Connection to the music and the history was very powerful to me. I think that's what I feel the most blessed about.

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

I learned some classical music history, which I had done quite a bit at of Performing Arts. But I got some more with a great teacher named David Noon, who I've been in contact with quite a bit in recent years.

When you believe, the impossible becomes possible. What you believe will become what is true. Your optimism today will determine your level of success tomorrow. Don’t look at your challenges; look up and look out into the future. Don’t focus on your circumstances. Focus on the right beliefs that will help you build your success.

Families that I lived with a little bit in junior high and quite a bit in high school and college. Just to have a safe, sane space with food and things like that. That's what I needed. And people were really kind and really generous. So I think the world kind of opened up my first years of performing arts, studying classical saxophone with Caesar DiMauro.

My life is a gift not an obligation and I Get To make the most of it.

Hearing Sonny Rollins live... that was really amazing. There were so many things that really blew me away at that time [of schooling].