"A musicologist is a man who can read music but can't hear it"
- Thomas Beecham
About this Quote
This quote by Thomas Beecham is a funny way of explaining the difference between a musicologist and a musician. A musicologist is somebody who studies music, but does not necessarily have the ability to perform it. They have the ability to check out music and understand its structure and history, however they might not be able to hear the music in the very same method a musician can. This quote suggests that a musicologist is not able to value the charm of music in the same method a musician can, as they are unable to hear it. It is an amusing method of mentioning the difference in between the 2 occupations. While a musicologist may have the ability to understand the technical aspects of music, they may not have the ability to value the feeling and sensation that features it. This quote is a pointer that music is more than simply keeps in mind on a page, and that it is necessary to appreciate the charm of music.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away"
"We worked very hard to make the lyrics suit the music. I can't, like Elton John, for example, compose by lyrics. Elton has a great talent for that. Whatever you give him, including your questions, he composes in half an hour and makes a great song out of it"
