composer. - mozart allen? is he living yet? - not yet. (audience laughs) - maybe i didn't hear right. is he living yet? - not yet. - i heard right. um, what kind of music did he write? - well, the first thing he wrote was his symphony 97. - that's the first thing. - yeah. he figured he'd have a better chance if people didn't think he was just a beginner. - just a beginner. (audience laughs) i asked the question. successful? - oh, no, no, no, not right away. for many years he starved in a tiny room in san francisco and he was so discouraged and blue, that one day he would have cut his throat if it wasn't for the girl nextdoor. - she helped him? (audience laughs) - well, if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be living yet. - [both] not yet. (george mumbles) - well, anyway, it was so cold in his room, you see, he didn't have any heat, but he still practiced his piano 16 hours a day. - how did he keep warm? - well, he played it from the inside. (audience laughs) - but the starving genius kept on writing music. -