Music enabled me as a fragile young person to give voice to emotions I could barely name, and how it enables me to give my voice the unique and mysterious power to speak to others.

The reason that some singers go on to become great artists has very little to do with their voices, but rather with the fact that they have used their instruments as tools for detailed communication.

The student's job is to stay open-minded, to quell the knee-jerk defensiveness we all possess in the face of suggestions for improvement, and to maintain patience when faced with a process that is often slow, confusing, and frustrating.

For a while it was hard for me to say no to work.

My parents discussed singing every night over the dinner table; I had a tremendous music education.

I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks.

For years, I had no time for exploratory travel.