12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

by Quincy Jones and The Weeknd

I’m often asked what my “formula for success” is, or what my road map is to becoming (at the time of this writing) the all-time most Grammy–nominated artist, but to be honest, there is no formula or road map, and if anyone tells you there is, they’re full of it.

Now, to provide you with a bit of background about the organizational structure of the book, the number twelve has always had a special meaning in my life. Nadia Boulanger, my former teacher in Paris, used to tell me, “Quincy, there are only twelve notes. Until God gives us thirteen, I want you to know what everybody did with those twelve.” Bach, Beethoven, Bo Diddley, everybody . . . it’s the same twelve notes. Isn’t it amazing? That’s all we have, and it’s up to each of us to create our own unique sound through a combination of rhythm, harmony, and melody.

• Nothing is more valuable than the people around me, and giving back is always better than receiving.
• We ALL have creative potential and we all deserve to realize it; it’s only a matter of whether or not we allow ourselves to fulfill it.

NOTE 1

• A When we really break it down, creativity is made up of two parts: science and soul (left and right brain). The scientific side is that which needs to be learned and practiced. But the soulful side (which is composed of emotions) is something that can’t be taught—it’s simply the essence of who you are as a human being.
• Well, the essence of who I am has been wrapped in so much trauma, that it was forced to find a way out, with creative expression as its method of escape. Growing up in an environment that stripped me of all ability to control my circumstances, creativity became the only way in which I could gain even an ounce of stability.
• I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs throughout my more than eighty-eight years on this planet (who you callin’ elderly?), but the most beautiful part about this age is being able to look back on each stage of life and see the visible threads that held it all together, when at times I could’ve sworn everything was falling apart. Music not only became one of those threads, but it assumed a very important role in my life. You see, I didn’t have a mother in the traditional sense, so in a way, I made music my mother.
• “Your mama’s not well.” A phrase I heard repeatedly throughout my childhood. A phrase that haunted me. A phrase that would subconsciously inform much of the way I operated in my later years. The crippling fear of developing dementia and becoming as crazy as she was began to set in and fill the crevices of my mind. Night after night, there seemed to be no escape.
• I’m convinced there are two kinds of people: those who have been properly nurtured and those who haven’t. There’s really nothing in between. When you’ve been nurtured, you know it, and when you haven’t, you really know it.
• Almost every night since my mother had been taken away to the Manteno State Hospital due to extreme bouts of dementia praecox—roughly two years before our in-person visit—I was afflicted by a very strange nightmare that seemed to pursue me no matter how hard I tried to shake it. 
• In each nightmare, as her presence continued to split into multiple figures, I discovered that in order to combat her voices, I had to raise my own. While still sitting and playing at the piano, I’d muster up enough energy to shout back in response, “Please, stop it! Somebody sing about love. Somebody sing about lovin’ me.” The more forcefully I declared this, the quicker her instructions would fall silent, and some semblance of sanity would be restored in the midst of another sleepless night. Little did I know that my response to her demands in my nightmares proved to be indicative of who I would become in the long run. 
• Although I hadn’t yet learned to play instruments at that age—I was only ten years old—it was as if the piano in my nightmares served to foreshadow the path that lay before me, and prove that music would be my weapon. I would use it not only to calm the voices in my head, but also to spread the sense of joy that I longed for. In some way, my words reflected a growing desire to be loved and to spread love. The type of love I wanted to see within my family. The type of love I longed for from my mother. 
  • Almost like his subconscious guiding him about the future… 

• Although my suffering and anger were real and valid, I learned the importance of not keeping it locked inside. As Mark Twain poignantly stated, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
• Over the course of my lifetime, it has seemed as though God has guided me with an internal feeling that my encounters weren’t meant to destroy me. Rather, they were meant to provide me with the empathy I needed to be able to relate to and help others in similar positions, to give me an undeniable drive that has propelled me into arenas of life that I never could’ve possibly dreamed of, and to generate the deep level of emotion that has been poured into every one of my musical creations. 
• I’m fortunate enough to have figured out that pain has a voice, and music is the method of escape for mine. Now, it feels as though it was always inside of me; I simply had to nurture it and allow it to speak. In a way, I guess that’s why so much of the music I’ve made since the has been about love. 

