Watching seeds grow in the greenhouse. Drawing or reading or cooking.

A free day anywhere with a good dog.

No contest: seeing my grandchildren enjoying each other.

Any day spent laughing with friends or family.

My mentor heard it and said, “Derek, you’re just not a singer. You really need to stop trying. Admit you’re a songwriter, and find a real singer.”

It's not focus, it's an intensity of desire.

14. I always played music until then, just like piano lessons. Viola, violin and clarinet as a kid. But at 14 I started playing guitar and I was like, “this is it. This is what I want”. I am so thankful that I had this single mission from the age of 14 till 29. For 15 years of my life I wanted nothing but to be a great musician.

20 years ago i read a brilliant book called How Buildings Learn by Stuart Brand. Again, I highly recommend this book. In fact, I think it's my most gifted book. I love this book. I've read it so many times.

I don’t like live music. (I know that is a very despicable opinion.) I love great recordings.

How do you know when it’s done? I think the real key is just asking yourself, would I be proud of this? Am I ready to release it? And I love the double meaning of that word. Release. I release an album, I release a book. You let go of it. It belongs to the world. Now it’s out of your hands.