Béla Fleck

“I don't really think in terms of genres. I think in terms of sounds.”

“I never had a plan. I just went from one thing to another.”

“I just try to make the music that I love, and hope that other people love it too.”

“The Flecktones are a musical playground.”

“When you're playing with other people, you're not just playing your instrument; you're playing the other person's instrument as well.”

“I'm not a traditionalist. I'm a person who is interested in the past and in the future.”

“Music is a language that doesn't speak in particular words. It speaks in emotion, and if it's in the bones, it's in the bones.”

“The banjo is such a happy instrument–you can't play a sad song on the banjo – it always comes out so cheerful.”

“Without the blues, there would be no jazz.”

“I'm always trying to find the next thing. That's my main motivation.”

“For me, the banjo is a tool for musical expression, not a genre.”

“You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work.”

“I don't think of myself as a jazz musician, but I'm a musician who plays jazz.”

“I'm always looking for a new challenge. I'm always looking for a new way to play the banjo.”