• The moment you slip into a victim mentality, not only are you faced with having to deal with external problems, but you’ve also given yourself a whole new set of internal problems that will only stunt your growth as both a human and a creative being.
• Creativity allows us to leave parts of our experiences and our heart with those on the receiving end. And whether it’s now, or long after we’ve left this planet, I believe there’s a reason for it all.
• But the only way I have even made it to this age is because I chose to learn and grow from my limitations.

Someone once told me that if you fully open your arms to receive love, you’ll get some scratches and cuts, but a lot of love will come in. If you close your arms, you might never get cut, but the good stuff will never come to you either.

• Life takes unexpected turns, and we may find ourselves in painful situations that we never could have prepared ourselves for. We’re all thrown different curveballs, and some may hit harder than others; however, I truly believe that with the proper attitude, the very thing that was intended to destroy you can become the thing that makes you stronger.

NOTE           A# 

• As I’ve learned throughout my lifetime, personal growth is just a journey from mind pollution to mind solution. In other words, you have to sift through the dirt of whatever situation it is that you find yourself in, so that your future isn’t polluted before you’ve even had a chance to create.
• I believe that our youth should have the freedom to grow into their fullest individual potential, but, unfortunately, society has constructed environments that don’t always foster equal faith in the future for all.
• Despite this, I’ve noticed that one of the main factors in my ability to outgrow my circumstances was my increased exposure to hope, and my relentless pursuit of it.Thank 
• Speaking of scars, I once had my hand nailed to a fence with a switchblade and an ice pick stabbed into my left temple simply because I didn’t have the right password to cross the street. With such conditions, a single ounce of control was all I wanted, and the only thing I saw that would offer it to me was earned under the “protection” of joining a gang.

I peered into one office and was about to close the door when all I saw was a little spinet piano in the corner. But with unquenchable curiosity, it was as if something deep inside ordered me to “Go back into that room!” I slowly walked over and ran my fingers across the keys. I’m telling you, it was as if every cell in my body yelled, “This is what you’re going to do the rest of your life!” I didn’t really understand what that feeling meant, but something about hearing the sound of the piano brought me peace. I didn’t know how it worked, or even how to play it, but each note I struck seemed to be paired with an increasing desire to understand how the sound was generated.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to get back to that piano. I longed for the sound of those notes day after day, and I eventually started climbing through the window of the locked rec center to try and play around on the piano. I managed to break in a few more times, until the kind old superintendent, Mrs. Ayres, caught on and began unlocking the door for me.

• I had never heard of those professions, but the books kept opening my eyes to a world of musical possibilities. I had a voracious appetite for understanding where music could take me,
• But despite my lack of skill, I had a subconscious attraction to the sound which piqued my curiosity. And, most important, Mr. Cook continuously provided me with the space to envision what I could 
• It’s important to recognize that the only reason I was able to envision a way out of the situation I was born into was because I was exposed to a hopeful path.
• I believe that survival is also an act of creativity. It’s a matter of seeking out new ways to stay inspired, and creating paths that lead to a better future for yourself, and in turn, others.
• The increasing amount of exposure to the idea that I could steer my life in a positive direction was enough for me to cling to and fight for. Subconsciously, that sense of hope slowly began to permeate other areas of my mind, body, and soul, and created space for an unexpected amount of potential.
• It was as if the passion that I discovered unlocked a hidden ability in me to thrive, instead of just existing to get by. My thoughts were no longer consumed by purposeless activities, but by dedicated curiosity. It was as if someone had lit a flame within me and I could finally see what had been lurking in the shadows.

With that in mind, I can only imagine how many people are out there with undiscovered potential or talent because they’ve never experienced a tangible sense of hope.

• While you may be more settled in your path, I believe that the statute of limitations for all personal traumas holding you back has expired (or should expire). If your current position isn’t what you envisioned, I’d encourage you to assess your past to understand how that plays into who you’ve become today.
• Life is a beautiful responsibility, but it’s also a beautiful burden. It’s ultimately yours to protect for the time you’ve been given. Whether you’re on the side of seeking out hope or in a position to help spread it, I’m telling you right now: You are more courageous than you think, wiser than you know, and more loved than you could ever imagine.
• Hope may be presented in different forms, but it’s always in the fine print. It’s not about starting out on top, but it’s about realizing how far you have to climb and then never giving up. And when I say never, I mean it. I don’t believe you ever reach the top, and well, if you do, you might not be dreaming big enough. If you can see it you can be it.

