Terry Gross

Becky, welcome to Fresh Air.

This has been an ambition of mine for a long time to have you sing on the show, and I'm delighted that we're actually doing it.

It's remarkable to me that you can sing as wonderfully as you do, and yet having you started so late professionally to actually sing in front of people.

That's right, but I was a closet singer before that, so I had lots of practice in my own living room.

Actually, two and a half.

What was the turning point to give it up?

Equally remarkable to me is that you didn't even sing in front of people until, what, you were 30, 31?

That's right.

Do you have a good musical memory?

When you're trying to learn a song, do you get it the first time, or...?

Say you're learning a melody that has a difficult interval.

What's your idea of a difficult melody to learn?

See what I mean?

No, what makes that tricky?

Because there's a lot of odd intervals and quick notes.

What's an accidental?

And so you asked her to sing with you?

I mean, how did you start performing?

And Becky, did it change your singing at all to have Dave playing?

I mean, I think he's just a fantastic pianist, and I wonder if you think that that affected you.