I think there's an abundance of talent in America and there will never be not a lot of talent out there.
I heard Sidney Bechet play a Duke Ellington piece and fell in love with the soprano saxophone.
Don't ever, ever, believe anyone who tells you that you can just get by, by doing the easiest thing possible. Because there's always somebody behind you who really wants to do what you're doing. And they're going to work harder than you if you're not working hard.