Failure is not meant to be final and fatal.... It is meant to refine you to be all that you are meant to be.

The first jazz cruise that I was on was '91. I played with Maria Schneider and John Fedchock's band. Got to meet some amazing people that week.

A guy like Scott [Robinson] plays the whole history of music on every instrument you've ever heard of. He's just kind of an unparalleled genius.

The light went on when I heard Phil [woods] play, and I went like, "That is why I'm playing the instrument." So I got very inspired, I started going to clubs through a friend's mom in the city, again, another person who just completely opened all these doors for me and it was amazing how kind she was.

Failure is not meant to be final and fatal.... It is meant to refine you to be all that you are meant to be.

The Monk competition did open some doors. And I was thankful for that.

Instead of being disappointed about where you are, be optimistic about where you are going.