Music Happens To Be An Art Form

Jazz Is Really About The Human Experience. It’s About The Ability Of Human Beings To Take The Worst Of Circumstances And Struggles And Turn It Into Something Creative And Constructive. That’s Something That’s Built Into The Fiber Of Every Human Being. And I Think That’s Why People Can Respond To It. They Feel The Freedom In It. And The Attributes Of Jazz Are Also Admirable. It’s About Dialogue. It’s About Sharing. And Teamwork. It’s In The Moment, And It's Nonjudgmental.

I Feel A Lot More Secure About The Directions I Take, Than I Might Have, Had I Not Practiced Buddhism.

I Don't Look At Music From The Standpoint Of Being A Musician; I Look At It From The Standpoint Of Being A Human Being.

Fact Is That I Played Piano And Performed, As A Young Kid, A Mozart Piano Concerto With The Chicago Symphony Orchestra . Don't Forget I Was Only Eleven-years-old And To Be On The Stage At That Age Had Tremendous Impact On Me. Basically Love For Classical Music And Performing As A Kid On The Big Stage Probably Led Toward This Decision, Which Meant That Music Is Going To Be My Big Love But Also My Profession.

My First Grammy Wasn't Even In A Jazz Category, But Of Course I Was Really Excited. 'rockit' Was The Beginning Of Kind Of A New Era For The Whole Hip-hop Movement.