After his initial student audition with Ravel turned into a sharing of musical theories, Ravel said he could not teach him, saying, "Why be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?
ˈæftɚ hɪz ɪnˈɪʃəl stˈuːdənt ɔːdˈɪʃən wɪð ɹˈævəl tˈɜːnd ˌɪntʊ ɐ ʃˈɛɹɪŋ ʌv mjˈuːzɪkəl θˈiəɹiz, ɹˈævəl sˈɛd hiː kʊd nˌɑːt tˈiːtʃ hˌɪm, sˈeɪɪŋ, "wˌaɪ biː ɐ sˈɛkəndɹˈeɪt ɹˈævəl wɛn juː kæn biː ɐ fˈɜːstɹˈeɪt dʒˈɜːʃwɪn?