(no subject)

[kenjari]

So I recently asked for some interview questions from a couple of people.


1) Do you compose for particular instruments, and if so, what motivates your choices?
I compose for a variety of instruments and ensembles. Sometimes it's because my idea requires (or at least strongly suggests) a certain instrumentation. When I was in grad school, instrumentation was occasionally suggested by my teacher. And sometimes it's dictated by what is available for a performance opportunity (as when I was writing for the Oregon Bach Festival), or the opportunity to work with a particular musician (as in the songs I'm writing for pantsie. So yeah, a combination of artistic vision and professional opportunity.

2) If you move away from Boston in the next few years, what will be the best and worst parts of leaving?
Best:
Just about anywhere that is possibility will result in much better housing for much less money. The Boston rental market is just insane.
The most likely reason for moving will be getting accepted to a PhD program. Since that is the thing I want most right now, it will make the process of moving a joy at some level.
Adventure - I've lived most of my life in New England (and since I was too young to remember NJ very well, it barely counts), and all the grad schools I'm looking at are in very different parts of the country, bith geographically and culturally.

Worst:
I'll be much farther away from friends and family, and I will miss many of them very much. Especially my sister.
The difficulties of travelling long distances in the winter will probably result in spending the holidays away from my family.
I have this weird fear or insecurity that no one will come to visit, ever.

3) What was your favorite moment of the past year?
Hearing that my Dad's lung tumor was benign.

4) What things keep you calm, when in stressful situations?
For long term stress, yoga, massages, music, and plenty of affection from my husband. For short term situations, deep breaths and calming mantras.

5) In what ways do you think your life might have been different had you been a fraternal and not an identical twin?
This is a question I can't really answer. See, the secret is that the jury is still out on whether or not epilimnion and I are identical. It was an emergency C-section delivery. My Mom theorizes that we might be an example of an extremely rare occurence called half-identical, where the egg splits before fertilization.



1. Are you musical like your sister? If not, do you have a serious creative bent also?
I'm a composer and pianist, so yes. I also have a strong interest in ethnomusicology.

2. I'm not sure I know what you do for a living; what is it, and do you like it?
Ah yes, the day job. I do records management at Genzyme, a biotech company in Cambridge. I kind of fell into the job through temping. I like it well enough - there's sufficient intellectual stimulation so that I don't get bored, yet it's not so draining that I have a hard time finding energy for music. Best of all, the people I work with are terrific - they're smart, funny, and interesting. Plus, my boss is a musician, too.

3. How long have you been married? Describe the coolest thing about your wedding.
As of June 28th, it's been three years. Our wedding was very small and it was medieval dress. I loved the clothes we had made - custom designed and tailored, my dress was the most lovely and best fitting thing I have ever worn. And the headpiece and veil from Ireland were perfect. Also, I wrote the songs that were sung as part of the ceremony - they were my wedding gift to my husband. It was great to be able to create something so personal for the ceremony.

4. The times I've seen you, you've always been wearing something really cool (a salwar kameeze last time); what is your favorite thing to wear?
I love anything that can combine comfort and elegance (which explains why I love the salwar kameez). I'm more comfortable in pants than dresses or skirts. Jeans or fatigue pants and a comfy shirt are what I typically wear when left ot my own devices.


Comment to either give or receive interview questions, if you'd like.

Comments

[qualario.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Having met you two only once, I wouldn't have guessed that you'd be described as identical twins. My guess initially was fraternal.

As for the ethnomusicology--does any particular field, period or culture strike you more than others?

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

It seems pretty evenly split as to whether or not people think we're identical.

I have pretty wide-ranging interests in ethnomusicology. Indonesian gamelan music is something I've been into for a long time. Actually, I'm interested in most Asian and SE Asian music. I'm very interested in traditional music of America and Europe, adn well as Middle Eastern msuic. I'm starting to be particularly fascinated with Eastern European stuff.

[digitalemur.livejournal.com]

Er... I'm not sure if I understand why you may or may not be identical; do they usually make that call based on whether the two of you share a placenta or not? And since it was an emergency C-section they were hustling and couldn't really tell? That's pretty cool.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

Yeah, one placenta means identical. And yes, they were super-hustling because my Mom's labor was going very quickly and my sister had her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.