Julia Holter Quotes

What is music anyway? It's a form of communication, and that's why I play the kind of music that I think - that I hope - can communicate with people.

There is no music that can't be used politically, but the motives behind the creation of that music can be non-political.

I really sing songs that move me. I'm not in show business. I'm in the communications business. That's what it's for me.

I think the world is very much embracing this whole concept of musicians going out and playing their instruments and playing music for music as opposed to music that has something to do with some form of image or imagery.

Sure, I love people, and I want to communicate with people. I mean, what is music anyway? It's a form of communication - at least for me it is. And that's why I play the kind of music that I think - that I hope - can communicate with people.

People make music to get a reaction. Music is communication.

That was when I realised that music is the most profound, magical form of communication there is.

That's why I do this music business thing, it's communication with people without having the extreme inconvenience of actually phoning anybody up.

Music is the major form of communication. It's the commonest vibration, the people's news broadcast, especially for kids.

The songs become the show, which is how it should be.

Music is a very personal and emotional form of communication.

When I sing, I try to communicate certain emotions, and that's the voice that comes out.

I think a guitar solo is how my emotion is most freely released, because verbal articulation isn't my strongest communication strength. My wife thinks that I should do interviews by listening to the questions and playing the answer on guitar.

Sometimes if the point of a piece of music is to open a conversation with other people, it's really hard to open that conversation if you're telling people exactly what to do or feel or think.

I guess I'm kind of a sucker for the emotion of music. I guess it's kind of odd, but it's the way I appreciate music. I present my stuff that way as well.

I think my music is a way of communicating very directly with people and with people's emotions. I try to make music that doesn't need layers of complexity or obfuscation to speak to people.

That's the cool thing that music can do: make you feel this or that way. That's all I've ever wanted to achieve - I'm a music guy, you know? That's my occupation.

Not follow me but follow the lyrics.

As I understand life at different levels, I can use music to express what these levels feel like to me. Hopefully the listener can be transported to this understanding by listening to the music.

I like working with sound; sound and rhythm. I like the abstract more than "What does that mean?" Nobody ever says to you, "Why did you use a harmonium?" Or "What is that ringing sound that occurs here?" The questions are always "What does that song mean?" or "What were you trying to say here?"

What I am after, above all, is expression.

On the one hand it is said that the aim and object of music is to excite emotions, i.e., pleasurable emotions; on the other hand, the emotions are said to be the subject matter which musical works are intended to illustrate. Both propositions are alike in this, that one is as false as the other.

Music might be defined as a system of proportions in the service of a spiritual impulse

I want to communicate. I do; every artist does. That's why you're an artist.

The generalizing writer is like the passionate drunk, stumbling into your house mumbling: I know I'm not being clear, exactly, but don't you kind of feel what I'm feeling?