I think there's mind in nature. There's a power in nature, and there's a universal power that you'd better not ignore.

Music should be an elective experience. You should go, "I'm going to sit down and listen to some Beethoven, by God," and then you get to hear it.

I was never bored because I always had a book. So I had a doorway into another world or another universe. It was great.

American radio from the '30s through the '60s was just fabulous. There was such a diversity.

In committing to artistic growth, you have to refine your skills to support your instincts.

When I was taking arithmetic in the first grade I said to myself, "I'm going to be a singer. I don't have to worry about numbers." I didn't think I was going to be famous or a star.

My feeling about school was that it interfered with my reading.