Posted in Questionnaire on June 16th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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: Turner Midzain of Woodhawk
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
We’re a rock band. We’ve always loved that. We never liked being a ‘stoner rock’ band. We were always inspired by the ’70s, so it just connected with us. But modernized a bit, and heavy.
Describe your first musical memory.
I had an electric keyboard when I was 7. I wanted to play piano so badly. But I sucked at it. I still suck at it. But I would make noise on that thing and thought it was cool. But I enjoyed the electric guitar and drum sounds on it more than the piano.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
The first time I was out of school and started touring. I still remember the first time we rolled the window down on our 15 passenger van and started our longest drive to our first far-away gig. To be young and free for the summer, just travelling the country. And we weren’t a very good band!
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
We were given guidance on how we could be a radio rock band to reach success back in 2018. We had honest discussions about changing what we were doing to try and cater to that. But we just couldn’t do it. If it came naturally, we would roll with it. But to write with people who would tell us what to do, and how to make a 3-minute song, wasn’t for us.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Always grow. Always learn and challenge yourself. That is the best part. Nothing comes easy. And it shouldn’t. I like a challenge as it keeps me thinking and engaged.
How do you define success?
Happiness. It shouldn’t be financial to be successful. Just be happy. We have done this for 11 years now and I love it. I can’t imagine not doing this with my best friends. People keep buying our records, streaming our songs and coming to our shows. That is unreal.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I was on a city bus that ran over someone when I was 15. I would be okay with letting that one go.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
The next album. Writing keeps us driven and we love it. I just want to keep writing, recording, and releasing music.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Connection. It’s how we all connect. You put 20,000 people in an arena and they all have a connection. We speak to strangers through music. You connect through artwork, sound, and the touch of a record. It’s just what keeps us human.
Say something positive about yourself.
I’m really proud of myself and our band. I work hard and so do the other guys. I am really proud of us.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
The movie Friendship. This is right up my alley as we are all huge I Think You Should Leave fans. So a Tim Robinson film is gold. A few of my friends saw it at the underground film festival and I missed it. So that is really on my mind lately.
Posted in Questionnaire on June 3rd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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: Luca Umidi of Huge Molasses Tank Explodes
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I guess I can say we are a group of four individuals with different backgrounds who put their energies together to express themselves through music. How we found ourselves doing this together is mostly by accident. Then we got to know each other and little by little we created a common space which I can simply call a “sound” in which we all recognize ourselves.
Describe your first musical memory.
It is probably connected to The Beatles. My parents used to listen to their records, and I am still a huge fan of their music. I remember the tapes of the red and the blue collections, my favorite song was “Magical Mystery Tour.” I don’t have an exact event in mind, but their songs sound deeply familiar to me.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
I wouldn’t say I have a best musical memory. Every time you work on a song, and you get closer and closer to the point in which that mass of sound becomes something that you didn’t even imagine, and it sounds good, that is a beautiful moment that becomes an emotional memory. The best part is that if you’re lucky enough that memory will be recalled in a new form every time you get to that point.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
We live in a very noisy world. We face disturbing news every day, and every day we have to digest words and events we don’t understand, or we strongly disagree with. In this confusion, we must keep strong on the wise side daily, live our communities with a human sense of mutual support and empathy, and avoid following shallow and horribly dangerous points of view. Tough times.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I believe that creativity, in any form, leads to a development of our inner sensitivity. It keeps you very alive. No matter what the outcome. We need to feed our artistic side with new and different inputs, in order to stay awake and keep our mind going. We all need creativity.
How do you define success?
Even though it can sound rhetorical, success is a very overrated concept to me. Not always a negative one though. We give too much value to recognized statuses. What you do has a meaningful essence if you do it genuinely and at your best. We should care less about being recognized as successful and give higher value to what we do in the act of doing it.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
If we take a look around and reflect about what’s going on in the world, there are so many things I wouldn’t want to see or hear. Pain, war, physical violence, verbal violence, rejection and disrespect for minorities and diversities, money supremacy, oversimplification that leads to distortion, egoism…It just feels like we’re going backwards. Sad to see this happening.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Tough one… well, think I’d like to have more time to create instead of having clear in mind something I want to create… so, a time-expanding machine? 😉
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art keeps minds alive. It preserves sensitivity and critical thinking. And this approach can then apply to many other aspects of what surrounds us in daily life.
