Being steeped in the process of learning and exploring keeps me from becoming too nervous. Partly it's about not getting bored.

Learning operatic roles is ongoing, and I find that I can learn on the train or subway, during a manicure, getting my hair done, and even while driving if I only look at the score at red lights.

There's no performance where I never have to think about setting up a phrase or making a technical adjustment while I'm performing.

At this stage in my career, I don't have to take any big risks. You want to take a calculated risk, not one that leads to people saying 'yes, but there was that one time when she made that big mistake.' It's always a shame when that happens, especially if you've gotten by for decades without anything hugely tragic.

I do not inveigh against higher education, I simply maintain that the sort of education the colored people of the South stand most in need of, is elementary and industrial. They should be instructed for the work to be done.

In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject or set of subjects that will serve you for the foreseeable future, let alone for the rest of your life. The most important skill to acquire now is learning how to learn.

It is our moral obligation to give every child the very best education possible.

If I lead the field in any way, it is in the area of curricula development, study guides and other teaching materials.