It has been proven time and time again in countless studies that students who actively participate in arts education are twice as likely to read for pleasure, have strengthened problem-solving and critical thinking skills, are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math and science fair.

A person's age can be determined by the degree of pain he experiences when he comes in contact with a new idea.

I'm a tremendous believer and supporter in hip-hop and rap.

There's power in the collective. If you don't believe me, just watch a symphony orchestra with a conductor and 120 people who are thinking about exactly the same thing at the same moment - no babies, no stock markets, no mortgages. Just 32nd notes.

They say a blind hog will find the acorn one day.

The climate in the '50s and '60s for black performers or black people in the entertainment business was atrocious. It was atrocious.

Every day, my daddy told me the same thing. 'Once a task is just begun, never leave it till it's done. Be the labour great or small, do it well or not at all.'