NOTE          B

• As we just discussed, being exposed to more than what is available to you in your immediate sphere of life is an important variable in the equation of growth. To put it simply, you gotta “go to know.” You’ve got to step outside of what is familiar to you because falling prey to comfort only prevents you from experiencing the fullness of life that different people, places, and languages have to offer. Not only will you be able to see more of the beauty that this planet has to offer, but, as a creator, you will in turn be able to reflect that in your art.
• We are all guilty of trying to compress others into what we are familiar with, but it’s time to get rid of the I-me-mine mentality, and start focusing on “we,” “us,” and “ours.” Not only does it make our communal human experience a more meaningful one, but it also provides a richer well of knowledge to draw from, making us more creative individuals.
• There are so many flavors in this rainbow we call life, and I hope you get to taste every single one of them. I’m grateful to have learned the lesson behind “go to know” at a very young age, and the best part is that you do not have to be a student for this lesson to apply. In fact, I’ve learned more on the road than I ever could’ve imagined.
• I’ve never stopped opening my heart and mind, and I think anyone who puts an expiration date on exploration because of their age puts themselves at an extreme disadvantage. When we close ourselves off to knowledge, we close ourselves off to our potential and true human connection.
• we had to take our mindset into our own hands.

One of the most important pieces of advice I received was from the legendary saxophonist Ben Webster (nicknamed “the Brute”) when I was twenty.

“Youngblood. Wherever you go in the world with Hamp, I want you to learn thirty to forty words in every language of every country you go to. If you learn the language, that’ll take you to the food and the music. Then I want you to listen to the same music they listen to and eat the same food they eat because the soul of a country is identified by its music, food, and language. You’ve simply got to go to know.”

• In a way, I felt as though Ben handed me the secret code to life. It absolutely flipped me upside down.
• I didn’t have to learn a whole language, or eat all of the food, or hear all of the music. I just had to be open to it in order to understand and appreciate what made different regions tick. Traveling helped me see things differently. More than anything, it also helped me to be seen differently.
• You can’t allow yourself to get so comfortable to the point where you wear ignorance as a badge and think it’s OK to not know what happened before you. It’s never cool not to know.
• Everything we do is an extension of the history that came before us, and if we don’t recognize it, we’re in danger of repeating some of the same nonsense that went down in the past. It’s a beautiful thing to reflect and learn, rather than to reject and repeat.
• So, if you only take away one thing from this Note, please hear me when I say, you gotta “go to know.” Je t’aime dix mille fois!

NOTE          C

• Establish guideposts in order to stay grounded in who you are. If you haven’t properly set up a foundation for yourself, there’s really no point in trying to learn how to become the best musician, or businesswoman, or actor, or whatever it is you want to be because it’ll come crashing down once you reach the first intersection of struggle and desperation. If you don’t know who you are from the start, you’ll lose yourself, at best, and let someone else decide for you, at worst.
• Although I have yet to find a one-size-fits-all method, I’ve personally found the practice of affirmations to be quite effective. I’m not going to get all spiritual on you, but there’s something to be said for the power of repetition.
• If you don’t want outside forces defining who you are, then you’ve got to combat those forces just as often with words and actions that remind you of your identity. Your success in any field is only as strong as the foundation that you create for yourself.
• After about ten months of dragging thirty-three people across Europe and having to come up with $4,800 a week just to cover their basic needs, everything within me was shutting down. My mind, body, and soul. I had been alive for twenty-six years, but it felt as though the weight of the world had aged me threefold.
• The pressure of trying to financially support thirty-three people in a foreign country plus the pressure of being known as a failure was unbearable; it was the first time in my life that I contemplated suicide. Not only did I think about it, but I thought deeply about how I would do it. Anything seemed more enticing than the mounting pressure I was under every day.
• With no alternatives, and as a last resort, I began to pray. I can’t even tell you how long I sat idle on the precipice of life and death. Whether it was minutes or hours later, something that my father used to tell me when I was a child began to seep down into the lower echelons of my mind: “You were created for a purpose.” I didn’t know exactly what that purpose was, but as I remained, deep in a state of turmoil and prayer, it was as if a light switch flipped on—a switch that illuminated a newfound hope in an unknown future. Even if it was the last thing I did, I had to make one last attempt to keep going. Mentally and physically.
• I had never cried in front of my band before, but man, there’s a first time for everything. It was the most embarrassing feeling to look my bandmates in the eyes and know that I had completely let them down.
• The whole ordeal proved to me how deceptively easy it is to fall into a trap of losing sight of myself. Above all, it awoke a sense of urgency in me to figure out how I would move forward. Under the veil of guilt, shame, and suicidal thoughts, I made a promise to recite affirmations to myself every single day.
• I didn’t really know where to start because articulating my purpose in life seemed too daunting of a task, but I simply started with verbalizing and affirming the type of person I desired to be, in tandem with language about the standard of character I had already demonstrated. Over time, it gave way to a deeper sense of belief in my future, which extended far beyond myself. The beautiful thing about this practice is that the repetitiveness of it served to rewire my subconscious mind by mitigating negative thoughts that attempted to take control.
• So, figure out what your guideposts look like for you, and set them up early. And when I say early, I’m not referring to age; it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been on this planet because, sure, the past is the past, but the future is also the future. There’s always time to get on the right track.
• Speaking of mysteries, there’s no telling what life might throw your way. But what should remain firm is your foundation.
• With a general understanding that our thoughts play an important role in the direction of our paths, it’s essential to remain proactive in training those thoughts to continue pointing north, with the assistance of guideposts, whatever form they may come in for you. Personally, not a single day passes that I don’t start my waking moments with my affirmations—the ultimate navigation system that has helped me not only make it to more than eighty-eight, but also live to more than eighty-eight.