When a piece of art goes from a sender to a receiver, it undergoes a unique process, which is taking a new form depending on how that specific receiver gets the message. It is something that actively involves both the parts. In this sense we can say that art is a place of freedom where both the creator and the receiver can meet.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I live in Milan, which is becoming more and more complicated. I’d like to move to a quite different place at a certain point of my life. But these are just words now…
Posted in Questionnaire on March 18th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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: Seb Painchaud of Tumbleweed Dealer
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
The one constant in my musical journey is “Evolution” . I would describe what I do as musically evolving constantly. Every composition is a stepping stone towards new sounds, every song is meant to push back the limits of what our music can be.
Describe your first musical memory.
It’s not my first musical memory per se, but it’s the first one that really impacted me. I have this uncle that is only 7-8 years older than me. He had a motorcycle, listened to cool music, he was my idol when I was a preteen. He made me a mixtape that I listened to religiously and that impacted my musical tastes profoundly. He had put Yngwie Malmsteen, Uzeb, Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Jeff Healy, it was really all over the place, and it really helped shape me as a music fan before I even picked up an instrument.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Seeing our latest album come together. It’s the album I have always wanted to make but didn’t know how to.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Honesty has always been my most treasured value. I can’t recall one specific instance that was tested, but rather I can say that growing and becoming a father has really shown me the difference between being honest and being an asshole. I’ve had to learn that you can be truthful without being hurtful, and that I can refuse to compromise myself while remaining respectful.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
It leads to more artistic progression. It’s really a “the journey was the destination” kind of thing. The word I use the most to discuss composing music is evolution. I could not have written this album if I didn’t write the first three. I could not have created this project without being in all the bands I was in before. So, everything you create is the result of years of evolution.
How do you define success?
If I was in it for the money, I would not make weird instrumental music, now would I? I wrote this album for myself as a listener. I wanted to make the album I was hoping to hear when I scour the net for new releases. I made something that would last up to repeat listens with deep details to discover on every new play. To me success is when someone tells me they enjoyed the album on that level. That they took the time to dissect it and discover those details. You are on Spotify, you have access to the whole world’s collective musical history, and you chose to spend time with my art out of all of that and to focus on it, to deeply appreciate it. That’s success right there!
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
The endtimes in which we live. As a parent, it is frightening to see the world we live in and to know that our children will never have the carefree childhood we were lucky enough to have.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
A collaborative album with a talented vocalist. Something akin to our song with Ceschi on this latest record.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To be created. A true artist makes art because he has to. I don’t enjoy the process, but I cannot live without it.
Say something positive about yourself.
I am twice the man I used to be. Having a family has transformed me and I wake up every day trying to make the world a better place for those around me.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
The next episode of Severance. I am HOOKED on that show!!
Posted in Questionnaire on November 26th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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: Hellfire 76
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
We do a fuzzed out type of Southern Stoner Metal. Simply came about from the ashes of another band. I was sitting on a bunch of riffs and wanted to do something heavy and stripped down. I reached out to Mike whom I’ve known for a minute. Seeing we like the same stuff and he got the direction right away. We started writing what has become HELLFIRE 76.
Describe your first musical memory.
Oddly enough, my older sister had a record by Cliff Richards. It had a song on it called “Devil Woman”. I used to play that song over and over. I guess it gave me a lasting impression.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Seeing Siouxsie and the Banshees when I was a kid. I knew at that moment I would be a musician.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Hmmmm….seems my beliefs are constantly being tested!
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
To an output of creative greatness. As we keep creating, we keep progressing!
How do you define success?
Doing what we want. As far as band/ music, etc., every show we play where people came out – Success! Every time we sell an album or merch – Success! Great press – Success! Being relevant and continue to inspire others – Success!
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Jail……
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
A concept album… but just might one day.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To challenge opinion, make one think differently.
Say something positive about yourself.
I keep my word!
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I help with a dog/ cat fostering network. Getting as many dogs/ cats into new homes. ADOPT-Don’t buy!!!
