What does Yo Yo Ma think about learning music?

When asked about the benefits of being involved with music at a young age, Yo-Yo Ma addressed his answer to an awestruck 12-year-old cellist sitting nearby:

"If you love some instrument, if you like the sound of it, it's like no other sound. It's really yours. It comes from deep within, and it's something you can always connect with inside. How good can that be? Your music, your sound—it's your friend for life. You can express how you feel, send your self into the larger world. You will always have that voice. That's a pretty powerful thing."

Source: "We Are the World," by Gerri Hirshey. Parade (January 30, 2005)