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

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.

I'm very interested, for instance, in music in education - getting young people not only to listen to, but participate in the music that I write. I consider this one of the most vital aspects of my work.

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

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

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.