questions part 2

It seems that whenever I feel inspired to blog, I don't have time, and when I have time to blog, I just...don't. Eh eh, eh eh, there's nothing else I can say.

...

Questions! (Or rather) Answers!

(Anon.) "If you were sent to a deserted island and could only bring 3 items (none of which can be a boat or other means of getting off the island) what would you bring?" 
Hmm. This is really hard. I suppose I could go with practical things such as a knife, flint/steel and a tarp, but I am also inclined to go with a package of pencils, a giant stack of manuscript paper and great reading book to ensure that I spend my time productively. I am torn. Creativity or survival? Hmm...


(Anon.) "If you had to pick one, and only one, person who was your ultimate role model..who would that be?"
I honestly don't know enough about anybody yet to say...

(Anon.)"If you could pick any career and money/time wasn't an issue...what would you do?"
What about talent/skill? Would that be an issue? If I just suddenly jump to any job, I would have to say that of a Broadway actor. I can't think of anything funner than getting to sing and actor in front of an audience every time and get paid for it. People do that, you know! Crazy. But no, seriously, if I could just jump to my dream career it would be (and the moment), to live in NYC alternating between an actor in shows and composer (writing classical music and new musicals, which of course would be running on Broadway), with a side career as a vocalist/keyboardist in a great little indie folk/pop/rock band.

(Anon.) "If Lady Gaga, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenowith all asked you to sing on stage with them at the same time..which one would you choose and why?"
Oh gosh, these are HARD questions. I'm kindof inclined to say that Gaga and Patti are both people I would just love to spend a day with, but I think that I would love to sing onstage with Bernadette Peters. So I think, I think my pick is Bernadette. I would just love to met Idina and Kristin.

(Logan) "What's your view on prostitutes? Such in Paris it is a legal job, I know I think it is revolting and should be illegal. However to some it is entertainment and good money. So you wanted questions so I am asking a question!"
Hmm. Good question. My first instinct is that of course I disagree with prostitution absolutely, and think it should be illegal. But the problem is that that really won't do anything.  Same with abortion. You can make it illegal all you like, but if people really think it's the answer, they'll seek it out illegally and dangerously.  I absolutely don't have an answer. I don't believe that either are morally right, but don't think that simply making either illegal will change anything. I have no answer.

Part II will come.

How are you?

Two answers to music-related questions

A couple more answers to questions, these ones rather music related.

Why don't you like top hit songs, but like classical music, upbringing?
The main reason is that simply, I don't think a lot of the top hit songs are very good. But I actually do listen to some "pop" music (*cough*Lady Gaga*cough*). It really depends on the music. I won't listen to it just because everybody else is listening to it. It's got to express something or make me think. But I actually do like a wide variety of music! The reason I like classical music so much is that I think there's really something to it! And judging by the fact that a lot of the good stuff has been around for hundreds of years, obviously other people think there's something to it as well! But yeah, my taste in music goes from J.S. Bach to Benjamin Britten, to Beethoven, to John Adams to the Beatles, to The Smiths, to Regina Spektor, to Loreena McKennitt to Queen to REM to Lady Gaga. I just love music! I can't say I'm super keen on rap, or heavy metal, or techno, but I'll listen to almost anything short of that. As for upbringing, my parents played a lot of classical and folk music when I was younger, so that has probably influenced my music taste, but now, I'd say I probably listen to the most varied in my household.

Do you like Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos #1 & 2?
Oh yeah! Rachmaninov's piano concertos are some of my favourite piano concertos! He actually wrote four of them (as well as a another work for piano and orchestra, his Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini). Out of the four concertos, his 2nd and his 3rd are the most well known. The Third concerto has a reputation for being one of the most difficult in the repertoire, as it takes a huge amount of technical skill, expressive power and lots of endurance to make it through the 50 minutes of intense playing. The Second concerto is probably the most played, because it's incredibly beautiful, and very popular. I have a real preference for the First Concerto, which in my opinion is very under appreciated (although I think it's very rapidly gaining popularity). The second movement of the 1st is just exquisite, and has this amazing dialogue between the flute and the piano. Just amazing. And then everybody forgets about the Fourth concerto, which just saddens me, because I think it's a great piece and needs your love too. But it always gets forgotten in preference for the 2nd and 3rd concertos.

