If you aim at anything lower that is expecting your audience to be really alert and aware, then you're going to be caught out sooner or later as a composer.

You don't underestimate either players or audience in any circumstances.

If you don't get feedback from your performers and your audience, you're going to be working in a vacuum.

I'm not actually teaching any more, but I am writing pieces for schools all the time, and for kids.

I know what I want at least, and the older I get I think I'm better at getting it out of players and singers.

At the moment, in Britain we're facing such enormous cutbacks in education programs and music programs and art programs that you feel you are knocking your head against a brick wall.

An audience shouldn't listen with complacency.