Aaron Copland

I don’t compose. I assemble materials.

I hope my recordings of my own works won’t inhibit other people’s performances. The brutal fact is that one doesn’t always get the exact tempo one wants, although one improves with experience.

I no longer feel the need of seeking out conscious Americanism. Because we live here and work here, we can be certain that when our music is mature it will also be American in quality.

So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.

The prospect of having to sit through one of Rachmaninov’s extended symphonies or piano concertos tends, quite frankly, to depress me. All those notes, and to what end?

When I speak of the gifted listener, I am thinking of the nonmusician primarily, of the listener who intends to retain his amateur status. It is the thought of just such a listener that excites the composer in me.

What we play is life.

Music used to be essential and meaningful, but now it’s disposable.

I love Jazz because it has the perfect balance of discipline and freedom.

Talent is cheap, and many talents treat themselves cheaply.

What I learned the most from Prince was putting art first, being creatively ambitious, and putting creativity at the forefront of what I do.

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.

[Stratocaster vs Les Paul] It’s a totally different animal. One is for very subtle and, I would say, more musical things that you can distract and abuse. You can’t do that with a Les Paul. It’s too delicate. It’s got a very delicate tone; most people don’t ever realize that because they are plugged into monstrous amplifiers which completely, instantaneously covers up the unique sound quality it has. All those years of development go straight out the window when you overload the amp.

If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time!

If you’re making money people don’t think you’re playing Jazz. When you’re not making money they think you’re a great Jazz musician.

I love it. When they stop imitating me then I’ll start wondering where I’m going wrong. Every day when I sit down to play, I learn something new.

I don’t really live like a musician myself. I think music is just something that I do, but I’d like to be doing lots of other things. I like to cure all kinds of illness.

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.

When you’re creating your own shit, even the sky ain’t the limit.

My neighbors always listen to very hip Jazz… whether they like it or not.

As long as musicians have passion for spontaneity and creating something that’s never been before, Jazz will flourish.