Leonard Bernstein

Music is a language that doesn't speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it's in the bones, it's in the bones.

I am not a great man, but I am a great artist.

The key to the whole thing is to be able to hear the music in your head.

Music, in its most profound sense, is a metaphor for human existence.

The true meaning of music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them.

Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.

The best music is that which is both simple and profound.

The conductor is the only musician who makes no sound.

Music is a way of saying things that you can't say in words.

The greatest joy in life is to be able to create something beautiful.

The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history.

The whole point of music is to communicate, to make people feel something.

Music is the most direct line to the soul.

The greatest challenge for a composer is to find new ways to say old things.

The true measure of a civilization is how it treats its artists.

Music is the universal language of mankind.

The best way to understand music is to listen to it with your heart, not just your ears.

There are no wrong notes, just notes in the wrong place.

The job of the artist is to make the world a better place.

The greatest gift you can give to an audience is to be yourself.