Melissa Block interviews Regina Spektor, focusing on Spektor's musical journey, her new CD "Begin to Hope," and her influences and songwriting process. Spektor discusses the painful memory of leaving her family piano behind when emigrating from Russia to the Bronx, how she maintained her piano skills without an actual piano, and the significance of incorporating Russian into her music. She elaborates on her use of vocal sounds and compares her songwriting to acting, emphasizing the fictional aspect of her work rather than autobiographical storytelling.