Originally, I wanted to be a composer. I always tell people, 'I think of myself as a composer.
Ornette ColemanI have often read critical pieces where the critic said that what the composer was trying to do didn't come off. I have wondered what the critic meant if he didn't know what the composer was trying to do.
Ornette ColemanFor me, being an innovator doesn't mean being more intelligent, more rich, it's not a word, it's an action.
Ornette ColemanMaking music is like a form of religion for me, because it soothes your heart and increases the pleasure of your brain. Most of all, it's very enjoyable to express something that you can only hear and not see, which is not bad.
Ornette Coleman