It seems like the older I get, the more unreal the world becomes.

Writing an opera and premiering in England, you could say I was going right into the eye of the storm and I came out successfully. A little tattered and bruised, but so what, I made it.

I very much faced my mother's death with hard, arduous and time-consuming labor. The more I would do, the less I would feel.

The artist who gave me the most inspiration and direction, especially as a singer - and I absolutely consider myself a singer, 100 percent - is Nina Simone. She's my ultimate pianist-singer-type person.

I will take my coffee black / never snack / hang with the wolves who are sheepish.

The pop world is popular, and it's about what the people want and connecting to the masses, whereas opera, although it was once popular - and I still believe it can be - it has become very elitist and intellectual, but that certainly doesn't sell tickets. It's a struggle, but I've always embraced struggle and thrived off of it, so it's the way my life needs to go.

Guess the world needs both sun And the moon too Sad with what I have except for you.