12 Notes: On Life and Creativity

by Quincy Jones, The Weeknd,

Wisdom and musings on creativity and life from one of the world’s most beloved musicians, producers, and mentors, Quincy Jones12 Notes is a self-development guide that will affirm that creativity is a calling that can and should be answered, no matter your age or experience. Drawing from his own life, and those of his many creative collaborators past and present, Quincy Jones presents readers with lessons that are hardworking and accessible, yet speak to the passion of self-expression. He includes sections as deep as how to transform grief into power, and as practical as how to set goals and articulate intentions through daily affirmations. Weaving his story throughout, Jones lets readers in on his own creative process, as well as the importance of letting honesty, hard work, and good relationships drive your career.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Self Help, Art, Audiobook, Memoir

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2022

About the author

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. was an American record producer, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received many accolades including 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for seven Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before producing pop hit records for Lesley Gore in the early 1960s (including "It's My Party") and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations between Frank Sinatra and the jazz artist Count Basie. Jones produced three of the most successful albums by pop star Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). In 1985, Jones produced and conducted the charity song "We Are the World", which raised funds for victims of famine in Ethiopia.
Jones composed numerous films scores including for The Pawnbroker (1965), In the Heat of the Night (1967), In Cold Blood (1967), The Italian Job (1969), The Wiz (1978), and The Color Purple (1985). He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the miniseries Roots (1977). He received a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical as a producer for the revival of The Color Purple (2016).
Throughout his career he was the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the Grammy Legend Award in 1992, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, the National Medal of the Arts in 2011, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014, and the Academy Honorary Award in June 2024. He was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time.

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This is a Self-Help book clocking in at just under 200 pages from legendary musician and record producer Quincy Jones. I love rock and celebrity biographies, and already knew some basic facts about this entertainment icon. For instance, he produced the biggest selling album of all time, Michael Jackson's "Thriller", as well as the charity penned hit song, "We are the World", and had been married to sixties "Mod Squad" actress Peggy Lipton.

Quincy is now 89 years old, but still keeps working and learning each day. He loves life, but recounts a time back in his twenties when he nearly took his own life out of financial desperation. Each chapter of the book is spearheaded by one of the twelve notes in music and gives great advice that not only pertains to music, but general tools for a successful and meaningful life. Much of it rang true for me because my son is a young very talented and passionate musician and composer. A lot of it is common sense- and I recognized the admirable traits of integrity, generosity, information-seeking and intense hard work in my own son as he navigates the music business. As I read I kept thinking that this would be a good book to be used in Music Business college classes.

Decades ago Quincy wrote his actual full biography, and though this shorter book includes relevant moments in his life to illustrate points, don't expect a general biography here. The book's foreward is written by much younger musical artist The Weeknd where he talks about seeing Quincy at one of his earlier shows. Weeknd was dazzled and made a beeline to talk to him after the show, but Quincy directed him to pay attention to his fans first. He assured Weeknd that he would still be waiting patiently to talk to him afterward. This was the first lesson told in this book- one that Quincy learned from musical greats that were kind, generous and patient with him.

Quincy embraces people always underestimating him throughout his career where he surprised and exceeded their expectations. When you work really hard and do your best this leads to other opportunities. Always treat people well and have integrity...doing the right thing when no one else is looking...this is your reputation which spreads and can either fuel or derail a career. Read books and learn everything you can. Always be prepared so that you don't miss out on opportunities. As I stated this book is music centric but has general applications towards a successful career and life. Quincy Jones came from very humble and tragic beginnings, and this short, instructive book really shows what you can make of your life if you have a passion, do the hard work and are blessed with the generosity of those who can help.

Thank you to the publisher Abrams for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Lindsey Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5️⃣—> I rate this 5 out of 5 stars!

12 Notes is a beautifully written message about life and creativity told from not only someone who happens to be famous and talented, but from someone who learned early on about the importance of humility, kindness, and learning from all experiences and lessons.

I appreciated how each chapter was a note of one of the 12 musical notes, and each chapter focused on a different lesson, a lesson that he learned and is now sharing with others. Quincy pulled from his own experiences, and from what he’s learned from others and how the lesson can be applied to everyone no matter your gifts because everyone has a gift. He provided the reader insight into some very personal stories of his life which I very much appreciated as it showed that he is not exempt from hard times, but has learned how to get through hard times and what he’s learned from hard times.

