My People Are Americans. My Time Is

I Didn't Even Start Playing The Piano Until I Was About 13 Or 14. I Guess I Must Have Had A Little Talent Or Whatever-you-call-it, But I Practised Regularly, And That's What Counts.

Modern European Composers...have Very Largely Received Their Stimulus, Their Rhythms And Impulses From Machine Age America. They Have A Much Older Tradition Of Musical Technique Which Has Helped Them Put Into Musical Terms A Little More Clearly The Thoughts That Originated Here. They Can Express Themselves More Glibly.

A Skyscraper Is At The Same Time A Triumph Of The Machine And A Tremendous Emotional Experience, Almost Breath-taking. Not Merely Its Height But Its Mass And Proportions Are The Result Of An Emotion, As Well As Of Calculation.

Look At The Piano. You'll Notice That There Are White Notes And Black Notes. Figure Out The Difference Between Them And You'll Be Able To Make Whatever Kind Of Music You Want.

My People Are Americans. My Time Is Today.