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Personally, I've always had to face casting directors or producers saying, 'You're right for the part, but nahh, you're not quite what we're looking for.'

It's one of the things that looks good written down, but the reality is that you think about the pieces you're doing and try to bear in mind everyone in the audience.

On stage, you've got dialogue you've learned. You've got a paying audience. It couldn't be better, you know?

You've got to keep your finger on the pulse of what your audience is thinking, and know what they'll accept from you.

I like it when someone tells me 'I don't agree.' This is a true collaborator. When they say 'Oh, how great, how great, how great,' that's not useful.

You can't second-guess your audience. You can only do what you think is right. If you do that, your audience will appreciate you.

You can only be as good as your audience. Sometimes you can be as bad as your audience, but you have to remember you can never be better than them.

We have to be very careful about what we say out there to the masses in the entertainment industry because people are listening to every word, and they take it to heart.

The people at my label are always endorsing what I say. They say, 'You see the truth, so speak it.' They believe in me. They respect my opinion. At least I have an opinion, and I'm not trying to play it safe. I don't go around saying, 'I think everyone is great, and the world is fantastic.' Everyone has opinions. They just don't say it.

There may be people in my audience who may not agree with me on some particular issue - you know, say, as a gun owner, they may not agree with me, or, you know, someone may not agree with me on a gay marriage topic. Any of those things. But those shouldn't be the reasons you listen to my music.