Turning 90 \u2014 an event that the Kennedy Center and Tanglewood are celebrating this summer with birthday concerts \u2014 has caused Williams to reflect on his accomplishments, his remaining ambitions and what a lifetime of music has meant to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given me the ability to breathe, the ability to live and understand that there\u2019s more to corporal life,\u201d Williams says. \u201cWithout being religious, which I\u2019m not especially, there is a spiritual life, an artistic life, a realm that\u2019s above the mundanities of everyday realities. Music can raise one\u2019s thinking to the level of poetry. We can reflect on how necessary music has been for humanity. I always like to speculate that music is older than language, that we were probably beating drums and blowing on reeds before we could speak. So it\u2019s an essential part of our humanity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given me my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Full interview from The Associated Press<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n