I definitely have a Luddite's approach to what's going on. I find that as I get older, I get stupider.

I find so many songwriters today are missing an element ... either the production is amazing but the songs aren't, or it's the other way around.

I have a lot of advantages: I'm not addicted to horrifying pills. I also have surrounded myself with far more caring and upright individuals. And I wasn't abused as a child, so I'm doing okay!

Once illness strikes, you realize there's not a lot of time for you to do what you really need to do. And there's no time like the present.

I like to make the mundane fabulous whenever I can.

For better or worse, I've always been curious musically. Whether it's opera or Judy Garland or pop, I've deliberately sought those things out. I've never wanted to do the same things over and over. Some think I've accomplished what I set out to do, and others consider me a dilettante.

Crazy as it sounds, I'm a believer in destiny and serendipity, and I have had cosmic experiences all my life. Something told me I was meant for greater stuff. And look, I've had a baby! And I've written an opera!