Posted in Questionnaire on November 21st, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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: Alan Strathmann of Ohpen Ahrms
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
In specific, Ohpen Ahrms is making music as a collaborative. And we’ve come to it from a need I had for an outlet to explore song writing and the music that was being stockpiled coming out of a long period of isolation. It is also something I very much look at as the result of working with the band and that is an important part of it, maybe the most important part. It’s a cast of great players, individuals that genuinely like to make music together and even if the cast changes, it is something I hope can continue as an evolving entity. I don’t have any plans to stop writing material that can be developed by Ohpen Ahrms. There are other things that I do, more records in the pipeline, and some are more solitary, more of an investment in looking inward, developing new tools or skills, that sort of thing. So for the foreseeable future there will always be ways for me to be puttng out music.
Describe your first musical memory.
I guess some of my earliest memories are those of listening to music when I was pretty young, maybe 7-10 years old. My family had records like Taj Mahal, The Beatles (’65, Rubber Soul, Sgt.Pepper’s…) Pink Floyd, show-tunes and soundtracks like Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar. And lots of Bach, Beethoven and classical music as well. Then soon enough it was rock, punk and metal. I would play records when my parents were out and get in trouble when they would come home to me playing the stereo too loud. I got into singing and performing pretty early on, joining choir and community theater, that sort of thing. Yeah, I was that nerd.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
I have so many great musical memories. I am extremely lucky in that way. I guess if I think about recency and not necessarily order things qualitatively, I’d have to say that having been able to progress professionally as an educator and producer directly as a result of pursuing art and music has been very meaningful to me. Imposter-syndrome is something I think others may relate to, and there are moments – maybe small or less obvious from the outside – that have shown me that the things I believe in can have some value, in ways that I may never have conceived of while pursuing them.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Living in the charged violence of 2020/21 had me questioning the means of longterm survival in ways I hadn’t before. It was hard not to be hyper-aware of things like the potential for mass-collapse of our infrastructures and social values. When you see keystones move, systems of order fail, it is impossible to look away, to not become nervous. I know this sounds naive in the global context but it was localized for me in ways that were new and disturbing.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
That’s a tricky question. Challenging, in that I believe progressing as an artist can take you in a lot of directions. If progress means proficiency or being prolific then this can mean growth and discovery. You may find that you can express yourself more thoroughly or in more detail, or you could do things that you previously weren’t able to. You can also find out things about yourself and those can be different kinds of challenges. I guess when you reach a plateau or find yourself asking new questions some of those questions may be harder to answer, or they may present problems that are difficult to solve. I guess it is a very personal thing. If you’re being honest with yourself you find your limitations and your strengths, and adapt and progress to – and then forward from – who you are as an artist and where you are in your practice.
How do you define success?
I guess success can be thought of as how you feel about yourself and what you do. Some definitions of success are obviously more linked to external perceptions, and I suppose it is hard to avoid the fact that these things are intertwined. But we have many examples of what we perceive to be success that are objectively failures of sorts. Like burnout or even self-destruction. I don’t think you can have success without being able to look at how you’ve failed and persevere towards something that brings satisfaction. And I don’t mean ‘making it’ or being satisfied with any particular achievement.
I guess for me I’ve always tried to look at the past and actively link it to what the future can be. Every time I finish a record or a project I think: “I hope I get to do another, and make it even better”. In some ways getting to the next thing, being able to continue is success. And I do believe that there are larger factors that allow us to continue or not. Being able to make art requires that you are not preoccupied with survival and are not being deprived of basic needs.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I wish I hadn’t seen the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election. Not that I wish it had happened and that I’d somehow missed it – I wish it hadn’t happened the way that it did.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
There is something more extreme – for me, musically – that I am working on. I can’t really articulate it yet because it isn’t fully formed and I would just be spouting a list or painting some kind of abstract. And when I say “extreme” I don’t necessarily mean ‘brutal’ or ‘heavy’- which isn’t to say that I will ever deny my roots in heavy music. But it is about growth and pushing past limitations and exploring new things. It’s personal to me and something that I am trying to process, but I do see a place for it in the not-too-distant future.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
At the social level art should allow us to see things differently, share perspectives and move us forward together. To think of it as personal or individual, art should function as a means of growth, healing, and self-actualization. No matter your politics or your perception in isolation we are in a constant state of decay in all senses of the word: bodily death, spiritual decay, emotional and intellectual depletion. Art is essential to the pursuit of balance with regard to these things.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I am looking forward to traveling and spending time with close friends. Coming up I am going to travel here in the US and to Japan which is something I’ve been planning and looking forward to for a long time. I feel like most of my life is work, some of which – a great deal, actually – I enjoy. But downtime is not work…and sometimes I have trouble telling the difference, but purposefully taking time to go away and be with people I care about is a way to extract myself from all of these other things. I expect that my mind will still occasionally wander to things I want to do or create, but being technically ‘away’ will mean I can also be present.
