l.a. philharmonic for 17 years before handing over the baton. he has now returned to the l.a. field for a series of concerts. he is currently leading the orchestra and seven conserves including the premiere of frank zappa's 200 motels. plus his own violin consider cho -- concerto. let's listen as they play his violin concerto. ♪ tavis: you really consider yourself a composer more than a conductor. >> it started out like that. fluke.ng happened, by tavis: what do you mean by fluke? >> i was studying to be a musician, back in the 1970's, and the real conductors, the professional conductors at the time are not interested in our stuff. we felt that we had to have one conductor among the group to do all that, so i was chosen to be that one. this is actually something i like doing, so it started like that. but i never thought i would have an entire career as a conductor. that was not part of my plan. tavis: >> what is the joy, the difference between the joy that composing brings you and the joy that conducting brings you? >> conducting is intensely social. you work with a hundred pe