We are unique, each human voice, not because we are completely self-generated, but because of who we choose to assemble the countless factors that made us.

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.

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

For my own singing, I used to be attracted by the baroque, the flashier the better, but now I prefer a simpler, purer style.

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.

I would love to do more private concerts.

I'm American. I'm eclectic. I'm going to follow my musical passions. And if people don't like it, and it hurts my legacy, I'm not going to worry about that.