I'm trying to go with the flow, which is not what I used to do. I used to try to micromanage my career choices.

My dad's paternal grandparents were musically inclined. And I remember as a little kid going to visit them in their senior building, and they were, like, the stars of the building, especially hosting and performing in their senior talent show.

Christine Bass was my high school music teacher. She took a program on its last legs and within a few years turned into one of the best programs in the country. Our high school dominated national choir competitions all through her 20-plus year tenure.

Obviously, I am a huge Matt Morrison fan, and I am a big Lea Michele fan because I know those guys from way back.

You get a lot of who you are as a musician across through the music you write. If you're writing your own music, then it's important to be really honest.

All the traditional models for doing things are collapsing; from music to publishing to film, and it's a wide open door for people who are creative to do what they need to do without having institutions block their art.

Education is the only way forward in Latin America and developing countries in general.

I wonder if liberal kids call liberal talk shows and ask how to get along in a conservative teacher's class? No. No. It doesn't happen, 'cause there's no thought of getting along.