I was rather disappointed, because the one thing I wanted to gain from that opportunity was to add something to his music, and have him add something to mine.
I always tell people that the music industry may be frustrating sometimes, but the singing never gets old. It's something I grew up doing, and I take the bitter with the sweet.
I consider myself kind of a reporter - one who uses words that are more like music and that have a choreography. I never think of myself as a poet; I just get up and write.
Jazz really does try to include everything. It's always been popular music. But the wonderful thing about jazz is its willingness to take chances.
My father's record collection was full of New Orleans music of all kinds. I used to listen to the radio in New York, and all there was on it at the time was Madonna and Michael Jackson, so it sort of passed me by.
I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to a mostly African American high school on the South Side of Chicago and joined a gospel choir.
I moved to New York to go to Julliard Drama School. Didn't sing a single note of music.
Actually, the language in Shakespeare is wonderfully musical. You need to hear the music to connect with the words.
I'm not terribly happy about rock and roll. Certain rock music is uninspiring, numbing; it makes you feel like an idiot.
I don't have a very 'masculine' taste in music. I get a lot of heat from my friends about that.
My first break wasn't professional - I was in 'The Sound of Music' when I was five. I played Gretel, the youngest one, because that was what kind of took off for me in terms of loving acting.
I claimed identity as Jewish musicians for political reasons, because most of us were touring in Germany and, at this time, twelve years ago, there was a strong resurgence of Nazism in the places we were touring and part of that was on the music scen...
The '60s are my favorite decade - with the Cold War, the women's movement. And then there's the music, the fashion, the clothes, the hair.
I listen to Christian music.
I would say there's always a movement of music and fashion in youth culture - every decade inspires the new one.
One of my favorites is 'The Sound of Music'. When Julie Andrews runs through the hills singing her head off, I always wish that a gust of wind would blow her skirt up.
Music videos were this lucky career opportunity. They were assignments. I was providing a service, and they were meant to be punchy and gimmicky and fun.
I knew I wanted to be in music ,but I didn't know my role, so I did everything from interning at Rolling Stone to writing heavy metal fanzines to playing in a high-school band, and I think all those things probably helped in a way.
I don't think I really make singer-songwritery-type music - it's not my strong point.
I know it sounds really lame and hater-ish, but I think 2009 was maybe the worst year for music ever.
Disco music in the '70s was just a call to go wild and party and dance with no thought or conscience or regard for tomorrow.
