Michael Learned

I used to pride myself on the fact that I kept a house running and never burdened anybody.

If you care about what you do, you don't want to let people down.

For a long time, I resisted seeing 'The Sound of Music,' but when I finally did, I cried.

My first career ambitions involved turning into a boy; I intended to be either a railway guard or a knight errant.

I feel so grateful when I see a movie and there's a woman who looks somewhat like me. I'm like, 'Thank you, Samantha Morton!' You know, a woman who feels like a human being. That means so much to me.

So I write melodies - thirty, forty, fifty - then I cast them off until I have just two or three. If only one is needed, I go see the director and ask him to decide.