Alicia Keys went back to school yesterday. The singer made an appearance at New York University’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music.

Keys said the making of her “As I Am” album two years was very difficult because she was dealing with personnel changes. “I kind of had to find the snakes in the grass,” she revealed -although she’s still with longtime manager Jeff Robinson and J Records, so the snakes, we surmise, were personal. “It’s hard to be the one to change, to end relationships you had for years. I was really trying to find myself. I tend to be a very optimistic person, but I was snappy, and mean. My grandmother was very sick, I was watching her pass away and taking care of her. I was just very, very confused. [Making the record] was very, very difficult for me.”

Watch the video:

Check out Alicia’s new video “Doesn’t Mean Anything”

Take a look at our Alicia Keys gallery:

Behind The Scenes: Jay and Alicia’s “Empire” video