A conundrum of music is that music brings people together, yet to become a skilled musician involves a certain amount of lonely time in which you're just figuring it out, practicing.
Michael Tilson ThomasPart of my mission is simply that: to bring the world of the arts, particularly classical music, closer to people so they don't feel that it is something remote that they have to specially prepare themselves for, or dress up for.
Michael Tilson ThomasIt's easier to interest a conservative audience in pushing the musical boundaries than to involve a young audience used to very noisy, assertive music in something like Schubert or Bach because the further back you go, the less bells and whistles there are.
Michael Tilson ThomasOne of my central maxims is how a major part of what a conductor tries to do is get a large group of people to agree on where "now" actually is.
Michael Tilson Thomas