I've been lucky enough that I can gather all sorts of experiences and find inspiration by traveling around and by spending time with people I admire.

In blues, classical and jazz, you get more revered with age.

The generation I grew up in was the beginning of "stand up for yourself," whether being a singer-songwriter or a feminist. In my college years, the feminist movement was really coming to fore, so we wouldn't have put up with guys treating us less than equal.

Distribution has really changed. You can make a record with a laptop in the morning and have it up on YouTube in the afternoon and be a star overnight. The talent on YouTube is incredible, and it can spread like wildfire. The downside is that it's very hard to convince the younger generation that they should pay for music.

I just want to be as good a person as I can be.

There are so many people out there working with great grassroots and global and national organizations that are unsung heroes to me.

I learned a lot about what it was like to have to use different hotels and not use the bathrooms, which made me more determined to be an activist.