21 Questions with Milton

Please explain what just happened.

I saw three deer go running through the woods out my window

 

What is your earliest memory?

I recall a neighbor and my older brother arguing over whose Superman costume was more authentic than whose on my second or third Halloween.  My neighbor settled it by explaining “I’m not Superman.  I’m Pooperman.”

 

If you weren’t a musician what other profession would you choose?

1. a reference librarian in a very small library (cardigan sweater as part of my uniform, very important)
2. a Radio Disc Jockey of old eclectic music
3. a Ferryboat Captain
4. Scoreboard adjustor in a minor league baseball park (seasonal).

 

Please describe the current contents of your refrigerator.

Half a tin of cat food.  Produce from the farmers’ market getting old in time for the next farmers’ market.  Peanut Butter, Jelly and some rather good pickles.

 

What verb best describes you?

Groove-worry-groove.

 

What would you say to yourself if you could go back in time and have a conversation with yourself at age thirteen?

Avoid becoming a well rounded person if you can.  Play your instrument as many hours of the day as you can.  Play as many gigs as you can.  You can do absolutely whatever you really want to do.  Don’t be scared.

 

What are the steps you take to regain your composure?

Breathing.  Walking outdoors.  Imagining the worst case scenario.

 

Define “success.”

Enjoying getting up in the morning.  Enjoying getting to bed at night.  Writing something that really, really liked.  Singing it for as many people as I possibly could.

 

From what or whom do you derive your greatest inspiration?

Music, art, nature, people.

 

What change do you want to be in the world?

A growth of kindness and a shrinkage of the BS quotient.

 

Are you pro- or anti-emoticon? Please explain.

I’ve been known to use punctuation-based smileys.  I like the ones on gmail chat that you enter in as text symbols and they flip over into emoticons.  There’s a very good heart.  Kind of skinny.

 

How are you six degrees from Kevin Bacon?

Well one of my first friends in kindergarten was named Kevin and I enjoy a good BLT.  But otherwise, let’s see…  My babysitter in grade school was the guy that wrote the movie Capote. [Editor’s note: Dan Futterman]  He acted in The Birdcage with Hank Azaria, who was on Mad About You with Paul Reiser and he was in the movie Diner with Kevin Bacon…. How many is that? [Editor’s note: 4]

 

What makes you feel most guilty?

The fact that I have hurt people.  The fact that I have acted motivated by cowardice or greed.

 

Please list three things you never leave home without.

A book for writing, a pen, shoes.

 

What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

A friend’s older brother in High School explained to a few us in great length that intelligence in a girlfriend was useless.  He advised us strongly to find “Blonde haired, stupid, women”

 

What is the best advice you’ve ever given to someone else?

Listen to each other.  Listen to yourself.

 

What do you consider the harshest kind of betrayal?

Presenting yourself as something  or someone that you know you aren’t.

 

Of all the game shows that have graced our TV screens throughout history, which one would you want to be a contestant on and why?

I’ve loved watching them all but I have really never wanted to go on any with any real conviction.  As a child I  would have been pretty thrilled to have played a round of Plinko with Bob Barker on The Price Is Right.  I liked the Big Showcase Showdown wheel with the sparkly green 5.

 

What do you want to know?

How to write a really catchy and thoroughly entertaining song.

 

What would you like your Last Words to be?

“I can dig it.”

 

Please explain what will happen.

People will continue to make unreasonable decisions based upon fear and greed. Everything and everyone else will suffer some as a consequence.,  but people will suffer the most. Nature will continue on, not phased by silly little people.  We will choose to get with nature or not.