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: Danny Gollin of Halfway to Gone

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I make really loud noise by hitting stuff with sticks, and also help in the making of music that hopefully pleases other people as much as it pleases us who think it up and then perform it. I came into it first at around 8 years old when I realized that I might be able to sing like that guy on that record if I try and work on it a little bit. Eventually I wanted to be able to play every instrument in KISS, but I kept being re-directed by parents determined that I not waste my time trying to actually be a musician for a living. I’d ask for an electric guitar and rock lessons, and instead get an old acoustic with action 12” high and folk guitar lessons. I’d ask to get a drumkit and be flat out told “no way are you ever bringing drums into this house.” Eventually persistence and inspiration from Neil Peart, who suddenly was the world’s newest greatest drummer around 1981, won the day and I was allowed to bring drums into the house AND play them (only when my folks were not home—they were ALWAYS HOME!!!!) The rest is history I guess. Oh yeah, I also am a licensed physician and an expert witness in psychiatry, but that’s a whole other story.

Describe your first musical memory.

Now that is a really tough question — I’m gonna have to say my earliest memories were of my mom and cousins playing a little tickle game that involved a little sing-songy thing they’d say while distracting me and lulling me into a false sense of security moving their finger around my palm, then the tickle would come up my arm outta nowhere and we’d all laugh. Silly but true. There are surely earlier musical things sung/played to me as a baby that I don’t even remember at all, because both of my parents listened to music a lot. Another indelible memory is my grandmother singing crazy “Jewish Grandma” things to my brother and me that we still make fun of and tell all our friends about every chance we get — JJ Koczan has almost certainly heard some or all of them. If not, then he should remind me next time I see him and be prepared to pee himself.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Another toughie — so many years… I’ll impulsively say booting up NHL2K6 on Playstation 2 for the first time and hearing my drum intro to King Of Mean come blasting out of the TV as the theme music/first thing you really hear when the game starts. I was not told ahead of time that we were the theme song for the PS2 (Five Horse Johnson was on the Xbox version) — I only knew we had a couple of songs in the game soundtrack, so it was a shock, but a nice one!

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

When an old band I was in, Glueneck, broke up it almost broke me. It was one week before we were scheduled to record at Electric Lady Studios for four days for Atlantic Records. I was always convinced I was capable enough to soothe all the interpersonal bullshit that would come up, and firmly believed that the great music we were pumping out, and nearly-impossible opportunities we had right in front of us would at least carry us into landing a deal and being able to have a shot at doing something with it and realizing the dream, but all that ended and I was wrong. I then thought my dream was crushed for all time and it eventually veered me completely away from any hopes of any musical success ever again. And then I was wrong again, and now I only regret not sticking with it the whole time. Number one piece of advice to talented and aspiring rock stars — do not give up trying no matter what the fuck crazy fucked up shit happens and especially if you’re still relatively young. Number two — make sure you surround yourself with solid individuals who you truly want to be around all the time and who will be there even if shit goes completely fucking sideways and backwards or stalls out and won’t start again for a few hundred cranks of the engine.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

For myself, hopefully it leads to being better at getting across whatever it is I’m trying to put out there, and expands the ways I can do it along with the different things I might be able to express.

How do you define success?

At this point any time I play even half decent, I call it a success, since I only really play for the sake of playing anymore. I think being recognized enough to have some music be put into places where tons of people can be exposed to it is another form of success (see NHL2K6 above, but also having songs in TV shows and movies is always surreal when I stumble on something channel surfing).

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

My very elderly parents naked (within the past year).

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

An entire song with all parts and lyrics would be nice.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I think the most essential function of it is for it to exist at all—it’s an expression/communication like anything one says or does, but it hits in its own unique ways (depending what medium you are talking about) that are not so easily expressed in other ways of communicating. And it hopefully benefits both the artist who is processing something inside them and the audience who then may get some similar benefit vicariously.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Being with people I love, but haven’t been able to spend much or any time with for quite a too-long while.

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Halfway to Gone, Live at the Brighton Bar, 2010