Optimism is a competitive advantage.

You hear about the struggles with substances and all that, but [Phil Wood] was a really a great guy. This was a great man.

Life and success are about what you choose to believe.

The goal is not to be better than anyone else but rather be better than you were yesterday.

I was finishing up at High School of Performing Arts and finally, by the end of junior year and start of senior year, made some progress as a 16 year-old classical saxophone player. But not really... not like how the legit cats do. But I love the [Jacques] Ibert, love [Alexander] Glazunov, love the [Paul] Creston.

I don't know that there was a moment, like one specific moment where I was like "Ugh. Now what do I do?" I was just always like, "I'm just in here and if I have to fight with myself or ask for help or just be lost for a little while, but I'm just going to keep looking." Because music was all I had.

All we can do is go about our work. But we can have a goal. We can have a dream.