Each human being exists because there's something they have to offer for the evolution of the universe that only they can fulfill.

I started off with classical music, and I got into jazz when I was about 14 years old. And I've been playing jazz ever since.

We need to put into practice the idea of embracing other cultures. We need to be shaping the kind of world we want to live in instead of waiting for someone else or some other entities to do it for us.

People are afraid to spend money now because they dont know how long theyre going to be working.

I don't think there are any pure Africans of the African Americans, but the African part of our history was pretty much taken away from us during slavery, so the 60s gave us a chance, because of the civil rights movement, to kind of re-examine and make some sort of formal connection to our African-ness.

Forget about trying to compete with someone else. Create your own pathway. Create your own new vision.

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.