NOTE           C#

As the saying goes, “The only time you’ll see ‘success’ before ‘work’ is in the dictionary.”

• The underlying principle of this statement reminds me of Thomas Edison’s quote: “Success is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.” He really hit the nail on the head, because achieving success in any field, both professionally and personally, takes hard work. You can’t sit around expecting opportunities to come your way; and when you ultimately receive them, you’ve got to be prepared to deliver.
• “Once a task has just begun, never leave it ’til it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.” It didn’t matter what the task was, I just knew that I needed to complete it to the best of my abilities.
  • I think it’s important to have the tenacity to push through but you need to be aware enough to understand when it makes me sense to quit or pivot. 

• In fact, my biggest fear has always been not being prepared for a great opportunity. “Fear” is a bad word in my book, because it’s helpless. When you allow yourself to settle into a mindset of fear, you default to the assumption that you’re not capable, or worthy enough to handle the task at hand. That’s a risky place to be in, because instead of allowing yourself to prove that you are capable, you convince yourself that you aren’t, before you even get started. But if you’re prepared for anything that might get thrown your way, then nothing can scare you.
• I’m telling you, my work with Frank Sinatra didn’t happen by chance. It happened because I had sharpened my tools and mastered the craft I set out to pursue.
• When you get the call, you won’t have time to sit around and figure out if you can do it. If you prepare yourself in advance, you’ll be able to accept whatever comes your way without even having to spend a second thinking about it.
• Everything in your life is a chain reaction, and your ability to deliver will usually be judged based on your last encounter.
• Good luck usually follows the collision of opportunity and preparation, so you’ve got to be prepared.

NOTE          D

• it confirmed that in order to become the best at what I set out to do, being emotionally invested in my music wasn’t enough. Rather, I needed to understand the science behind my craft, or as I like to say, “Sharpen my left brain.”
• I’m convinced that music consists of two parts—soul and science—which are products of the right and left brain. On one hand, music is an expression of our emotions, but on the other hand, music is a science that is structured around the mathematical relationship between pitch and time (the study of music theory).
• Although it might seem counterintuitive, unrestricted creativity usually leads to chaos because there is no strategy involved. Freedom is only realized within a well-defined structure; As the great Pablo Picasso established, “You’ve got to know the rules in order to break them.” Music is a science that needs to be carefully studied.
• I learned that every single method of effective communication utilizes psychology.
  • For example, the most powerful type of commercial is one that has a bass or baritone voiceover, paired with words written across the screen in big bold capitalized letters, so you simultaneously hear what you see. This was all done under the scientific reasoning that the subconscious mind typically retains 10 percent of what is heard and 30 percent of what is seen. So, when you pair audio and visual components, you’ve automatically secured 40 percent of the viewer’s attention.

