To be nice to people and make them happy - that's my philosophy in life.

I have always liked black and white! It is simple and the colour of the piano.

Nobody wants to experience sad events but people like to listen to sad songs. That's the beauty of music.

The way to respect all the people I love is to eat the music, have it in my blood and bones, and try to explore it in as much different ways as possible to create my own identity.

Every day is different and improvised. Sometimes, a song can lead to a completely different adventure. You can't control it.

I started to listen to Japanese jazz musicians when I went to high school. Some people I listened to were Yosuke Yamashita, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sadao Watanabe.

Work hard! Just keep working hard until you can do something you want to do! We all progress at different speeds and in different ways, so be patient and keep working hard!

The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they all become beautiful.

Everybody improvises without noticing it. Life is about improvising. You can't control what happens in your life, I mean, you don't know what can happen in your life today. So you somehow improvise.

Challenges are the key in life. You always have to challenge yourself and try to get to different states.

Everything is inspiring! It could be fine art or a conversation I have with somebody!

If we held grudges for all the idiotic things we said and did as freshman and sophomores, the hallways would be silent.

I'm not sure if you even want me around or if you just feel sorry for me. I'm not sure of anything.

I grew up being very shy, very much a bookworm, and I remember desperately wondering how to be accepted by the popular kids.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

I think that you have to restrain yourself from googling your name and have other hobbies and desires and wants. You do a million things. You go to school, you write, you read, you blog.

I can smell blood, Elena,” Dmitri drawled, walking back into the room. “Are you trying to flirt?

They don't understand that a slice of the pie isn't the whole pie - but they wonder why they are always hungry

Pioneering is the work of individuals.

I grew up in a family that believed love was at work in the world. I guess that's a religious idea, though of course it needn't be.

You have first to experience what you want to express.