I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge.

What gives the artist real prestige is his imitators.

I know that the twelve notes in each octave and the variety of rhythm offer me opportunities that all of human genius will never exhaust.

I never am sea sick, never. I am sea drunk!

I knew I had to write a Mass of my own, but a real one.

Film music should have the same relationship to the film drama that somebody's piano playing in my living room has on the book I am reading.

Nothing is likely about masterpieces, least of all whether there will be any.