I very much enjoyed how he tied in music and creativity into his stories and lessons, and it wasn’t too technical so that non-musicians such as myself could understand. This book was well written, a joy to read, and refreshing. I would recommend having a notebook and a highlighter nearby while reading because there’s definitely nuggets and quotes that you’ll want to reference later.

You do not need to know a lot about Quincy Jones to enjoy this book. It was a quick read, a pleasure to read, and a warm hug wrapped up in pages. Thank you to Quincy for sharing your life and experiences with us. I give this 👍🏾👍🏾

[boxer_dogs_dance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a lot out of this book. There were entertaining stories and there were life lessons. This man was a great artist but also good people. He had a big heart and was an astute observer of life and people.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fantastic read. The wisdom to sentence ratio is really high with this one. Jones reflects upon his 6+ decades as a creative and the life lessons he learned on that journey.

[Ashley ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 Notes is a poignant inspirational book/memoir in which Quincy Jones takes his life experience and gives readers inspiration to lead their lives without fear and pursuing your goals despite any setbacks you are presented with. Quincy Jones’s life resume is so profound and his achievements a mile long, its hard not to take his advice to heart. He is such an accomplished man and not of it was just laid in his lap. He worked hard and took the initiative to get where he is today and 12 Notes takes his journey and turns it into inspiration for others.

[Julio Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una más que agradable sorpresa. Me animé con este libro como parte del trabajo de desarrollo personal de una nueva etapa en la que llevo un tiempo enfrascado. Obviamente, el ser amante de la música fue un motivo de peso que llamó mi atención y con él pensé llevar a un nivel más creativo y musical mi exploración personal. Nada más lejos de la realidad, pero sinceramente no esperaba emocionarme con unas anécdotas e historias de superación con las Quincy Jones llena sus páginas, en mi opinión, de una larga lista de consejos (notas musicales) que son entonados con afilada profesionalidad y van directos al corazón.
Azares del destino o no, este libro quiso llegar a mis oídos (pues en este caso lo he escuchado) el mismo día en el que se anunciaba su fallecimiento.
Un par de días antes había acudido a un concierto de Jacob Collier, su pupilo, pero también profesor de armonía, y su música fue la primera referencia que yo tuve para querer adentrarme en la gigantesca figura de Quincy Jones.
Y es que creo que este libro más allá de sus consejos, inspira y da ánimos para creer en el poder de la música, esforzarse en trabajo bien hecho como camino para la realizacion personal y sobretodo, la importancia de vivir conectados con todas las personas del mundo.

[ghalani Of Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautifully wise and unpretentious.

i especially recommend this for high-achievers and trauma response workaholics, regardless of profession.

• at it’s (rarely) worse passages teeter on redundancy with oldhead “lemme tell you something youngblood” rants.

• at it’s best i finished chapters feeling like my perspective of what really matters in life was refocused.

reading a certified GOAT give insights and guidance in such a humble way moved me.

thank you Quincy!!

4.5/5

[Shannon Hong · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, not sure that it makes sense at all to rate these types of books. A person's advice is personal and personally received.

I found this not that meaningful, mainly because I don't have a personal connection to Quincy Jones.

I liked "coincidence is God's way of staying anonymous"

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 NOTES On LIFE AND CREATIVITY
by Quincy Jones
ABRAMS, Abrams Image.
Pub Date: Apr 5

One of the most talented persons on the planet, producer-musician Quincy Jones, illuminates the creative process in this wonderful book for anyone interested in self-expression. He shares from his long storied experience, plus that of many talented collaborators, and gives practical and inspiring instruction on living a fruitful creative life. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the author, ABRAMS Books, and NetGalley for the digital ARC. Opinions are mine.

#12Notes #QuincyJones #ABRAMS #NetGalley #creativity #thecreativelife #bookstagramcommunity

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different perspective than his earlier book. I liked it.

[Lisa Kekaula · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 Notes: On Life… by Quincy Jones - Wow! When you read his life it is so hard to think one person lived all this. I picked this up because he recently passed away. I would recommend it to anyone for any reason. Truly inspiring from beginning to end

[Aaren D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this for a music infused point of view on life from one of the greats.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read this book because of the foreword, which is by one of my favorite artists, The Weeknd. He has a song called, "A Tale by Quincy", which describes Quincy's childhood. So, I was interested in Quincy's philosophy and his allure as an artist and person. "12 Notes" is a self-help book, with each lesson being a new musical note. The organization was certainly unique, as was the content. Quincy has a lot of valuable advice and wisdom to share, and a fascinating life story that he touches on throughout the book. A good read whether or not you need to keep up on your reading challenge (it's under 200 pages) or you want to learn about Quincy Adams.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book with some good insights and inspirational quotes.

