Esperanza Spalding Quotes, born Esperanza Emily Spalding on October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon, is an American jazz bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer whose innovative blend of jazz, funk, soul, and world music has redefined the genre. Rising to prominence with her 2006 debut album Junjo, she became the first jazz artist to win the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011, beating out pop giants like Justin Bieber and Drake.
A prodigy who played violin in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five, Spalding later taught herself bass and guitar, earning scholarships to Portland State University and Berklee College of Music, where she became a professor at 20. Her albums, including Esperanza (2008) and Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021), showcase her genre-defying artistry.
These 15 quotes—sourced from her songs, interviews, and posts on X—reflect her thoughts on creativity, authenticity, resilience, and the transformative power of music.
15 Esperanza Spalding Quotes
- “I’m not gonna sit around and waste my precious divine energy trying to explain and be ashamed of things you think are wrong with me.”
- “You can grow up with literally nothing and you don’t suffer if you know you’re loved and valued.”
- “Jazz music just resonates with the frequency of me.”
- “There’s enough time in the day: If you go to bed at 10 and start your day at 6, there’s a lot you can do in a day!”
- “Alchemy and magic are about how mundane, benign, and abundant materials can have an effect that is greater than the sum of their parts. To me, creativity is alchemy.”
- “I am insubordinate by nature. I can’t help it.”
- “I love people, and I love to be with people and to make music with people, but my natural state is to revert back to being by myself in my house, which is cool because that’s where I practice and write and listen and study.”
- “There’s nothing wrong with struggle. Anytime I look back at a difficult phase of my life and see what grew out of it—the creative survival tactics—I think that the good is way better than the bad.”
- “I just think music is so intrinsically linked with images in the culture that we live in that you’ll be hard-pressed to have an experience with the music without a preconceived notion.”
- “Jazz has always been a melting pot of influences and I plan to incorporate them all.”
- “I fear that I won’t get better and that I won’t have time to practice. To be called a jazz musician—it’s a big responsibility.”
- “My name means ‘hope’ in Spanish and it’s a name I want to live up to.”
- “There’s no secret, no shortcut. Once you accept that being a writer or a creator is just really hard and takes a lot of hours of slogging through crappy first drafts, you just keep producing, and then you turn around and it’s done. That’s the magic.”
- “The benefit of the radio is, something beyond your realm of knowledge can surprise you, can enter your realm of knowledge.”
- “I want to have a beneficial effect on your physiology, but it’s not my business what happens after that… It’s my gift to you.”
Esperanza Spalding’s quotes radiate her fearless creativity, deep love for music, and commitment to living authentically, inspiring fans to embrace their unique paths. Which one strikes a chord with you? Drop it in the comments and keep her jazz-soul vibe alive!
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
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