"True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time." ~ George Gershwin
Country sure has changed in the last 10 years. It was one thing, then it was another. Country has slowly marched toward a rock beat and rock preservation. Country artists of today. Man! That's how I used to sound in the '80s. ~ John Mellencamp, Knight-Ridder/Tribune, 4/28/05
Whether you are playing in the bar, the church, the strip joint, or the Himalayas, the first duty of music is to complement and enhance life.~ Carlos Santana
A great influence in my life was the sanctified or Holiness churches…Everybody in there sang and they clapped and stomped heir feet and sang with their whole body… Their music was so strong and expressive, it used to bring tears to my eyes. ~ Mahalia Jackson
R&B is not a fad; it’s the truth. ~ Aretha Franklin, RD, 1/99
Honest songs aren`t written for money. ~ Pete Seeger, VNU eMedia, 6/26/06
I have a responsibility to pass on to the next generation what I learned from my teachers, ... It keeps me young and reminds me where I came from. Teaching young artists is like giving water to a flower. ~ Isaac Stern
If it’s too loud, you’re too old. ~ Ted Nugent, Rock 'N' Roll: The Famous Lyrics
Where words fail, music speaks. ~ Hans Christian Andersen
To be a great composer requires immense experience… One acquires this by listening not only to other men's work, but above all to one's own! ~ Frederic Chopin, Musician's World
My own thing is in my head. I hear sounds and if I don’t get them together nobody else will. ~ Jimi Hendrix
Music—it’s all around us. It’s in everything we do. In our work or play. We celebrate with it and mourn with it. It helps us remember and consoles us when we want to forget. ~ George Martin, Rhythm of Life
This guitar is such a pal. It’s a psychiatrist. It’s a doggone bartender. It’s a housewife. This guy is everything. Whenever I find that I’ve got a problem, I’ll go pick my guitar up and play. It’s the greatest pal in the whole world. ~ Les Paul, History of Rock & Roll, 1995