Posted in Questionnaire on November 4th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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: Chris Morrison from Mother of Graves
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
For the sake of this question, what I do is be in a band called Mother of Graves. I’d define Mother of Graves as a group of friends who play death/doom metal as a cathartic and creative release. I’ve always loved to write music since I was kid. I suck at playing other people’s music, so I started writing my own. I’ve been in several bands throughout the years, but Mother of Graves was formed later in life after a great friend tragically passed. The early songs were a way to directly deal with that loss and since then it has become a way for us all to process whatever we are going through. Also, it is just plain fun to play music with your friends. We wanted to try our hand at, in a way, bringing back the sounds we loved from the early and mid 90s.
Describe your first musical memory.
My earliest musical memories are sitting on the carpet listening to the radio and waiting for my favorite Duran Duran and Michael Jackson songs to play. Then taking a cassette deck and recording them so I could listen over and over.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
There’s been so many great memories that it is hard to pick just one. The tour I did with my old band Harakiri along with Commit Suicide and Kalibas in 2002 is unforgettable for many reasons; however, more recently a couple killer shows stand out: Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in Denver and Northwest Terror Fest in Seattle. These were two of the bigger shows I’d ever played, we were received really well, had a beer collaboration, and made some great friends. I will never forget those shows and am grateful for the opportunities. The greatest memory is even more recent, and I won’t get into details. This has happened a few times, but we got a message from a supporter who told us how much our music meant to them and how it helped them get through some rough times. That is what it’s all about.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I used to work a job in the criminal court system here decades ago. Straight out of college, I firmly believed that I could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives who were stuck in the CJ system. I had a shitty experience with the criminal justice system when I got in trouble as a kid which made me want to make a difference. I was motivated by the idea that guiding individuals who had made mistakes, or faced other issues, could help them reintegrate into society and lead productive lives. However, as I began my work, my belief was significantly tested.
I saw so much bullshit from policies that prioritized punishment over rehabilitation to instances of misconduct from cops, PO’s, correctional officers, etc. I saw firsthand how self-serving interests of politicians and judges could overshadow the needs of individuals caught up in the system. I witnessed so many cases where individuals were set up to fail due to systemic issues rather than receiving the support they needed. I had entered the system with hope and optimism, only to confront a reality that often felt disheartening and beyond my control. I knew I could not change the entire system, but I still strived to advocate for the individuals I worked with. The belief that I could actually make a positive impact was definitely challenged because of the systems in place. I know I made some positive impacts on people’s lives because they made sure I knew it, but the system is totally messed up. I had to bail on that career path as I could not stand to be aligned with what I saw go down. It paid like shit anyway.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
That’s a hard one as it could go in many directions. To me artistic progression leads to a deeper music in general. As I get better, and evolve as a songwriter, I feel like can foster a deeper emotional resonance in what I create. It gets easier to find more nuanced ways to convey emotion and other ideas.
How do you define success?
Musical success to me is defined by personal fulfillment and impact on others. Ultimately, we make music for ourselves. So when we write an album that we really like to listen to, are proud of, and feel that we put everything we could into the songs, that is a success. When we write we also hope that by being 100% authentic and true to ourselves, that it will also resonate with others. So when our songs have a positive impact on others that is also a huge success.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
The removal of the 7-layer burrito from the Taco Bell menu.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Probably have to say about 5 more Mother of Graves albums. We were talking about this last night after rehearsal. We are curious as to how our sound will evolve.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art is a way to express emotion, right? That’s how I see it at least. It allows one to dig deep and use one’s imagination to communicate our thoughts and feelings about whatever we want.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Well as I type this, I am looking forward to celebrating my wedding anniversary with my amazing wife this weekend. Thanks for the questions!
