Any composer who is gloriously conscious that he is a composer must believe that he receives his inspiration from a source higher than himself.

Anybody can write music of a sort. But touching the public heart is quite another thing.

My success is not due to any personal superiority over other people.

From childhood I was passionately fond of music and wanted to be a musician. I have no recollection of any real desire ever to be anything else.

To the average mind popular music would mean compositions vulgarly conceived and commonplace in their treatment. That is absolutely false.

The average music-lover hears only the production under prevailing conditions.

A band is only as good as its euphonium section.