• As a film scorer, I’ve set out to study nearly every element of filmmaking and scoring so that my left brain is properly prepared for any task.
• When you think about the role of the human brain, it’s as if we’ve been given a computer that we can either choose to load with software and enhance the operation of, or leave sitting idle. It’s completely up to you how you use it, but the sooner you acknowledge that the quality of your output is directly proportional to the input of your effort, the closer you will be to unlocking your fullest creative potential.

NOTE           D#

• I know we just talked a lot about the importance of sharpening your left brain, but don’t get it twisted: There still needs to be a balance of science and soul. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of paralysis from analysis. In other words, you may get so caught up in your own thoughts, or logistics thereof, that you wind up suffocating your artistry.
• Now, I know I’m not the only one who has ever hit a wall when it comes to writing music or creating, but the only thing that really matters in this business is how quickly you can get “unstuck.” I believe one of the main reasons I’ve been fortunate enough to have had such a lasting career is the fact that I’ve learned how to get out of my own way.

There’s no single formula for creativity, but if I had to choose one, this would be it. I’m telling you right now, learning this lesson might just be the difference between you landing or losing your next gig.

• It’s about first getting into a position that allows you to create freely, without internal judgment.
• I had to keep chipping away at all of those thoughts until there was absolutely nothing left but the truth—that is, my soul and the message it wanted to communicate. Having tried it myself, I don’t think you can write or create anything worthwhile if you suppress your instincts and emotions. You’ve got to be sitting deep in truth in order to create truth.

It pretty much comes down to: 

1. Not putting yourself in a box 
2. Listening to your gut instincts 
3. The Goosebump Test 
4. A great song and story

• This show was the embodiment of Duke’s philosophy that “there are only two kinds of music: good music and the other kind.” After we wrapped, Duke gave me what would become one of my most prized possessions: a signed photograph with the inscription “To Q, who will be the one to de-categorize American music.” I took it to heart and ever since have tried to do just that. This mentality has been integral to my creative success because attempting to close the gaps between genres has allowed me to defy what is traditionally possible. I’ve never stayed within a single lane. Instead, as soon as I reach the end of one, I hop right on over to the next.
• When asked, “How are we to regard our instincts?” I turn to the author Malcolm Gladwell. He explained it best when he said, “Well, we ought to take them seriously. They can be really good, or they can be terrible and mislead us horribly. But in both cases, we have an obligation to take them seriously and to acknowledge they are playing a role. The mistake is to dismiss them.”
• “insight is not a lightbulb that goes off inside our heads. It is a flickering candle that can easily be snuffed out.” It’s the perfect analogy because we so often dismiss our greatest ideas, thinking they’re supposed to make some type of grand entrance when, in reality, they may often just present themselves in the form of a whisper.
• This is why it is essential to quiet your conscious mind and, instead, tap into your subconscious mind—the part that guides your intuition and ability to hear those whispers.
• I’ve decided that I don’t believe in writer’s block. It’s not a block; rather, it’s the need to move into an alpha state so you can hear what your heart is trying to tell you. Only then can you quiet your conscious mind and tap into your subconscious, which helps you think more clearly without internal judgment.
• The composer Leonard Bernstein, a long time friend of mine, told me that he and his writing partner Stephen Sondheim wrote the classic musical West Side Story completely in an alpha state. He would lie on the couch, prop one leg over the side, and relax until reaching the point between being awake and falling asleep. That’s when he wrote the music.
  • Edison may have relied on slumber to spur his creativity. The inventor is said to have napped while holding a ball in each hand, presuming that, as he fell asleep, the orbs would fall to the floor and wake him.
• I’ve heard fellow collaborators say, “Quincy just sits there with his head in his hands while in the studio,” but little do they know that it’s because I’m deep in my creative process. Also, whenever I’m producing for other artists, I make sure to schedule our sessions late in the night when the musicians are getting sleepy, just so they can’t overthink when recording their parts. Without fail, and often without even recognizing it, they deliver their best performances right as they begin to slip into an alpha state.
• Learning this method of creation largely influenced my ability to turn out so much music because I didn’t allow myself to block what was naturally coming through me. I believe we are a terminal for a higher power, and that your creativity comes through you, not solely from you.
• Creativity is informed by what you feel, not what you think, and learning to tune into those feelings is what is ultimately going to carry you through when distractions come.

