Aaron Copland

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?

You may be sitting in a room reading this book. Imagine one note struck upon the piano. Immediately that one note is enough to change the atmosphere of the room – proving that the sound element in music is a powerful and mysterious agent, which it would be foolish to deride or belittle.

Music that is born complex is not inherently better or worse than music that is born simple.

Listening to the Fifth Symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams is like staring at a cow for 45 minutes.

There is something about music that keeps its distance even at the moment that it engulfs us. It is at the same time outside and away from us and inside and part of us. In one sense it dwarfs us, and in another we master it. We are led on and on, and yet in some strange way we never lose control.

Mozart in his music was probably the most reasonable of the world’s great composers. It is the happy balance between flight and control, between sensibility and self-discipline, simplicity and sophistication of style that is his particular province… Mozart tapped once again the source from which all music flows, expressing himself with a spontaneity and refinement and breath-taking rightness that has never since been duplicated.

Music allows the great opportunity to play with people you love.

Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor.

Jazz is music made by and for people who have chosen to feel good in spite of conditions.

Once in a while, the thumb that fits over the neck of the guitar kinda bothers me a little bit, but not that much yet. I figure in time I won’t do much because of my age.

You blows who you is.

The people who really got me off were dealing with the musical potential of their instrument.

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

Start well and end well. The middle will look after itself.

I went through a struggle, and I really needed to get myself together and connect with my purpose, which is music.

Jazz is all about improvisation and it’s about the moment in time, doing it this way now, and you’ll never do it this way twice. I’ve studied the masters. Why would I want to play ball after the guys who sit on a bench? I want to play like Michael Jordan.

The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.

If my own work had more importance than any others, it’s because the piano is the key instrument in music.

The truth is I never gave it much thought. I just played what I had to play.

If a jazz player is really playing, the classical player will have to respect him.

Sounds of daily life are musical. I try to absorb the intricacies of sounds as if I were listening to music.