"The day they cut the football budget in this state, that will be the end of Western Civilization as we know it!"

"It's almost funny. I got dragged into this gig kicking and screaming, and now it's the only thing I want to do."

"You work for 30 years because you think that what you do makes a difference, you think it matters to people, but then…"

"[to Rowena Morgan - after she tells him she'd love to be a singer in New York] ... you have a great talent and if you…"

"A teacher has two jobs; fill young minds with knowledge, yes, but more important, give those minds a compass so that …"

"Bill Meister(crying over the grave of Louis Russ, a former student killed in Vietnam): We know too many of these kids!"

"Gertrude Lang: [as an adult] Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have…"

"A symphony of life."

"We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life."

"Playing music is supposed to be fun. It's about heart, it's about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, a…"