“The Goosebump Test” 

• If the music I’m creating gives me goosebumps, odds are it’ll do the same for at least one other person on this planet. But if it doesn’t move me at all, and I’m trying to do it for the sake of getting a reaction out of someone else, I’ll get stuck in a never-ending cycle of mediocrity.
• I swear by this assessment because I get goosebumps every time something really touches me: music, movies, poetry, all of it. If I don’t feel it, then there’s nothing to talk about.
  • There is something about beauty and quality that touches us to our core. 
  • Great songs do have identifiable characteristics and qualities, though, with the common denominator being connection. Pure connection.
• So, regardless of what you are told or think you should be, never put yourself in a box, listen to your gut instincts and lean into the whispers, always go for the goosebumps, and strip everything down until you know you’ve got a great song or story. In short, move out of your way so that you can make way for what is to come naturally.

NOTE          E

• There is another major component that isn’t always within your control: the opinions of others. Naysayers have repeatedly told me that I wasn’t good enough or smart enough to achieve my goals, but I’m fortunate to have learned the power of being underestimated. If people overestimate you, they get in your way, but if they underestimate you, they get out. 
  • For example, if people place high expectations on you, the pressure of trying to avoid failure can become a significant distraction to your progress. If there are no, or low, expectations placed on you, then you have the freedom to create without scrutiny. Once I got over being told I was unqualified or unworthy, the doubtful feeling that I wasn’t good enough ultimately became the fuel that propelled me forward.

NOTE          F

• I can still say that I feel like I’m just getting started at eighty-eight years old. Rather, it’s because I learned the significance of dreaming big. More specifically, I learned the importance of never fully catching up to my dreams, and maintaining sizable goals to help me achieve them. 
  • “When I was 15 years old, I had a very important person in my life come to me and say “who’s your hero?” And I said, “I don’t know, I gotta think about that. Give me a couple of weeks.” I come back two weeks later, this person comes up and says “who’s your hero?” I said, “I thought about it. You know who it is? It’s me in 10 years.” So I turned 25. Ten years later, that same person comes to me and says, “So, are you a hero?” And I was like, “not even close. No, no, no.” She said, “Why?” I said, “Because my hero’s me at 35.” So you see every day, every week, every month and every year of my life, my hero’s always 10 years away. I’m never gonna be my hero. I’m not gonna attain that. I know I’m not, and that’s just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”- Matthew McConaughey 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT2f-WM86oQ

• I’ve definitely reached moments where I’ve wanted to throw in the towel, but knowing that I still have much to accomplish gives me a sense of excitement about what is to come. I never allow myself to get so comfortable with my past that I neglect the possibilities of my future. 
• To me, settling isn’t a neutral position; rather, its only charge is negative, because it’s the equivalent of losing momentum in the middle of an upward climb. So, if I don’t set audacious goals and stretch myself to try and achieve them, then I’ll never know what I am capable of.

Our minds are limited, so we tend to place limitations on ourselves from the jump, but I’ve found beauty in the unknown by simply giving my mind the freedom to explore. Learning to keep myself stocked with oversize dreams is what has led me down endless roads of opportunities.

• Whenever I hear the phrase “That’s never been done before,” I feel like a lion being thrown some meat. It immediately piques my interest and points me in the direction of my next challenge. I never know what I’m going to find, but the more I push myself, the more I surprise myself.

Ubuntu

• The concept of Ubuntu, a word that derives from the Zulu phrase “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which basically means the collective is always greater than the individual. As I previously mentioned, it’s not about “I, Me & Mine”; it’s about “We, Us & Ours.” When we seek to create change on a singular level, we ultimately create change for others beyond ourselves.
• I’ve moved forward in pursuit of excellence, regardless of the task,
• This world needs your gifts and talents. If you don’t step up to the plate, then who will? Giving yourself the permission to dream and do what’s never been done before gives others permission to do the same.

Big dreams don’t come without big failures. 

• Things will get tough and you will make mistakes. Repeatedly. We’re human and we’re going to flounder, but it’s what you do to get back up that matters.
• If I allowed myself to stay in the downward swings, then I’d still be there. Similarly, if you miss the mark on your first try, don’t give up. Success is a cumulative process; it’s not a one-time event.
• When you’re just starting out, it’s one mess-up after another. Winning one, then losing the next. After a little while, the “mess-ups” turn into valuable experiences. The more opportunities you have to win, lose, or barely make, the more chances you’ll have to convert those experiences into fuel. You don’t learn as much just from winning or playing it safe.
• You may not be able to do everything on your own, but by being the spark that ignites the flame, you just might be the impetus for change that you never thought was possible, helping to prevent the “firsts” from being the “onlys.”
• Pisces dream a lot, but I know my rising sign, which is Leo, and he says, “Enough dreaming, sucker. Let’s execute.” Even when I was shining shoes, I developed an attitude like I’m going to give everything that’s in me to the process. I save nothing. I say to my kids, “Empty the cup every time. It always comes back twice as full when you’re giving.”

