"Anyone who hears well can be educated to appreciate my music. The more you listen to serial music, the better able you are to recognize its grammar, its configurations, its modes of procedures. "
"These limitless electronic media have shown us new boundaries and new limits that are not yet understood -- the very mysterious limits, for example of the human capacity to hear, to conceptualize, and to perceive."
"I am concerned with stating an attitude towards the indisputable facts of the status and condition of the composer of what we will, for the moment, designate as 'serious,' 'advanced,' contemporary music. This composer expends an enormous amount of time and energy -- and, usually, considerable money -- on the creation of a commodity which has little, no, or negative commodity value. He is, in essence, a 'vanity' composer. The general public is largely unaware of and uninterested in his music. The majority of performers shun it and resent it. Consequently, the music is little performed, and then primarily at poorly attended concerts before an audience consisting in the main of fellow professionals. At best, the music would appear to be for, of, and by specialists."
"I want a piece of music to be literally as much as possible."
