As a musician I'm kind of nomadic, Waldo-like. I show up in different places, and I'm witness to unbelievable things.

As you begin to realize that every different type of music, everybody's individual music, has its own rhythm, life, language and heritage, you realize how life changes, and you learn how to be more open and adaptive to what is around us.

Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together.

Nobody else can make the sound you make.

My involvement in the political arena is to make sure there's a place for culture.

Perfection is not very communicative

We may be coming to a new golden age of instrument making.