Herbie Hancock

One thing I like about jazz is that it emphasized doing things differently from what other people were doing.

In the past, there’s always been one leader that has led the pack to development of the music.

While knowledge may provide useful point of reference, it cannot become a force to guide the future.

When I was in my early teens, I remember coming to the conclusion that your life never ends.

Getting the Oscar had the biggest impression on me.

It’s not the style that motivates me, as much as an attitude of openness that I have when I go into a project.

But I have to be careful not to let the world dazzle me so much that I forget that I’m a husband and a father.

It pulled me like a magnet, jazz did, because it was a way that I could express myself.

See, there were certain rules I’d always used, and people like Trane, they would break those rules.

I think there’s a great beauty to having problems. That’s one of the ways we learn.

I’m always interested in looking forward toward the future. Carving out new ways of looking at things.

Music happens to be an art form that transcends language.

I’m always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

The value of music is not dazzling yourself and others with technique.

It is people’s hearts that move the age.

I’ve been a religious, spiritual person for a long time.

Jazz is about being in the moment.

But, the truth is that everyone is somebody already.

Nobody told me I was a child prodigy.

Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission that goes far beyond just making music for the sake of music.

Jazz has borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other genres of music.

You would not exist if you did not have something to bring to the table of life.

I try stuff. I synthesize what’s of value with some of the other things I have at my disposal.

We are eternally linked not just to each other but our environment.

I try to practice with my life.

One thing that attracted me to Buddhism was the support for this larger vision of values.

I feel a lot more secure about the directions I take, than I might have, had I not practiced Buddhism.

The thing that we possess, that machines don’t, is the ability to exhibit wisdom.

You can practice to attain knowledge, but you can’t practice to attain wisdom.

The value of music is to be able to play one note at the right time in the right way.

The music becomes something that is its own entity.

The spirit of jazz is the spirit of openness.

Being a musician is what I do, but it’s not what I am.

Creativity shouldn’t be following radio; it should be the other way around.

It’s not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz.

You can practice to learn a technique, but I’m more interested in conceiving of something in the moment.

When I was coming up, I practiced all the time because I thought if I didn’t I couldn’t do my best.

Without wisdom, the future has no meaning, no valuable purpose.

Since time is a continuum, the moment is always different, so the music is always different.

I think I was supposed to play jazz.

Miles’ sessions were not typical of anybody else’s sessions. They were totally unique.

Music is the tool to express life – and all that makes a difference.