My religion lies in my composition.

Dance as though no one is watching. Love as though you've never been hurt. Sing as though no one can hear you. Live as though heaven is on earth.

I am happy now, to recall that I was not only his son but his companion, and whenever there was a hunting expedition or any other pleasure, I was always with him.

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

Composers are the only people who can hear good music above bad sounds.

I still feel the impulse to give young writers a hearing, and I believe I have played more unpublished compositions than any other band leader in the country.

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