Lester Bowie Quotes

There's no way that music could ever go down the tubes. I can't imagine a civilization without music. When you realize today that music is such a part of people's lives. And will always be, really.

I think that essentially, since music was invented, it's basically reached out and touched every single kind of conceivable generation.

Music is the medium that has taken me around the world, and I would be lying if I said I could live without music.

Late 20th century music was a really important thing. It changed the world, and I'm part of that, and now I'm part of the museum that celebrates that.

I never played music, but it's an important thing ... the studying, the inspiration.

If music became extinct now, I don't know what I'd be good for.

The reality of music itself, which is the fabric of life for me, is where most of my attention is.

In 1955 music wasn't that important. Music was a kind of a special thing you went and did.

They look at what's more important, like subjects to help with the SAT's, etc. They miss that music is vital. It offers a break from a stressful day of science and math and it's different.

There's a lot of music in my life, and I found it a very important part of my life.

I listen to music all the time. I need music and I love music and I appreciate it. It inspires me.

It's important to keep music in your life in some way.

I can spend the day without writing or reading, but I can't spend a day without listening to music.

I didn't have a philosophical understanding of music until I came to New York. I didn't understand how it applied to my kind and my generation. I thought it was just old people talking.

I think music should be experienced by people all ages.

I think the most exciting thing is that you expect people our age to know the music, but actually a lot of kids know the music, and if anything is left, we have left really good music, and that's the important part, not the mop-tops or whatever.

The muse of music isn't just from Greek mythology, but living in people like the Beatles, Chuck Berry, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin.

I just change with the times. I really don't have a say in what's going on. Music was here before me.

I don't think there is much American music.

Historically, black music has influenced other cultures and other genres and created other genres.

I think that music is a lifestyle that you sort of intravenously plug into and unplug from when you do and don't need it. Some people live it 10 hours a day, some on weekends. It's no more important or non-important than that.

I always had a love of music, from the time I was a little kid, dressing up and singing along with Michael Jackson songs.

I encourage the study of music. And the immersion. 'Cause my life has been so enriched by being involved in music as I have.

So many schools are getting rid of music programs and it's really sad because I know that when I started singing and stuff it was something that I always wanted to do and I never believed in myself to be able to do it.

When I was growing up, music was music and there were no genres. We didn't look at it as country music. Popular music in Tuskegee was country music. So I didn't know it in categories. It was the radio.