NOTE           F#

• I must lead this Note with a warning: If you do everything correctly, but don’t take heed to this next lesson I’m about to share, then it will all go to waste. 
  • So, please hear me when I say that you need to work on yourself just as much as you work on your art. As my former music teacher Nadia Boulanger always used to tell me, “Quincy, your music can never be more or less than you are as a human being.” It doesn’t matter how talented you are—or how many number-one hits you get—if you don’t work on who you are, first.

• Everything in this business, and life, revolves around relationships—the people you meet, and most important, how you treat them. You’ve really only got one shot at a reputation, and how you handle the relationships

NOTE          G

• legendary trumpeter Clark Terry. Clark, or Sac, as we used to call each other (short for sack-a-doo-doo! That’s our bebop sense of humor for ya \(^o^)/) was hands down one of the best trumpet players, and his passion for mentorship was one of his greatest gifts to this planet. He changed my life, Miles Davis’s life, Herbie Hancock’s life, and the lives of everyone else he chose to invest in. His belief in me as a kid greatly impacted the course of my career, and as my very first trumpet teacher, his encouragement has fueled me ever since, even after his passing in 2015. His entire ninety-five years of life exemplified one of the most special lessons I’ve ever learned: the importance of mentorship, as both a mentor and mentee, a symbiotic relationship that has the power to transform lives.
• Simultaneously, Clark, Justin, and I all have synesthesia, which is a neurological condition in which the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to an automatic trigger of another sensory or cognitive pathway. For instance, when we hear music, we see corresponding colors.
  • Quincy also has a photographic memory and I find it interesting that this is the only time in his biography he mentions Synesthesia and doesn’t mention he has a photographic memory. 

“We go faster alone but further together.”

NOTE           G#

• • Now that we’ve reached the final Note in the scale, I must say that it’s wonderful to achieve goals and reach a certain level of success, but when it’s all said and done, what’s the point? It’s a question that I’ve been faced with many, many times, after having almost faced death many, many times. If you’re not careful, stacking up material accomplishments and possessions may provide a temporary sense of fulfillment, but only at the juncture of life and death did I come to learn that the simple, yet complex, gift of living life itself is the ultimate achievement.
  • Although experiencing a sense of loss may indirectly help you appreciate life in the long run, there’s absolutely nothing like celebrating while you’re still living it.
  • Life is an absolute trip and you never know what’s going to come next. But, I’m telling you right now: Recycle your pain, if you can see it you can be it, go to know, establish your guideposts, always be prepared for a great opportunity, sharpen your left brain, avoid paralysis from analysis, understand the power of being underestimated, do what’s never been done before, value relationships, and most important, recognize the beauty and inherent value of life. And tell your family—I’m not just talking about blood relatives—that you love them. Tell your friends you miss them. Be there for people, not only when they need you, but even when they don’t.

• At the end of the day, give life your full attention. When you step outside, take a moment to appreciate the seemingly unimportant details that you’ve neglected: from the feeling of receiving a nice warm hug from a friend whom you haven’t seen in years, to the simplicity of being able to think and act on your thoughts. How incredibly astonishing. As minuscule as they may seem, not everyone has the same opportunities, and if you’re sitting here reading this book right now, odds are you have some type of privilege that has even allowed you to read in the first place.

• By transforming my mindset into one that’s being present and grateful for every moment, I’ve found that the quality of my life and work has immensely improved. People keep asking me how I still have so much energy in my late eighties, and why I’m still actively engaged in the creative process, in both my own art and that of others. Well, my answer is, you can either choose to use what you’ve got, or lose what you’ve got, so I’m going to keep on usin’ it.

• But it doesn’t happen by accident. I had, and still have, to nurture my desire to grow as a human, regardless of whether or not it directly relates to my career. After all is said and done, as long as I’m alive and able to, I can and will keep creating. And as long as you’re alive and able, you can and should keep creating. There is always more to experience, to make, and to share.