I Never Wanted This Kind

When I Was 20, Shostakovich Was My Favorite Composer. I Still Find His Fifth Symphony Wonderful, With Its Outstanding Themes And Rhythms. That's The Piece That Made Me Want To Be A Classical Composer.

There Are A Lot Of People On The Lowest Rung Of Jacob's Ladder, And We Must Somehow Reach Down, Give Them A Hand, And Make Them Want To Climb. A Little Really Good Music Never Hurt Anyone. And When People Are Given Good Music They Can Grow Spiritually And Even Discover They Like It.

After The Second World War, I Returned To California To Study Composition With Darius Milhaud, Who Wrote Wonderful Works Like 'le Boeuf Sur Le Toit' And 'la Cretion Du Monde.' I Especially Enjoy His Work For Two Pianos, 'scaramouche.

I Used To Take My Mother To Yosemite. When I Turned 14, I Got My Driver's License, And That's Where She'd Want To Go, So I'd Go Take Her There For Two Weeks.

The Secret Of A Great Melody Is A Secret.