If I stand there, appreciating the world around me as full of amazing sounds and the possibility of new ones, I think that invites other people to see the world that way, too. I love sharing the experience of singing with people, and I love sharing my stories. But when it comes to teaching, I have a lot of help.

The audience is like my instrument. It's not just me up there, it's collaborative.

Whenever I'm onstage, I try my best not to think that I'm performing. It's simply another part of my day.

When we're doing our lessons, the teacher doesn't say, 'Ready, set, work,' They say, 'Ready, set, play,' and I always took that word seriously.

In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double. Don't worry. Be happy.

I think we listen to music because we want to be changed. Music is not solely for our entertainment. Music has such tremendous power to bring joy. To me, that's our job as artists. Not happiness, not a groove, whatever. You must bring joy. I think that's the assignment. I have no doubt about it.

I prepared five songs, I sang them, and he hired me. I started working about a month later at the piano bar.