Carter Burwell Quotes

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Carter Burwell

Profession : Composer

Birth : November 19, 1955

Carefully execute every instruction given to you by the director, producer, and studio. But that would be a life not worth living.

Carter Burwell

I would like to do a science fiction film some day. Star Wars seems really to have destroyed the genre, which at one time offered great musical opportunities.

Carter Burwell

Connection is what one is after in probably most media, but certainly in film, which is an immersive medium.

Carter Burwell

Music is the subliminal connecting adhesive in film, or at least in narrative feature films.

Carter Burwell

I write music to please myself. Hopefully the director's enjoying it too.

Carter Burwell

How does my music connect to an audience? That is just a complete mystery to me.

Carter Burwell

All my music is very simple in that melody is usually clearly stated.

Carter Burwell

I almost never try to make the audience comfortable. I wouldn't want that if I were in the audience.

Carter Burwell

The jarring change going from an urban environment to an extremely remote natural environment is extremely inspiring. It's constantly stimulating, it's like a slap in the face.

Carter Burwell

There is not much irony when people are being happy on screen.

Carter Burwell

A carefree quality is a whole aspect of life that I will never understand. I don't think I have ever been carefree and can't see the pleasure of it.

Carter Burwell

Even if I went off to some other career, I hope I would still be doing Coen films.

Carter Burwell

Most films I work on, the people making the film are constantly second-guessing the executives of the studio, the producer, and the audience. It is very hard to accomplish anything in that situation.

Carter Burwell

John Barry was my hero when I was about 13. His scores to the James Bond movies were the scores of my life back then.

Carter Burwell

If someone suddenly lost their director the day before shooting and wanted me to step in, I'd be willing to. But I'd do brain surgery the same way. I'm always up for something new.

Carter Burwell

I had piano lessons when I was a kid, like most people. And hated them, like most people. And quit, like most people.

Carter Burwell

Performing written music, even when I've written it, is not very interesting to me.

Carter Burwell

Learning how to improvise really awakened my interest in music.

Carter Burwell

I have always loved Scottish music - all sorts of Celtic, Gaelic music.

Carter Burwell

I just love the sheer mess of New York.

Carter Burwell