Friday Q&A + links

In which my husband Paul pinch hits

For reasons I won’t waste your time with, the Q&A that was supposed to run today fell through, so my husband Paul gamely agreed to stand in. In addition to the serious work it takes to be married to me, he runs the Paul Green Rock Academy, an audition-only program for ambitious teenaged musicians. And before that, he founded School of Rock (yeah, the school existed before the movie). He’s a pip.

What’s the best part of your job?

Historically it has been the opportunity to meet so many of my musical heroes as, at least, a semi-peer, which is one of the best feelings in the world. 

On an ongoing basis it is just getting to work in music, which I love so much, and that moment when one of my students just gets it. The main thing I try to pass on is how much fun life can be when you work hard on your art.

The worst?

Right now I would say it is how passé our curriculum (classic rock) has become, and how over the years the novelty of kids playing music has worn off. The heart of my current business is our students learning from and touring with some true masters of the craft…but that group shrinks every year. It’s actually pretty sad. 

How do you keep a sense of humor when people call you Jack Black?