I grew up singing. My mother was a music 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.

Both my grandmothers had upright pianos and I just knew how to play since I was a child. Nobody taught me. I sounded like a grown-up and then I learned how to read music. I played so well by ear I could fool the teacher to believe I could play the notes. She'd make the mistake of playing the song once and I could play it.

When a music teacher that I had at school was taken ill and we had a variety show and I had to fill in - that's when I realized I had a voice.

When I graduated from high school the teacher said I was throwing my life away following music and the same teacher invited me back to speak at the school. I don't say that to brag I just want to be an example.

Ironically for a few million people in the Far East I did become an English teacher through my music.

I started studying music at the age of five and a half. My older sister was taking piano lessons. When her teacher left our apartment I would get up on the piano bench and start picking out the notes that were part of my sister's lessons.

I wasn't a ballet baby. My first dance class was in an outdoor pavilion when I was three. It was called 'creative movement.' The teacher gave us chiffon scarves in beautiful colors. She turned on some music and said 'Now go dance.' So for me dance has always been about self-expression.

Before I got Doctor Who I went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. I went back to take the final grade exam which is the grade you have to take before you can take the teacher's diploma.

When I started writing full time I had not long stopped being a teacher and when at last I had a full day to write I would put music on and wonder to myself - am I allowed to do this? Then I thought: 'I am control of this and no one is telling me what I can do.'