I soon realized that I didn't have a great passion for academia and I didn't like sitting in front of the computer all day. I would much prefer to be a carpenter.

For me probably the best moment is before I get started in the morning. I get up and I ride my bike before I come into the studio, so there's a lot of peace and quiet right before the day starts and my assistants get here.

As americans I think it's harder for us to have a relationship with opera because the access to it is so limited.

The biggest problem that I see that young artists have is they aren't willing to fail. And unless you fail a lot, I think it's difficult to find a voice that shouts above the crowds.

I think that I the biggest thing that I need is more creative time. More time to make mistakes.

I soon realized that I didn't have a great passion for academia and I didn't like sitting in front of the computer all day. I would much prefer to be a carpenter.

I like that there's very little mystery in how the artwork is actually made. It's the labor and the focus and the precision that drives it to the next level.