Duke Ellington

"We are what we pretend to be."

"Make your mistakes in public so you can learn from them."

"I try to be diplomatic, but a spade is still a spade."

"Life doesn't require that we be the best, only that we try our best."

"The people came out to hear music, and I gave them what they wanted."

"Finding the right note is like finding the truth."

"Never forget that the blues was born from the freedom songs of the South."

"A musician who doesn't know music history is like a chef who doesn't know cooking."

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

"You can't fake a feeling with the right note."

"Peace is not the absence of conflict, it's the presence of harmony."

"Beauty is found in the spaces between the notes."

"I feel like I'm an artist, and all artists have a conscience."

"The stage is where I speak my truth."

"Loneliness is not about being alone, it's about being understood."

"Every night is a new composition, every audience a new muse."

"Work is what sustains us, but music is what saves us."

"Adventure is waiting for those brave enough to pursue it."

"The imagination is more powerful than knowledge."

"History repeats itself until we finally learn from it."

"Politics and music should never mix, yet they always do."

"War is never the answer, music always is."

"Inspiration comes to those who are working."

"Relationships are like jazz, they require listening and improvisation."

"Gratitude is the foundation of a good life."

"Power is only real when it's used to lift others up."

"Health is wealth, but music is worth everything."

"Fear is just an invitation to be brave."

"Patience is the only teacher that never fails."

"Kindness is the language everyone understands."