I still call myself a communist, because communism is no more what Russia made of it than Christianity is what the churches make of it.

And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world.

Anybody who wants to learn everything is pretty stupid. You learn what you can.

Sometimes you find an old tune so good you can use it several times for different purposes.

It's been my belief that learning how to do something in your hometown is the most important thing.

Alan [Lomax] and his father started off changing the definition of folk music from something ancient and anonymous to something very contemporary.

Do-so is more important than say-so.