I had never thought that I would be involved in narrative structures. As a young guy, I was more interested in abstract modeling. But as I got older, I began to see that there was no reason to limit myself to any intellectual or conceptual postulate, when in fact I'm a professional student of music.
— Anthony Braxton
I have learned through time that not everyone is interested in the kinds of things that fascinate me.
The word music is a convenient way to talk about what I'm interested in, but actually, in some ways, it's a limitation.
Most African Americans, especially the men and women from my generation, would accept the nationalist gambit that says only European Americans can be racists, which is an interesting gambit.
I thank the Creator of the universe to have discovered the discipline of music was the greatest gift that I could have been given, the possibility to be a student working in the world.
My work has been marginalized as far as the jazz-business complex is concerned, or the contemporary-music complex.
Growing up in the '50s and being in the '60s, in that revolutionary time space, I thought freedom was what I was looking for. Slowly but surely, it became clear that the last thing I was interested in was freedom. Because if you're going to be free, you have to be free from something.
I am interested in the study of music and the discipline of music and the experience of music and music as a esoteric mechanism to continue my real intentions.
I am viewed as the Negro who has gone outside of the categories assigned to me.
I'm seeking to have an art that is engaged as a way for saying, 'Hurray for unity.'
Everybody in America is angry about something.
I would find myself backing away from all of the 'isms', all of the communities. I have always been able to be misused by every community But that is OK. I would rather be misused than neglected.
So, yes, I am in the underground, but actually, it feels like home.
