Alexander Shelley
8 statements across 1 episodes · 1 bullish · 1 bearish · 1 people on the record · first statement Mar 18, 2016 by Alexander Shelley · across every show →
On the record as a speaker too: Alexander Shelley's record, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.
Everything said about Alexander Shelley, oldest first
Mar 18, 2016
Civilizations achieve historical greatness through cultural output, not accumulated wealth
“Countries are only really great if they have great culture. It's not like it's then you have a great country, and then you add culture. When we look back at history, we don't, you know, count how much money different civilizations have, because it's all relati…”
Mar 18, 2016
Conducting requires a meditative flow state interrupted only for micro-adjustments
“The correct state of mind for a conductor while performing is, even though I don't meditate, I have some, I have a close friend who meditated when he was growing up, and he just used to describe it to me, and actually the experience of conducting is very simil…”
Mar 18, 2016
Leaders must exercise authority to prevent paralyzing group indecision
“And frankly, as a conductor, you have to have both elements up your sleeve. It doesn't mean you have to be rude to people, although that's also an option. There have been some very rude conductors, but you have to sometimes just draw a line with an orchestra f…”
Mar 18, 2016 neutral
Orchestral players must stay in sync with distant instruments they cannot hear
“When you're sitting in an orchestra what you're hearing is sometimes completely weird. So, you know, the oboist hears most loudly the man or woman sitting next to him, and then the person does right. So another oboe, another flute, the bassoon's coming from be…”
Mar 18, 2016 negative
Treating arts education as an optional extra misunderstands its intellectual rigor
“This idea that arts in school is an optional extra. It belies a complete Misunderstanding of what the arts are. Because if you're doing it properly, you have to engage your intellectual mind as well as, in fact, I don't know what the other mind is supposed to …”
Mar 18, 2016 neutral
Mar 18, 2016
Music functions like mathematics through formal structures and analytical relationships
“There's actually an awful lot of form in music. It's like maths. It really is like maths. That's why a lot of mathematicians love music as well, because it's all about structures and forms and about relationships.”
Mar 18, 2016 positive
Optimal orchestral listening is 40 feet behind the conductor's podium
“The spot that's better for listening to an orchestra is about 40 feet behind me, because there the sound blends differently. You have, maybe not quite the level of impact that I get where I am, but the blended sound is better out there”