The Obelisk Questionnaire: Jesse Neal of American Dharma
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Jesse Neal of American Dharma
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
If the question is within the context of music, I am a musician. To say that I am a guitar player isn’t quite accurate, since I play drums and bass as well. I also sing a little bit. In American Dharma, my role changes depending on the song. We have a pretty loose structure in that way. If one of us comes up with something on any instrument and it gets us grooving, then away we go! As far as how I came into that… I guess it comes from a life time of being captivated by music and wanting to make as much as I could.
Describe your first musical memory.
There are a ton of memories to sift through here. It’s pretty to hard to say which is first. Music has always been a big part of my life. There is one defining moment though that inspired me to pick up guitar in the first place. I was maybe 13 or 14 and MTV brought back Headbanger’s Ball. The first video they played was “One” by Metallica. I was captivated from the start, but hearing Kirk’s lead is what really struck me. I can remember thinking after the video was over that I needed to learn how to play that song.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
That’s a tough one. I’ve been to a lot of shows and listened to innumerable albums, but I’d have to say my favorite musical memory is seeing The Postal Service live at Merriweather Post Pavilion with my wife. Not only did they put on a great performance, but the lightshow was incredible as well. The best part of it all though was seeing my wife (who does not do crowds) come out of her shell and not just experience but be joy and happiness.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
There have been a lot of times in my life where things did not turn out to be how I thought they would. People showed their true colors, systems fell apart, childhood dreams wound up being almost unachievable. So I guess through all of that I learned to not have any solid expectations or beliefs, and to just see and accept things as they are. Don’t hold on to anything too tightly, for you never know when it might go away. Kind of the whole “attachment is suffering” thing.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I suppose it ultimately leads to being better than you were yesterday. I don’t mean that strictly in terms of skill. It also encompasses song writing, vision, and a reduction of ego.
How do you define success?
That’s something unique to each person. To me, it’s leading a comfortable life with the ones you love. It’s taking care of business but still have enough time and money left over to make memories. If the question is how do I define success as a musician… I’ll let you know once I find it.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I can’t think of any specific instance where I regretted seeing what was in front of me. I saw my extended family fall apart in my early teens, if that counts. Watching relationships through blood fall away… that’s something.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
An album that goes gold! That would be cool, but in all seriousness I want to make an album that means something to someone other than myself. An album that might inspire some kid to take up playing, or help ground someone in a moment of anger. Maybe an album that helps people realize we are more alike than we are different.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
I think that art (whatever form it may take), is meant to express things that words often fail to. There’s a certain “nowness” to every piece. It shows what the artist was feeling at that specific time. Sometimes, art can transcend a specific experience or thought, and be an expression of something universal that we all feel. It’s something that binds us all.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
The end of Covid. There has been so much anger and fighting since this thing started. Whether you’re for masks or not, we all have to get through this thing together. I guess I just miss when people seemed to get along and enjoy life more than they do now.
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