My greatest experiences in the theatre and the most religious experiences in my life - of which going to the opera is one for me - have been with the Romantic composers' repertoire: it's Wagner, it's Strauss, Verdi, Puccini. That era gets me every time.

Certainly in terms of my life - anybody's life - you go through death, childbirth and marriage, glory and defeat, and so on.

I've been thinking of trying my hand at rap. I've been recording snippets on my BlackBerry.

I may not lead the most dramatic life, but in my brain it's 'War and Peace' everyday.

I like to think of myself as a combination of Sid Vicious and Virgil Thompson

I'm your knight in shining armor. I'm here to save you from Linkin Park.

When it came to using elements of your personal life in your work, my mother was the master, or the mistress. There were three or four songs she wrote about my father - songs about failed love.