My mother's background was Scottish. She came from an old family, some of whom lived in upper New York State and some of whom had come over from Scotland.

The composer...joins Heaven and Earth with threads of sounds.

I've always regarded nature as the clothing of God.

My purpose is to create music not for snobs, but for all people, music which is beautiful and healing. To attempt what old Chinese painters called 'spirit resonance' in melody and sound.

I found a greater identity with my own emotions in the Armenian culture as I grew older, as well as from the beginning, although I didn't know anything about it.

This is not to say that the Scots are not fine people, but they were all sort of... well, my grandfather was a minister and sort of Protestant, and this was rather depressing to me.

It's hard for me to think of others because I'm not particularly in sympathy with the music of this century.

I was born in Somerville, but I don't remember very much about it because we moved from there to Arlington when I was five years old, and it was in Arlington that I spent most of my childhood.

To me, atonality is against nature. There is a center to everything that exists. The planets have the sun, the earth, the moon.

I did all kinds of things in order to earn a living.

The greater the emotional intensity, the greater the simplicity.

You don't have to know where you're going to get exactly where you need to go.

My action is my prayer.

No one said finding Paris would be easy

It really doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable

The world may take your reputation from you, but it cannot take your character.

I like style. For Dior, I did more of a collaboration shoot, not just a single image - so there was more to it. It's a very prestigious brand. I like their style and feel like their style is mine.

Admit your mistakes but don't cry over them. Correct them and go forward.

Read. Always read. No one can take that away from you.

I dont see things with gender, race and culture

Being a star requires risk-taking shoes.