On Staying True — Vince Guaraldi
"I feel I bought in"
— Vince Guaraldi, responding when asked if scoring
Peanuts Specials meant he'd "sold out."
Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash
Vince Guaraldi never planned on being remembered for a cartoon. He was a respected San Francisco jazz pianist, already a Grammy winner, known among serious musicians long before anyone outside jazz circles knew his name. Then a producer heard his song on the radio, and a few years later, Guaraldi found himself scoring music for a children's Christmas special nobody expected to succeed.
Some musicians would have called that beneath them. When people asked if he'd sold out, he didn't flinch. "I feel I bought in," he said. Not resigned. Not apologetic. He'd found a way to reach more people with real music than most jazz musicians ever do — and he never stopped treating it as serious work.
He didn't chase the spotlight. When it found him,
he simply kept playing.
Molins J.
Where in your life have you mistaken staying true to yourself
for staying small?
If this resonated, you might also enjoy: On Legacy — Emanuel Swedenborg and On Restraint — Naomi Osaka