I am deeply spiritual; I revel in those things that make for good - the things that we can do to shed a little light, to help place an oft-dissonant universe back in tune with itself... Long live art, long live friendship, long live the joy of life!

My arias make me take off as if I were on a trampoline.

Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself.

There's no anger ever in a spiritual. There's always the dream of a hope of a better day coming. That God understands the troubles that I'm experiencing.

One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.

I like so many different kinds of music that I've never allowed myself the limitations of one particular range.

As for my voice, it cannot be categorized-and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic, mezzo or spinto range. I like so many different kinds of music that I've never allowed myself the limitations of one particular range.