Q: Who are you?
A: I'm RobUsa B!
Q: No, really, who are you?
A: Can't put one over you. Real name: Robert Blair. Occupation: Graduate student.
Q: Graduate student, lol really?
A: Yeah, really. I am grad student of Western Carolina University, and I'm studying Commercial and Electronic Music, wich I'll refer to as C&E for now on because that's a really long name.
Q: Commercial and Electronic Music...what's that, jingles?
A: Well, no. The Commercial part refers to the actual music industry -- which is, ya know, a commercial institution. So as a student of commercial music, I will study the music industry; whose topics range from song writing, performance, recording, mixing, producing, publication, licensing, distribution, and more. And not just for music you hear on the radio; this covers all kinds of music from film, tv, theater, and (yes, of course) commercial jingles. The Electronic part means there is an emphasis on the technology involved -- so lots of time with high-tech mixing boards and software (I expect). At WCU, there is also an emphasis on performance. Honestly, I'm not quite sure what that really means in practice, though I do know I will have to be involved with a "technology ensemble."
Q: Ok, so what is this blog about?
A: I intend to blog about my studies primarily, but I'll also write about other things that interest me. I will also use this blog to publish my music.
Q: What else interests you? Wait, what's this about your music??
A: One question at a time please.
Q: Ah, so what else interests you?
A: In a word, lots of geeky things. I guess that was four words, but whatever. In more than four words: Video Games, Technology, and nearly anything Japanese (Anime and Manga definitely included).
Q: And your music?
A: As a part of my studies, I will be writing music which I may or may not publish on this blog. But more importantly, I'll also have many of my own side projects! This will certainly include original compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions for piano, wind ensemble, orchestra, regular old rock bands, and more.
Q: What kind of music do you like to write?
A: The same kind of music I like to listen to, naturally.
Q: ...And...what kind of music is that?
A: Well, that's a bit difficult to answer. The short answer is I like everything, except that is a complete lie. If you speak of genres or musical styles, I could say I prefer electronica, drum'n'bass, modern orchestral, and world culture music (like Celtic folk songs). But truthfully, my favorite music is always a combination of all those (and other) styles. I also like music that has some kind of narrative context, like film scores or soundtracks to anime. This is why I can say I like everything: Music I otherwise might not listen or care for becomes approachable to me if I find it in a movie. On the flipside, the music I write always have some kind of narrative subtext. My application portfolio to graduate school has "program notes" for each song to explain the "story" in the music. Weird, I know, and probably something I'll have to overcome, but there it is.
Q: Are you going to put recordings of your music on your blog?
A: I will make available through the blog recordings and scores of my compositions, arrangements, and transcripts.
Q: You said something about Japan.
A: Please phrase in that in the form of a question.
Q: You said something about Japan?
A: Right I did. I'm a big fan of anime, and that has developed into genuine interest in the Japanese culture. I guess this makes me a Weeaboo, but I'm not sure if that applies to me since I'm half-asian, though not Japanese. Whatever, I like Japan, and I am going to study it too (hopefully.) And, of course I'll blog about it when I do.
Q: Is that why you call yourself RobUsa B?
A: Hey, you're pretty sharp. I wanted to use a recognizeable and unique penname to put on my blog, music, youtube videos, etc. I also didn't want a name like coolmusXROFL2000, so I chose something that meant something to me.
Q: What's it mean?
A: S-E-C-R-E-T. See if you can figure it out.
Q: What about The B-ON?
A: Not so much a secret. It's inspired by K-on, an anime/manga about high school girls who form a band. K-on is short for keiongaku, or just keion, which means "light music," or in this context pop music. Also, ongaku means "music." This is a Blog about (among other things) music, or Ongaku, hence: B-On.
Q: Isn't that kinda lame?
A: Let me answer your question with another question: shut up!
Q: Sure, what ever floats your boat. By the way, coolmusXROFL2000 sounds pretty awesome, can I use it?
A: Be my guest....
