When I came across something I liked, I wanted to find out as much as I could about it. This was as true of hearing Hoagy Carmichael for the first time as it was later when I first heard Boulez.

I was a catastrophe at Science and Games, but the good thing about Quaker schools is that they encourage you in those subjects for which you show an aptitude.

People ask what was the first piece of music I wrote. There was no first piece.

I realized very early that I was never going to make by living by writing string quartets. But I wanted to write music and I didn't want to have to do anything else.

I wanted to write music, and cook, and play cards, and have a nice time.

Being on a musical quest was something I always enjoyed.

I hated teaching composition. I was playing music I didn't particularly want to play, being on committees I didn't want to be on.