I'm learning more about life when I'm playing too, and writing music. I'm learning more about life, the connection.

Jazz shouldn't have any mandates. Jazz is not supposed to be something that's required to sound like jazz. For me, the word 'jazz' means, 'I dare you.'

If all you have is music, then you don't have music

The arts can open the door to the imagination, pushing the envelope of how peace can be created. It takes courage to take this kind of risk, and courage is what we all need to create a better world.

Music is interior decoration.

Go out on the stage as a human being and do not be afraid to show struggle in your music. It's a struggle in life and then struggle and then victory.

I always think of music as interior decoration. So, if you have all kinds of music, you are fully decorated!

No one really knows how to deal with the unexpected. How do you rehearse the unknown?

Composing is improvisation slowed down.

You're like the girl who left her shadow in the drawer, but when she went to get it, it wasn't there.

Your humanity is your instrument.

Dance your Soulful path / and you shall know the magic / of your mind & heart / and all the beauty laughing / to fill your rising self.

Idols must never be touched: the gilt will come off on our hands.

...and yes that was meant to be interpreted in a sarcastic bubblegum tone complete with clapping and jazz hands.

We were enlightened people and we fell for this; why wouldn't Muslims fall for this?

I would like to sit and and write some acoustic stuff. That's what I want to do. It means creatively, that's what I want so I need to do that for myself and then I'll see.

Almost everything worthwhile carries with it some sort of risk.

It seems to me that this debate, whether Islam is a religion of peace or not, really, it's irrelevant for outsiders. It's for Muslims to decide whether it's a religion of peace or not.

All glory is fleeting.

I have always been independent. I like it that way. When someone forces me to do something, I don't do it.

I did comedies for 10 years and I learned a great deal.