Answers (some of them)

What is your favourite movie of all time? And why?
Um, that's honestly such a hard question. I've got a couple. The Pianist would definitely be up there, just an incredible movie about survival, that really made me think about how fortunate I am and taught me a lot of lessons about gratitude. Moulin Rouge! is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, and all about L-O-V-E (lol). And of course, because I'm a fanatic about the musical RENT, the movie of the same name is one of my favourites too, and the core message is all about really living and living as if it's your last day alive. So those would be three of my favourite movies. But I have others, and I don't have only one.

If you had a billion dollars and hot chicks what would you do?
AND
If you had a million dollars what would you spend it on?
If I had a billion dollars, I'd build a beautiful little theater, and then rent it out to small theatre companies. And I'd obviously give a lot of money away. I'll pass on the hot chicks. :)

Why do you like answering questions?
a) It's fun!
b) It makes me think about things I might not have before.
c) and it makes my blog more "interactive". Lol.


If you had a superpower what would it be?
I'd like to be able to fly invisibly.


If you could change ONE thing about people (in general) what would you change?
I wish people were more open-minded. We've made so many mistakes in the past by not being willing to revaluate our opinions. We'd be a lot better off if we would listen honestly to other people without prejudice.

Questions!

So we did this a while ago, and one of my regular readers suggested that I do this again! So go ahead and post some questions for me in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them. Go ahead, put me on the spot!

What's the issue?

What, in your opinion, is the biggest issue that is dividing people today?

Post your comments below (anonymous if you like)

About the name of this blog

I don't think that I've ever posted about why this blog is entitled Musings of a Liber Boy. 

Liber is a Latin word that means free. It originates from the name for tree bark which was used in ancient times for writing on. Those who were free (and not slaves) were usually fortunate enough to be able to read and write, and so the "educated", or free folk were called liber.
I feel so fortunate to be truly free, both in mind and body, and so I put that in the title as a reminder to myself of what a blessing it is to be a free person.

The other part of the title is simply what this blog is about: musings. It's a place for me to write my thoughts, and my musings for other people to read. They might be just a couple thoughts, or they might be some formalized paragraphs, but they are always musings from a free, young guy (that's me).

Enjoy!

Questions!

 So, a while back, Raine posted some questions in the comments. She asked:

1. If you listed your favorite Shakespeare plays in a particular order, what would it be?
Hmm... That's a really hard question. I'm going to think on it more and see if I can get it into a list... Really, really, tough.

2. "And I think you would enjoy Elijah Bossenbroek, he is a pianist/composer"
At your suggestion, I googled him and listened to some of his stuff. I liked it a lot, and very beautiful! Where did you hear about him?


3. When you listen to music do your fingers play along with the music? As if you were playing it on a piano?
All the time! And as if I was playing the flute too, no matter what position my fingers are in! But yeah, my fingers are always moving!

Post your questions in the comments below! They're fun to answer! :)

Answers!

So, people asked me questions! Well, two people anyway. Yay, this is fun.

So here are my answers.

Kathleen asks:
"What did you cook for breakfast this morning?"

Well, this morning, I had scrambled eggs and salsa rolled up in a tortilla. It was delectable.

Anonymous asks:
"Have you read every Shakespeare play? And which (ones) are your favourite(s)?"

and also

"How long do you usually practice your instruments?"

No, I actually haven't read them all of them. Out of the 37 plays that are expressly credited to Shakespeare, I've read 26 of them. And my favourites? Hmm. These would be my top ten in NO particular order.

1. Much Ado About Nothing
2. A Midsummer Night's Dream
3. Twelfth Night
4. Timon of Athens
   
5. Othello
6. The Tempest
7. Titus Andronicus
8. Hamlet
9. Richard II
10. Richard III

(Honourable mention: All's Well That Ends Well)
 So that's my top 10 (well, 11)

As for how long I practice my instruments: I practice piano daily for 2-3 hours and flute for about 1 hour. And then I usually don't "practice" singing per se, but I just usually sing while I go about my daily life. So I practice all day. Ha ha. :)

So, that was fun! I think we should do that more often, maybe, say, once a week. It's fun, because you suggest what I should blog about (see? It's just a plot to make you come up with my topics rather then me!)

Talk to y'all soon.