Sarah Hagen, pianist

When as a child I first understood what it meant to pull notes off a page, throw them into the air, and wonder at their magical effects, I knew that music would forever be my life: my oxygen, my solace, my offering.

I was recently asked what inspires me. This is both an impossible question and a no-brainer. Everything inspires me: my astounding colleagues, strange dreams after a midnight feast with friends, three words strung together in a novel, a ridiculous joke, baskets of poignant memories.

Let's see... What else describes me, in 10 words or less?

Well... to be honest, I take my whiskey neat.