The first time I ever found Paste I thought somebody just might have finally made a magazine using only the contents of my brain. I read it cover to cover every single month.

Therapy really did prepare me to become an empathic songwriter. As far as advice goes, it's a matter of self understanding first.

That old adage, that music is a universal language, is really true. Even if all of the lyrics are understood, they seem to connect with it really well and in some ways, more so.

I'm not Metallica, you can tell that I'm really not that angry in most of my songs.

I was trained professionally to connect with people as a therapist. That's job number one, having a empathetic regard towards someone who is sitting right across from you. Being able to pull whatever their needs are, their desires and the things that are troubling them and being able to address that in some way.

Music is generally important to blind people, and most of the blind people that I have come into contact, through my parents, music is very special to them.

If it is a good song, it is a good song. The Beatles were pop, the beach boys were pop and it's the best music of all time.

If I am feeling musical and I pick up the guitar, usually something will eventually come out and I'll see where it goes.

I want to be very authentic when I perform, because I feel like I owe that to people listening. You can't go through the motions on music like this. You are making people feel a certain way, that you are not feeling yourself. It's like saying I want you guys to cry, but I don't really care, which isn't right.

The advice is, go slow and take your time with it. That works to my benefit.

I am definitely not listening to anything remotely close to my music, at least not on a nice day.

The old adage, that music is a universal language, is really true.