Know Your Roots

Listen: Know Your Roots.MP3 

084/365


Andy
And also, know your routes. In thinking about who I am, I find that I am impossible to define without also knowing what I have been and what has influenced me. I went to CU, and I carry with my a sense of pride for my alma mater and Colorado in general. I can also never forget my childhood (and adulthood) love for little things like the Ghostbusters. Likewise with video games, even if it makes me a bit of a nerd (and I am). Oh, and in case you can't see it, I'm holding a bicycle route map of Denver, teehee.


Austin

My roots, musically speaking, are a sort of muddy and vague concept for me. I didn't exactly grow up grounded in a strong musical tradition, and once I began studying / composing music, the influences seemed to bombard from all directions. The most noteworthy example, though, is a piece written by my original piano teacher, Derry O'Leary, called "Thunderwood" which not only inspired my composing in general, but also my fanatic love for Latin music. Later, a big surprise came after moving to NYC and bonding with my octogenarian relatives there. They seemed to repeatedly observe a latent Jewish heritage in my music, as if by some sort of Jungian genetic inheritance. So there you have it. My roots.