Acting, at least for me, is very unreal, and when I’m doing it, I actually feel embarrassed.

That’s the thing about great artists: They find the thing that’s most obvious to themselves, what’s most conscious and natural, and they put it out there and the audience comes.

I knew that I was going to have a life as a musician, because I always felt the pull. I don’t remember ever having to make a choice.

I’ve always considered transcribing to be an invaluable tool in the development of one’s musical ear and, over the years, I have spent countless glorious hours transcribing different kinds of music, either guitar-oriented or not.

I could never overstate the importance of a musician’s need to develop his or her ear. Actually, I believe that developing a good ‘inner ear’ – the art of being able to decipher musical components...

I was about seven or eight years old when I first heard West Side Story, and it had a huge impact on me. If you look at the elements of that record, it contains many...

I’m always pursuing knowledge; I’m a seeker of spiritual equilibrium – and music is a big part of that.

When I was young, I wasn’t a misfit or anything. I had friends in all the different social groups. But I had issues – just personal issues, insecurities and other things that had happened in...

Criticism can be devastating. When push comes to shove, we are all very sensitive.

It’s hilarious, because my guitar has what’s known as a tremolo bar or a whammy bar. And the whammy bar is probably the most alien thing on my guitar that could possibly relate to a...

If I remain true to what’s in my heart, that’s all the success I need.

I’ve been approached many times to write all sorts of books about my past and my personal life. I get interest from people who want to do reality shows, and somebody just offered me a...

Possessing a healthy imagination is a necessary ingredient for creativity.

What I look for in music is artistry, sincerity, and simplicity, and Tom Waits has all of that. I want to make a connection to the creator.