Justin Di Cioccio led a jazz program at Music and Art, but there was no jazz in Performing Arts. After they joined, it became Laguardia School of Arts.

We spent all day together [with Phil Wood] at that one particular lesson, which was maybe the third or fourth lesson, in from 11:00 in the morning to 11:00 at night. We often did a lot of varied things. It wasn't just about jazz language and the saxophone.

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

Love is the answer for the team's success.

I have to say, music was always my self preservation survival technique. This sort of sacred space in my life and in my mind.

It's a complicated story [hoe I got into music ]. I actually wrote a book about it, titled For Sue.

Benny Carter came up to me and said to me, "You know, in the whole history of the alto, I think Phil is the guy we should all be emulating." The king! So look, I'm so blessed that my first hero took me in.