My brother died of cancer two years ago (1998), renal cell carcinoma. He was my only real brother and I didn't know what to do. I'd never been so desperate in my life. Quincy Jones More Quotes by Quincy Jones More Quotes From Quincy Jones Not one ounce of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me. Quincy Jones depends self-worth acceptance Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind. Quincy Jones greatness love-you children I've been driven all my life by a spirit of adventure and a criminal level of optimism. I believed in my dreams because they were my only option. The people who make it to the top are addicted to their calling. You have to honor the gift God has given you. The people who get the call are the ones who'd be doing whatever it is they love, even if they weren't being paid. Quincy Jones dream adventure people You can study orchestration, you can study harmony and theory and everything else, but melodies come straight from God. Quincy Jones harmony music study Let's not get too full of ourselves. Let's leave space for God to come into the room. Quincy Jones space rooms Music was the one thing I could control. It was the one world that offered me freedom. When I played music, my nightmares ended. My family problems disappeared. I didnt have to search for answers. The answers lay no further than the bell of my trumpet and my scrawled, pencilled scores. Music made me full, strong, popular, self-reliant and cool. Quincy Jones strong self answers I learned real early why God gave us two ears and one mouth, because you're supposed to listen twice as much as you talk. Quincy Jones real ears two You Make Your Mistakes To Learn How To Get To The Good Stuff Quincy Jones mistake stuff Every day, my daddy told me the same thing. 'Once a task is just begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.' Quincy Jones daddy tasks done The people who make it to the top - whether they're musicians, or great chefs, or corporate honchos - are addicted to their calling ... [they] are the ones who'd be doing whatever it is they love, even if they weren't being paid. Quincy Jones loving-what-you-do motivational inspirational Imagine what a harmonious world it could be if every single person, both young and old shared a little of what he is good at doing. Quincy Jones family happiness love What happens when you get a big break and you haven't prepared yourself? That becomes the biggest mistake you've ever made. I see it happen all the time. Quincy Jones biggest-mistake break mistake Every day you must be able to say, I have to get up because I'm needed by someone. As long as you have that, you're healthy. Quincy Jones healthy long The process is the most beautiful part. Quincy Jones process beautiful I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth." Quincy Jones smile happiness funny Excellence isn't an act, it's a habit Quincy Jones habit excellence It has been proven time and time again in countless studies that students who actively participate in arts education are twice as likely to read for pleasure, have strengthened problem-solving and critical thinking skills, are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair. Quincy Jones math art thinking I used to practice piano for hours, and now, with a synthesizer, you can input the music and the machine perfects the song. That's why we have so many people in the music business who should be plumbers. They don't really understand music because they haven't been trained. Quincy Jones hours song people Jazz has the power to make men forget their differences and come together... Jazz is the personification of transforming overwhelmingly negative circumstances into freedom, friendship, hope, and dignity. Quincy Jones differences music men There’s nothing in the world worse than having an opportunity that you’re not prepared for. Good luck usually follows the collision of opportunity and preparation - it’s a result of that collision. You’ve got to be prepared. So, make your mistakes now and make them quickly. If you’ve made the mistakes, you know what to expect the next time. That’s how you become valuable. Quincy Jones good-luck mistake opportunity
