Chemistry is not anything an executive producer or writer can orchestrate or plan you just hope for it.

On the other hand when I give it closer thought I realize I'm not enough of a dictator to conduct an orchestra because it requires a pretty awful person. When you read these biographies of famous conductors they are all awful people who fail in their private relationships.

My wife Elizabeth and I started The Really Terrible Orchestra for people like us who are pretty hopeless musicians who would like to play in an orchestra. It has been a great success. We give performances we've become the most famous bad orchestra in the world.

Notwithstanding these setbacks the dream of a beautiful American orchestra goes on and I share Dr. King's faith that each year we move inexorably closer to a magnificent opening night.

But if I can be convinced and then through the work that we do together the orchestra can really be convinced of the big sweep of that communication that the piece suggests then the audience will get it and it will be a good experience for all of us.

It has to be able to play at the maximum expression and communication in every style and the only way you can do that is - like Verdi said - working with a file every day little by little until the orchestra's collective qualities emerge.

Beauty and fullness of tone can be achieved by having the whole orchestra play with high clarinets and a carefully selected number of piccolos.

The Beethoven Experience provided the opportunity to solidify the relationship between the Orchestra and me the Orchestra and me and the public between all of us and the city of New York because Beethoven after all is a really amazing point of reference.

Whenever I listen to a children's orchestra I learn. They feel everything they enjoy everything they have amazing energy.

You can't play a symphony alone it takes an orchestra to play it.