Challenges ONLY make you STRONGER!!!

Leadership is not just about what you do but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.

Sense of community was really fostered by Larry Laurenzano, who was a great educator.

We had Bob's [Gordon] records, and he's on Clifford Brown's first record as a leader. I believe it was Clifford Brown's first record as a leader and had the original versions of Daahoud and Joy Spring that were arranged by Bob's best friend, the West Coast tenor player named Jack Montrose, who I later met.

There are a lot of different ways you can be a part of this music and love it and make a contribution that's personal to you.

A lot of musicians have said things to me like, "Music saved my life". And "I'm standing on the shoulders of dozens of people that you've never heard of that were like angels for me that came out of the woodwork." And that's really the case for me. I had so many people that did those kinds of things for me.

Anyone who attempts to build great things will face challenges.