“I wanted to be part of something bigger.”

The search is more important than the destination.

In my case, dust has become gold: Today, I work with people I grew up admiring.

When you do something with a lot of honesty, appetite and commitment, the input reflects the output.

I was a common man, and I will always remain a common man. No amount of stardom will ever consume my soul. Money comes, money goes. Fame comes, fame goes. I believe every human being is a celebrity in their own right.

The idea of music is to liberate the listener and lead him to a frame where he feels he is elevated.

Music knows no barrier of age or culture. It isn’t about being politically correct or even making a statement. Music is what appeals to the ears and touches your soul.

While other creators make a big show of their art Mani Sir makes it look as though anyone can do what he does.

The more I compose, the more I know that I don’t know it all. I think it’s a good way to start. If you think you know it all, the work becomes a repetition of what you’ve already done.

That’s a sound design thing but then we wanted to do music that would not disturb it and at the same time drive it.

Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. To be successful, it is also very important to be humble and never let fame or money travel to your head.

There is only one of the two that can reside in our hearts, GOD or ego. If GOD is in ego is out.

I like music that is able to stir my soul. My music is a spiritual exercise

I love classical music. I love a lot of musicians playing together and the whole culture of that, whether it’s Indian or it’s Western.

After a point of time, when you get success and fame, money and everything, the purpose of life has to be redefined. For me, I think that purpose is to build bridges. Artists can do that very easily, more than politicians.

Your best success comes after your greatest disappointment.

There were basically three themes. One was the sun theme which is the guitar when he’d get sun on his leg and it comes again in the end. And there’s of course the lullaby which Dido sang, “If I Rise.” And then there’s this driving guitar which is the motivation theme.

He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view.

I had seven brothers and four sisters. I told my mama, ‘One of these days I’m going to be big and strong and buy you a beautiful house.’ That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life, is to take care of my mother.

I had a babysitter when I was 12 or younger. I had a big crush on her.

Coming from a small town it was tough to dream big. When I grew up in a small town in Georgia, my biggest dream was one day to be able to go to Atlanta.

I think it’s fun to look at people with big diamonds.

Then as the years went on and my listening became more deliberate, I would climb up on an arm of our big sofa to get my ear closer to the wireless speaker.

Cats on the bandstand, give them each a big hand, anyone who sweats like that must be all right.

The result, I think, is pretty interesting … we don’t expect to make a fortune at it or ever be popular or famous or worshipped or hit The Ed Sullivan Show or the circuses or the big top.