But an innovation, to grow organically from within, has to be based on an intact tradition, so our idea is to bring together musicians who represent all these traditions, in workshops, festivals, and concerts, to see how we can connect with each other in music.

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The worst thing you can do is say to yourself, "I want to be just like somebody else." You have to absorb knowledge from someone else, but ultimately you have to find your own voice.

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I think one of the great things about being a musician is that you never stop learning.

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I play an instrument that has four strings, and I'm still trying to get it right. What I've tried to do in the process of playing these four strings is to try and understand the people I meet, the stories they have to tell. And then become an advocate for them and their stories through music.

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Bach takes you to a very quiet place within yourself, to the inner core, a place where you are calm and at peace.

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Classical music is one of the best things that ever happened to mankind. If you get introduced to it in the right way, it becomes your friend for life.

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Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks.

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Practicing is not only playing your instrument, either by yourself or rehearsing with others - it also includes imagining yourself practicing. Your brain forms the same neural connections and muscle memory whether you are imagining the task or actually doing it.

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When we have a good balance between thinking and feeling... our actions and lives are always the richer for it.

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Culture opens our hearts to one another. And the currency in culture is not money, but trust.

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