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Abigail Washburn Quotes

Powerful Abigail Washburn for Daily Growth

About Abigail Washburn

Abigail Washburn, an acclaimed American folk musician and banjo player, was born on January 14, 1981, in Tennessee to two prominent missionaries. Growing up, she lived in China for much of her childhood due to her parents' work, which significantly influenced her musical tastes and career. Inspired by the rich folk music culture of Appalachia that she discovered upon returning to the United States, Washburn honed her skills on the banjo, a traditional instrument with roots in both Africa and China. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in East Asian Studies and later attended Boston University School of Law before deciding to pursue music full-time. In 2005, Washburn released her debut album, 'Songs of My Mother,' featuring traditional Appalachian ballads passed down through her family. The following year, she married fellow musician and banjo player Bela Fleck and together they formed the duo, Abigail Washburn & Bela Fleck. Their self-titled album won a Grammy in 2016 for Best Folk Album. In addition to her work with Fleck, Washburn has released numerous solo albums, including 'City of Refuge' (2009), which was produced by T Bone Burnett and features collaborations with artists such as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Abigail Washburn is not only recognized for her musical talent but also for her social activism. She co-founded the Appalachian Expedition, a project that aimed to bring attention to the ongoing issues faced by people living in Appalachia. With her unique blend of traditional folk music and contemporary flair, Abigail Washburn continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"To be fully alive, fully human, is to be deeply vulnerable."

The quote emphasizes that embracing full humanity means accepting vulnerability as an integral part of our existence. It suggests that being open to experiences, emotions, and connections with others makes us truly alive, but also exposes us to potential harm or emotional injury. In other words, true human experience requires the courage to be vulnerable and the willingness to face both the joys and sorrows life brings.

"The beauty of the world is that it's constantly changing and you can change with it."

This quote emphasizes the fluidity and dynamism of life, suggesting that just as the world around us is always evolving, so too should we. It encourages adaptability, growth, and embracing change as an essential part of life. The beauty lies in the opportunity to transform and grow alongside the ever-changing landscape of our experiences.

"Don't let fear stop you from doing what you love."

This quote by Abigail Washburn encourages individuals to overcome their fears and pursue what they are passionate about in life. It highlights the potential paralyzing effect of fear, yet emphasizes that it should not be a barrier or an obstacle preventing us from realizing our dreams and following our heart's desires. Instead, we must find the courage to take risks and chase after our passions, regardless of any fears that may arise along the way. Embracing this mindset can lead to personal growth, fulfillment, and a more enriching life experience.

"Be present, be curious, and be kind."

Abigail Washburn's quote encourages an active engagement with the world around us. "Be present" suggests being mindful and aware of the current moment, not getting lost in distractions or regrets about the past or fears about the future. "Be curious" highlights the importance of questioning, learning, and seeking knowledge to grow as individuals and understand the world better. It's a call to embrace an open-minded, exploratory attitude towards life. Lastly, "be kind" emphasizes empathy, compassion, and consideration for others. This part encourages treating people with respect and dignity and fostering positive relationships in our interactions with others. In essence, Abigail Washburn's quote is a reminder to live mindfully, be open-minded, and show kindness towards oneself and others.

"The music that is deep within us is a universal language that connects all of us."

This quote emphasizes the powerful, transcendent quality of music as a means of human connection across boundaries. It suggests that beyond cultural, linguistic, or geographical differences, music resonates universally due to its emotional and spiritual essence. This universal language allows individuals from diverse backgrounds to understand, relate, and bond with each other on a deeper level, thereby fostering unity and empathy.

In China, I realized that if you visit often enough and learn the language, you will be assimilated, but you'll still be kept at arm's length; you'll always be looked on as a foreigner.

- Abigail Washburn

Learn, Always, Still, Assimilated

When I first started playing the banjo and miraculously fell into a record deal in Nashville, TN, there was a period when I didn't go to China. It hurt. Like a pain in my gut... that pain you feel when you know it's time to connect with your parents or your God or your child or your past or your future... and you don't do it.

- Abigail Washburn

Your Child, Deal, Nashville, Hurt

In some ways, in the U.S. we don't know how to be. I think in a lot of ways America is about liberation and about change and progressive human relations. And because of that, I feel like that we're confused about who we're supposed to be and what it is that's supposed to satisfy us and make us feel fulfilled.

- Abigail Washburn

Some, I Think, About, Progressive

Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech always sends me down some path, some trajectory of some creative idea.

- Abigail Washburn

Some, Always, Martin Luther, Luther

I believe in the old, because it shows us where we come from - where our souls have risen from. And I believe in the new, because it gives us the opportunity to create who we are becoming.

- Abigail Washburn

New, Old, Becoming, Risen

I played piano and was always in the choir. I tried to play flute because all the pretty girls played flute.

