I think if you see that no one is going to laugh at you for it, I think the concept of living nicely will be infectious. I believe there is room for the absence of cynicism.

To call somebody a Jewish composer is obviously redundant.

I was in the army, and I had given up the thought of being a composer.

To have ideals is not the same as to have impracticable ideals.

The trouble with music appreciation in general is that people are taught to have too much respect for music they should be taught to love it instead.

George Bush was for me the most important ally on the road to German unity.

I'm an incurable romantic, and 'Casablanca''s one of the most romantic pictures I've ever seen - the combination of Bogart and Bergman is just magical.

The No. 1 cause of preventable death for young black men is not auto accidents or accidental drowning, but homicide.

When I was a kid, I just devoured TV 24 hours a day. Now that it's actually available 24 hours a day, I'm usually busy doing other stuff. But I do watch TV when I can.

To be alone and to be drunk with your own aloneness is what meditation is all about. Be in the world, but don't be of it.

Unfortunately our nation, nay, our world, is run by evil morons.

Stand up, be bold, and take the blame on your own shoulders. Do not go about throwing mud at others; for all the faults you suffer from, you are the sole and only cause.

It's never been proven that air toxics are hazardous to people.