The whole world recognizes Russia's cultural achievements. It is impossible to imagine the world culture without Russian culture, without our music and literature.
When I sing, I think mostly about the music. But I know that, through singing, my body shows everything that I am. I am a very passionate man and I suffer a lot and have a lot of joy also. In my opinion, it is very important for me to find this stimulus and motivation for singing.
I am a musician, ya know; music is my world.
I've always wanted to do my best to make sure it's clear that I want to keep the focus on my music.
It doesn't matter how big the set is or how florid the music is: if it doesn't touch people's hearts, then I don't want to be in it.
That's what I love about music. It's immediate. There's a connection whether you are playing at Hyde Park or Chicago, and it's been happening since the beginning of time and the troubadours.
Music is essentially an emotional language, so you want to feel something from the relationships and build music based on those feelings.
I'm always kind of surprised how much I'm associated with country music.
The most rewarding thing for someone like me is for someone else to find solace through my music.
I go online, and I love watching heavy metal bands and guitar players play heavy metal versions of the 'Zelda' theme, and people do all the 'Zelda' music, which is one of my favorite soundtracks.
In the end, a gun is an instrument to make someone surrender to your will or die, and music is exactly the opposite - it's seductive and invitational.
I'm obsessed with the power of music and image together. There's also something about music videos that are incredibly glamorous - there's a fetishistic aesthetic to them that you don't really see in movies in the same way.
I'm half Jewish, I'm half black, I look in-between. I dress funny. I play all these different styles of music on one record. It's like, What is he doing?
Because I didn't think anyone would actually listen to my music, I thought I could say whatever I wanted.
I've always been attracted to the darker things in life. I was never one to go for light, airy stuff, even as a child. My whole aesthetic has always been one of the darker side. That rings true also in my tastes in music. It's just always something I've gravitated to naturally.
Same with anyone who's been flying for years and loves it still... we're part of a world we deeply love. Just as musicians feel about scores and melodies, dancers about the steps and flow of music, so we're one with the principle of flight, the magic of being aloft in the wind!
I've been very happy to see some of the success that I've had along the way in opening the eyes of people, especially people who listen to music.
I really like to go for the essence of things - the most beautiful parts of things - of human beings or of music. If there are things in there that are getting in the way and complicating it, it's just not good for me.
The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.
When I went to college, I made my first mixtape, and Sean gave me three verses for it. That was a big reason anyone ever listened to my music. I definitely wouldn't be talking to you now if it wasn't for Big Sean.
My style is boho chic. I love that time period - the patterns, the prints, the people, the music, the vibe.
I was always inundated with music, whether it be my mother's favorites like Fleetwood Mac and Carole King and the Carpenters, or my dad's jazz music.
I'm always pursuing knowledge; I'm a seeker of spiritual equilibrium - and music is a big part of that.
I always felt like there was a certain standard of music that I had to do from the beginning, even when I didn't have the recognition that I have now.
There are some songs where I'll have had the music for 20 years and then finally the lyric will come through. That's not common but it does happen. Then there are other songs that come really quickly.
I always said when I was younger, I wanted to write film music, and I think that's what my ultimate dream is.
Music is a powerful tool in galvanizing people around an issue. There's no better way to get your point across than to put it in a beautiful song.
It was not a secret, then or now, that there is something vaguely un-American about forcing your child to be really good at classical music performance.
The tough thing about radio is I've met a lot of people in it who like my music. But it's hard for them to figure out how to play what they like when there's somebody up above them yelling 'you have to play this.'
I don't have a journal; I write music.
Music is meant to be a beautiful thing.
I love Puccini and that oriental influence in his music.
Music is so much fun because each song is like a film in itself. You get to go from beginning to end and interact and exchange energy with a live audience.
I do the same things I did when I was 12 years old: I ride bikes, I read books, I walk in the woods. And I listen to music.
My music is very personal. I've created it in solitude. I face a white wall and beller. I like that sound - the expression of loneliness. That's what it's all about.
Nowadays, there are seven music directors in one film. I had never heard of such a thing before. If one of our old music directors was told to share a score with others, he would have left the assignment.
