My mother was the worst kind of stage mother. She would make me and my younger sister and brother little duckling costumes and put us in kiddie shows.

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

I cannot imagine a more satisfying calling than my own: beauty, humanity, and history every day, combined with the cathartic joy of singing.

Certainly, jazz has become more of a niche, which is surprising, because it's our music. It's the national music of America.

I think singing it when its done well is extremely natural. It feels great.

The first thing I did when I made a little bit of money as a singer was to buy myself an amber necklace. This is often the way we put together our lives, adding the striking qualities of others into our own character.

In a way, being an opera singer is like being a very romantic sixteen-year-old who falls in love with great passion and conviction every month.