- Abigail Washburn

Play, Pretty, Always, Choir

Whenever I visited China in the past, the relationships always felt superficial; there was no time where I felt those moments of conflict and delight that make you feel close to another person. But since I started touring there in 2004, I would always collaborate with local musicians, and that opened up a new level of intimacy.

- Abigail Washburn

Musicians, Another, No Time, Delight

I had no intention of becoming a performer, and yet under miraculous circumstances I was brought into the music industry fold. If divine powers hadn't intervened, I'd still be living in China working in some area of Sino-American comparative law.

- Abigail Washburn

Some, Becoming, Brought, Comparative

I was born in Evanston, Illinois. I spent my elementary and part of my junior high school years in a D.C. suburb. And then I spent my high school years in Minnesota. And then I spent my college years in Colorado. And then I spent some time living in China. And then I spent three years in Vermont before moving down to Nashville.

- Abigail Washburn

College, Some, Nashville, Suburb

I have a general sense of mission, and I intuitively know when something is influencing that mission. I think this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Doors keep opening. In the end, it's the best use of my skills. I've finally consented to the idea that I'm an artist.

- Abigail Washburn

Doing, Artist, I Think, General Sense

I sang in a reggae band. And then there was a soul band where I sang back-up vocals and some lead. And I was also in a women's a capella group. And I was in the gospel choir at school. Actually, I've always been in choirs. Or some kind of group. Just because I love singing so much. But I truthfully never thought of it as a career.

- Abigail Washburn

Love, Some, Been, Vocals

'Halo' I wrote with my grandpa in his nursing home. When I went to visit him, he'd often comment on my halo. But of course, I couldn't see. And he always - he had pictures of Jesus with these beautiful halos. And so I asked him if he'd write a song with me about Jesus' halo.

- Abigail Washburn

Nursing, About, Grandpa, Comment

My whole drive is to make sure that music is a common space where we search for beauty and share it. It needs to be louder than any conversation. That's where we have to go as a human race.

- Abigail Washburn

Needs, Louder, Sure, Conversation

As a child, I went to peace and ERA marches on the back of my mom and grandmother. Through them I learned that I wanted to find a way to make the world a more kind, compassionate place.

- Abigail Washburn

Through, More, Learned, Compassionate

I've moved around so much my whole life, and I've gotten so used to being the Other in situations - the foreigner, the outsider. The first time I've ever felt like there was no separation between me and the other elements was in music.

- Abigail Washburn

Other, Gotten, Moved, Outsider

In some ways, my most comfortable feeling has been that of being an outsider coming in, but over the years I've tired of that and I'm ready to feel at home. That's what music gives me: a feeling of absolute home.

- Abigail Washburn

Some, Over, Been, Outsider

China was the first time I truly felt like an outsider. I fell in love with the process of trying to become intimate with the culture.

- Abigail Washburn

Love, Process, Like, Outsider

I do see music as complete refuge. It's a universal home, complete common ground between everyone; it comes from a place that has no nation and no boundaries around it.

- Abigail Washburn

Nation, Everyone, Refuge, Common Ground

I feel like my kind of music is a big pot of different spices. It's a soup with all kinds of ingredients in it.

- Abigail Washburn

Big, Soup, Like, Ingredients

One of my favorite albums in the world is Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska.' Each song has this very distinct character who has something profound to say.

- Abigail Washburn

Song, Very, Albums, Nebraska

I would still describe China as a vast, invigorating puzzle that will never make sense to my western upbringing.

- Abigail Washburn

Will, Sense, Still, Puzzle

I reside in a new colony for the Chinese-singing banjo player, with a population of one. At least I have something I have to do with my life.

- Abigail Washburn

My Life, New, Colony, Reside

One thing I carried my whole life, especially from my grandparents in Chicago, was a huge idealism for the world.

- Abigail Washburn

Idealism, One Thing, Carried, Chicago

You can enjoy many different types of music. I think that's something more Americans should think about.

- Abigail Washburn

Think, I Think, Types, Different Types

I would say I've always lived creativity, but now I - I do it with an intention that's got a completely different power.

- Abigail Washburn

Say, Always, Got, Intention

I believe in music because it has the power of change.

- Abigail Washburn

Change, Music, Believe, I Believe In

I'm no ethnomusicologist. There is a connection between the five-note scale used both in traditional Chinese music and the blues, but I don't really understand it. All I know is, whenever I play with Chinese musicians, we seem to belong to the same musical gene pool.

- Abigail Washburn

Musicians, Play, Belong, Blues

I feel like the one insight that's extremely comforting to me about the world is that we all share the same pool of emotion that we draw from.

- Abigail Washburn

Comforting, Like, About, Pool

I've noticed that the more I open up, the more I learn.

- Abigail Washburn

Learn, More, Up, Noticed

For most Americans, my Chinese music feels like a novelty, and it's not what it is for me.

- Abigail Washburn

Music, Most, Feels, Chinese

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