Jay McShann Quotes

Music to me is something I did as a hobby.

Painting is something that you need to do, if not every day, then certainly most days. It is almost like being a pianist: if you stop, you lose something.

Well, if you find a note tonight that sounds good, play the same damn note every night!

When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren't the people who are motivated, but have consistency in their motivation.

I can't even imagine something being more fun than playing James Brown onstage.

At a crude estimate, I must have played 'Thunder Road' 1,500 times.

It's great fun to play with a really good band.

It definitely helps when you play regularly instead of coming in and out of the team.

I don't want to be part of a band unless it's fun.

Consistency is always the best teacher.

It's always fun to play songs by somebody else.

Excellence is not a single act. You are what you repeatedly do.

I will work day after day like I did my whole life ... I'm not going to change anything.

It’s not what you do some of the time that counts, it’s what you do all of the time that counts.

Put 'going the extra mile' to work as part of one's daily habit

With passion, if you see the first asparagus of the springtime and you become passionate about it, so much the better, but three weeks later, when you’ve seen that asparagus every day now, passions have subsided. What’s going to make you treat the asparagus the same? It’s the desire.

Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there. Make motivation a habit and you will get there more quickly and have more fun on the trip.

From the age of 14 until I was 50, I just got on a treadmill and ran. I never stopped to assess what I was doing or to pat myself on the back.

Stage is really hard work. You've got to do it every night. Not like doing it once and walking away.

It's dogged as does it. It ain't thinking about it.

habit is our idea of eternity.

Sometimes I apologize. It started that way and we never did change it.

Discipline is consistency of action.

Make the second effort your second nature.

I play every day. It's like a habit for me now. I just, if I don't play, I kind of miss - something's off.