People looked to Kurt Cobain because his songs captured what they felt before they knew they felt it..

If a musician cares about what he or she is doing, and you show up and care, you can go some place. That will never change. There are a number of way….

In Othello, Othello kills Desdemona, but no one reads that play as a model for their own behavior. In Lou Reed's case, you're listening to a song, an….

I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but the first real thing I set out to do was become an English professor. Even so, I always hop….

I think younger artists are often "students" of the rock press. They have their favorite rock star interviews and know how they're supposed to act. B….

Interviewing is a lot like talking, but you have to guide the conversation. You have to know what you want and go about getting it..

I might ask about the first time a person heard a song that they really responded to, like when I asked Mos Def when he first "got" hip-hop and he we….

It can be nerve wracking if you walk into the interview and you're not sure what to expect..

When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have a grown-up person's job wi….

Doing an interview you're going to have certain things you want to get at, but you're better off if you play to people's strengths a bit. You're also….

When I started teaching, I would get miffed if a student asked me to write him or her a recommendation for law school - I'd feel like that's not what….

I'd say the vast majority of my interview experiences have been pleasant, better than pleasant. But sometimes there will be people who will size you ….