A Quote by Van Cliburn

Everything I chose, I had already played in concert. For the competition, I wanted to pick pieces I know that people like. — © Van Cliburn
Everything I chose, I had already played in concert. For the competition, I wanted to pick pieces I know that people like.
I haven't had a chance to pick where I wanted to play since 2007 when I chose to go to Michigan State.
And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again, that at best there might eventually be a little contentment. Everyone wanted me to get help and rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn’t have to anymore.
I first played the Royal Albert Hall when I was 14. I was a violinist with the Birmingham Schools Concert Orchestra, and we travelled down from the Midlands for the last night of the School Proms. We played some pieces from the Harry Potter films, and the violin parts were really hard.
I got everything I wanted. When I was young in Kansas City, I knew nothing about Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, of all those concert halls, of all those countries. I did not know what it was like to direct a band... All I wanted was to be big, to be in show-business, and to travel...and that's what I've been doing all my life.
Even though I played in the NBA, we tried to give our kids as normal a life as possible. We gave them everything they needed, not everything they wanted, and they had to work for what they wanted. I think that mentality helped.
If you truly don't have competition, then zoom out until you can define some. Competition can be as simple as the reliance on the status quo, Microsoft (since at some point Microsoft will compete with everyone for everything), or researchers in universities. Pick something, because saying you have no competition at all is a nonstarter.
I was 16, I just wanted to do something in my life. I wanted to be healthy, I wanted to lose some weight and I went for my first training. In the beginning I didn't know what Muay Thai meant. You know? But I liked it so much, and after six months of training I had my first competition in Poland. I won, and after that I knew that I wanted to do it.
I like to pick one piece that pops against everything else. I like flashy shirts, or I'll wear a simple shirt with a fancy tie. I also like vintage pieces, more stand-out ones.
I could have been Mr. America if I wanted to be, but I chose wrestling. I could have played pro-football, but I chose wrestling.
I had great relationships with all the four coaches I played under at Real Madrid. They all helped me improve, but if I had to pick the best, I would pick Ancelotti.
In 1939, a newspaper ran a competition for the first load of boys off to war to pick their favourite singer. They chose me from my radio broadcasts. That's when I became known as the 'forces' sweetheart.'
There are five of us. We've all played in various bands together, in different combinations. I know that Todd [Cook] and Tony [Bailey] are my favorite rhythm section - they're just like a unit. I guess we've all just played together in various capacities, so when the band was coming together, it was sort of like we just chose members because they had similar sensibilities and also because they're just cool. We all got along real well.
Two weeks later, we played our first concert and had 100 people there. It was pretty cool.
My first concert isn't that cool or ironic. I wish it had been like, "My first concert was the Backstreet Boys," but the first concert I went to, I think, was this band called The Samples.
I'm not a frustrated concert composer, and the concert pieces I've done have been a small part of my work. What I've sought there is instruction, variation from the demands of film and relief from its restrictions.
I had played some festivals with people and met and been around some good people, for sure. But what I say to my friends and students, anything like that with a grant or a competition, it involves a great deal of luck.
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