Tony Bennett – HuffPost 12.19.11

Mike Ragogna: What’s Tony Bennett’s Art of Zen?

Tony Bennett: Well, it’s all about how I feel about life, that life is a gift, and different little philosophies come out throughout the documentary about how we should just adore being alive and appreciate every moment that we are alive, because it’s such a great gift in this world to be alive on this planet.

MR: Beautifully said, Tony. Since you’re contributing to the culture with The Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts and other schools’ programs, it seems you would be a great person to ask what advice you have for new artists.

TB: Well, what I found out with Duets II, which was six years later than Duets, all of the artists are coming out of art schools–Berklee College in Boston or Juilliard in New York, and Lady Gaga is from NYU. NYU is just a great college and she has a great education. When Rosemary Clooney and I first started, we were just amateurs, and we got a million selling records. Soon enough, some of the old masters like George Burns and Jack Benny told us, “Children, you’re doing very well, but just know that it’s going to take you six years to learn how to perform to an audience in a competent way.” Sure enough, it took that long. With the new students, what I love is that they’re learning from school just what to do. I couldn’t believe how professional John Mayer, Michael Bublé, k.d. lang, and all of these artists that are on here are; they are all so educated now, professional, and appreciate that they are going over well. They learn that from schools, a performing arts school. That’s our dream. My wife and I are in fourteen different schools, but we would like to make it happen throughout the country. So, even if they don’t go into the arts, they will understand art and have a taste about the quality of things.