Playing chess with my father is torture. I have to sit very upright on the edge of my chair and respect the rules of impassivity while I consider my next move. I can feel myself dissolving under his stare. When I move a pawn he asks sarcastically, 'Have you really thought about what you're doing?' I panic and want to move the pawn back. He doesn't allow it: 'You've touched the piece, now you have to follow through. Think before you act. Think.

Besides, before contemplating starting a new life, you need to make something of this one.

And back up they would go, not knowing where or when they would be able to land again.

I'm too heartbroken to shed tears.

That is indeed the best way to dumb down the masses: make them do the same thing over and over; let them have their fireworks every Bastille Day and let them gorge themselves every New Year's Eve. When the body repeats the same action, the mind adopts it and keeps the repetition going day and night, stopping all thought processes.

Music comes to life inside me. It's no longer just a succession of notes.

But I want to be free, I want to fly away. If that means living outdoors, well, that's fine by me. If it means not having any food, so what? The only sustenance that matters is the love in my dog's eyes and the hope of meeting people who dare to truly live.

No one should ever be deprived of a horizon.

I couldn't care less about good marks. I want to learn.

I'm not playing music to stay alive. I am alive. And I'm playing music for the pleasure of sharing the excitement with other musicians and other human beings.