I've been asking myself: 'Why put together these things - CDs, albums?' The answer I came up with is, well, sometimes it's artistically viable. It's not just a random collection of songs. Sometimes the songs have a common thread, even if it's not obvious or even conscious on the artists' part.

In a certain way, you get some new tools to work with, but I don't know if it ultimately makes the creative process any easier.

I'm not suggesting people abandon musical instruments and start playing their cars and apartments, but I do think the reign of music as a commodity made only by professionals might be winding down.

When everything is visible and appears to be dumb, that's when the details take on larger meanings.

It didn't even occur to me that I'm the last person in the world who should play salsa or Brazilian music.

Yeah, anybody can go in with two turntables and a microphone or a home studio sampler and a little cassette deck or whatever and make records in their bedrooms.

I read the NY Times but I don't trust all of it