Yo-Yo Ma: A Musician is like a Waiter

A well-known advertising campaign featured the slogan, “ I wanna be like Mike” – the idea being that if a kid used this product, he/she could become more like Michael Jordan. If an “I wanna be like Yo-Yo” campaign were proposed, and you could choose the ideal product for it, what would you pick?

A waiter’s outfit. Because I think being a good musician is very much like being a good waiter. You’re not the chef – the composer gets that outfit – but you need to be knowledgeable about what you’re serving in order to do your job well. You need to be present, but you also need to be discreet. If you do your job well, you can really add to the enjoyment of the overall experience.