Getting the Oscar had the biggest impression on me.

But I have to be careful not to let the world dazzle me so much that I forget that I'm a husband and a father.

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.

Of course, it's not the technique that makes the music; it's the sensitivity of the musician and his ability to be able to fuse his life with the rhythm of the times. This is the essence of music.

The spirit of jazz is the spirit of openness.

I'm always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

I hope that I can make good music out of whatever genre I go into. Just to prove to myself that I can.