Posted in Questionnaire on September 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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: Christoph Henning of The Antikaroshi
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
For me, it’s basically an outlet for the things that I personally can’t deal with so easily, through an electrical device. Be it on a small or large scale. Most of the time it’s very rewarding.
How I got into it? Purely by chance. I grew up in a small village and my father was kind of worried that his only son would get lost in the local soccer team. So he allowed me to buy a drum kit when I was 15. From that point on, he couldn’t turn it back.
Describe your first musical memory.
Seeing “village people” on the television. It must have been 1979 and I liked all their costumes and that there were so many people on stage playing instruments or not.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Tough one. There were a few. Hm seeing Shellac on 9/11 in Berlin was intense. No one knew if they were going to play or not, and Steve did an improvised monologue for what felt like 20+ minutes in one song. It had all the tension and desperation of the moment and set an artistic standard for me.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
There have been a few times when you’ve put on a DIY show for one of your “heroes”, whose records you’ve listened to endlessly, and it turns out that the people involved are just “human beings” after all ;-)
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I don’t get the question but I recently read an interview by a very cool band called all structures align and they said something like “to at least avoid to make the same mistakes again” – totally agree.
How do you define success?
Taking seriously what you do. Condensing honestly into words and sounds what you feel. If in that sense the music adds something to our normal everyday experiences then we have achieved our goal and we have been “successful”. If it resonates with others, that’s cool, but it’s not part of our definition of success.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Murder city devils in 2003(?) supporting At the drive-in in Dublin. I guess it was their final show of the tour and for some reason the singer decided to drink a bottle of Jack Daniels in 1 sip. You can imagine what happened next..
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I wish I could built my own instruments not necessarily a guitar. But it’s either the lack of time or laziness.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
The ability to abstract
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Posted in Questionnaire on August 27th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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: Serge Skrypniczenka of Stonerhenge
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I started putting together my first “basement” rock bands when I was 14-15 years old. And even earlier I composed all kinds of “rock operas” and other works of “large scale”. At the age of 17, I formed my own real, full-fledged rock band, we had completely our own musical material. It was the group žygimont VAZA and we were among the first Belarusian rock groups who performed their songs in the Belarusian language. Now it’s hard to imagine, but at that time (late 1980s) in the Soviet Union it was very, very unusual and bold.
Describe your first musical memory.
OL, this is hard for me to do. Because I’ve been surrounded by music since I was born. My mother played the piano, and I sang and held a pencil in my hand like a microphone.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
In the life of every person, sometimes situations happen that from the outside do not look like anything unusual. But for that person, at that very moment, they can be indescribably special. I could experience catharsis at an ordinary classical music concert at the Philharmonic. Or when listening to Pink Floyd’s Comfortable Numb for the first time.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I don’t think there can be one clear answer to such a question. Each person can change his beliefs during his life – change to a greater or lesser extent. I also had such stages.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I think that the question is not entirely correct. If creative progress occurs, then the important thing is to realize it first. And secondly, try not to lose this state, this feeling. Any success can disappear. People who have achieved success can sometimes simply “flush this success down the toilet,” destroying themselves using a whole arsenal of different methods.
How do you define success?
The question seems trivial. However, I will try to answer. Probably, this is the general fulfillment of a person – personal and professional fulfillment.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
My country is now embroiled in a most shameful war. And I see what terrible things the Russians are doing in Ukraine. In Ukraine, where my relatives and friends live.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Oh, I’m really interested in a variety of topics in my life. But still, as a possible example, I would like to see our band’s performance one day published as a full-fledged live video concert.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
I think art has only one function. Art makes us HUMANS.
Say something positive about yourself.
Well, I’m not an evil person in general :) But seriously, I’m not envious at all and always rejoice at other people’s successes. I rejoice consciously and sincerely.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I will not be original if I say that I expect an end to the war in Ukraine and the repressions in Belarus.
