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

An audience shouldn't listen with complacency.

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 can't pander to your audience. You might in the short term, but ultimately you can't hoodwink them, either.

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

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

I recently did a piece for the Boston Pops and John Williams, and I hope that it's as well a composed piece as I've ever done for any other medium or occasion.