I wrote a lot of software to do various kinds of special things, and I loved the idea of composing pieces in an electronic studio.

I don't think of my music as being about something.

I think you'll find a significant number of people who decide not to enter competitions because their music just won't fit in that world.

I don't think there's something that you have to 'get' with my music. It tends toward the dramatic side rather than the narrative.

I found myself recycling ideas and I saw that I had to invent reasons to compose a piece rather than start from some exciting idea.

It's always a thrill for me to see new versions of my pieces on YouTube.

With repeated listenings, a piece eventually becomes its own being. I very often say to students that this is like meeting a person for the first time. When you first meet someone, you reference that person with others who are similar; but, as you get to know that person better, you begin to understand his unique qualities.