Her response makes Alec laugh. It's a friendly, amused laugh, not a mocking one.

"I know. It's horribly unfashionable. But it reminds me of my godfather and biological parents," he says. "I don't know if I'm any good. I made it into the music program at New York university, but we came here before I finished off my first year."

It's one of his big regrets in life. Not being able to finish his music studies. Or, to be more exact, not to be able to finish college. No one ever thought he'd be able to get into one but he did.