We're understanding what Obama is. He is the great teacher. He is this guy that stands above everybody. There's some condescension in it but he stands above everybody and says 'Now listen. You people have to stop blaming each other unreasonably. You have to get along here and I am going to show you the way.' It is a pretty brave role in many ways.

In the case of my book I don't think it's really the coming-out gay novel that everyone really needed even though it was received as such. The boy is too creepy he betrays his teacher the only adult man with whom he's enjoyed a sexual experience etc.

I loved almost everything about being a teacher but I was an unusual teacher.

Every child grows everything depends on the teacher.

When you are studying jazz the best thing to do is listen to records or listen to live music. It isn't as though you go to a teacher. You just listen as much as you can and absorb everything.

I'm sure any vocal teacher that listens to me would rather cut my throat than do anything - I do everything all wrong - but I think for me that's the best - because I don't think I have a voice so I think what I project would be style - if I learned to sing I'd lose my style.

I had a great drama teacher and he sort of made out drama school as this incredibly difficult thing to get into: 6 000 people apply every year and some of the schools only have 12 places. It's a phenomenally difficult thing to get into. And that excited me - I wanted that challenge.

The processes of teaching the child that everything cannot be as he wills it are apt to be painful both to him and to his teacher.

As a student I learned from wonderful teachers and ever since then I've thought everyone is a teacher.

For one thing I teach my students what my teacher for twenty years Paul Gavert told me 'The voice follows... the voice follows everything about you... who you are.'