I just wished that it was less about the author and more about creativity.

Chapters are small (10 pages on average) but only 1 page or so per chapter was actually about some kind of insight while the rest was about Quincy Jone’s life experiences — which is fine and interesting too! But there’s an autobiography already so I guess I was not expecting a book about creativity to be so focused in the author’s life.

There’s also a lot of chat about music — technically speaking — which, for someone very ignorant in that matter as I am, was sometimes of boring.

I’ll give it 3,5 stars ✨

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some good stories in here, and some good ideas, but it just doesn’t come together in the end. I really like Quincy’s music and story, but this needed quite a bit of editing and some more cohesion between his stories and lessons.

[Jen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wholesome book!

Despite knowing nothing about music, I found this book delightful and inspiring.

Bought a hard copy to gift to my son who loves music with hopes that many of the nuggets of wisdom on life will touch him as well :)

[Fabiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great inspiration for living a better life with mature advice for creativity and to master your craft!

Highly recommended

[Alistair Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet - Quincy shines through

[H.D.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes old people have so much wisdom in them, it’s just wise to listen to them and take their word for it.

[Miki Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone in the music field, this book felt like a mentorship AND a hug

[Birthe Lauchengco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO good. Loved the voice of narrator JD Jackson. Incredible story of what Quincy Jones went through - and overcame.

[Mohan Welstand-Keryk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really powerful book that draws on Q’s professional and personal experiences to provide a really well crafted guide on how to approach your creative endeavours but even more so how to live, and how living fully is creative and the best thing for your creativity. Felt like I spent the last 2 weeks with Quincy ❤️

Read this or watch his dockt hug your loved ones and keep on keepin’

[Jack Eagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

New all time favorite book. Everyone’s creative, not just artists or musicians. If anyone tells your there’s a formula or road map to success they’re full of shiz. Surround yourself with genuine people.

“Life is a beautiful responsibility, but it’s also a beautiful burden”

[Sarah Brousseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely legendary

[Susan Rigetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much wisdom in these pages. Must-read for anyone doing creative work.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quick read is reminiscent of conversations you’d have with your grandfather about life, love, and success, if your grandfather happened to be Quincy Jones.

He has worked with so many legends in the past 70 plus years that you will lose count of all of them. He seems sharper than most and isn’t name dropping; this is and has been his life.

He has written a life lesson for each of the 12 notes and shares the highs and lows of his life. It’s gets personal with details of visiting his mentally ill mother during childhood, being a traveling musician during segregation, and getting caught in a war in France.

It’s a good read for fans of music, history, and Quincy Jones.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Image for an ARC of this book.

[Dhaval · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Michael Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice and authentic read about a person who believes in hard work, deep knowledge and being a decent human being.
The stories are compelling, as they do with real events and the lessons passed are a good reminder for young and seasoned human beings alike.

[Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I really really wanted to like this book because the author is so affable and I can tell he is genuine in what he says, the truth is the advice in this book is really basic. I know he says he wasn’t going to give us like a formula for how he got so many Grammy awards, but I was hoping for some kernels of interesting approaches or something new to try, but here’s the advice of this book:

1. Use your pain in your music
2. have hope for bigger things
3. do things outside of your comfort zone
4. don’t forget who you are
5. be prepared
6. practice and learn your craft
7. don’t overthink things and get caught with writers block
8. let people underestimate you so you can do better than they think you are capable of
9. do something that no one else has
10. treat people well and don’t burn bridges
11. find a mentor and be a mentor
12. live life to the fullest

I really wish I could say it went deeper than that, but it really didn’t. And overall, none of that is earth shattering news. I found a few new movies to watch and some albums to listen to, but that’s about it.

[Conor Sheehan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointing tbh. Full of self promotion and pats on the back. I get that it's an appeal to authority - do what I did because look how successful I am - but honestly there's a lot of survivor bias. E.g. "you have to go to know" but also I went bankrupt touring France and nearly ruined the lives of myself and my bandmates. It worked out in the end for Quincy, but that's a dangerous bit of advice IMO. Maybe don't risk your life savings and future career just to immerse yourself in a different culture.

There are some good points, like working while tired which increases the chance of something bubbling up from your subconscious, but that isn't anything new. I've heard many other artist describe working this way before .e.g. Madeon.

Generally it sounds like Quincy lead an incredible life, with high highs and low lows, but I'm not going to take much of his advice.