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Randy Roos
guitars, synthesis
I began as a surf guitarist, became a blues guitarist, then a jazz guitarist, then a relatively unknown but nonetheless important guitar-controlled synthesis and fretless guitar innovator, while becoming increasingly active as a composer. This led to my making a living composing for that ubiquitous form of media that we've probably all had today, television. Some of this had a bit to do with the fact that I've known Mr. Digliani and Mr. Harpman for a long time, and the inevitable result of that particular situation was Van Gogh Shadowtree. I have made a lot of music in a lot of settings over the years, and music in general is certainly an important focus for me. The circumference of my head is around 23 inches, depending on the level of sunspot activity, but what's really important is the issue of how those inches get used. I try to use as many inches as possible on my music, and this would certainly show it to be a passion of mine. One of my passions, outside of music, is nature photography coupled with mountain backpacking. (I'd like very much to publish a book of photographs from New Hampshire's White Mountains, and maybe someday I will.) Another passion is hanging out with my wife Kathy. Yet others are astronomy and scuba diving, though I haven't had much time for them recently. My favorite writer right now is Herman Melville, because he was able to construct really long sentences, sometimes even using semi-colons. So far I've been able to live without a vintage Vespa motor scooter and a large bag of shrimp, and quite happily, thank you. I don't have a favorite member of the Monkees, but my favorite body part is the ninth vertebra, because the number nine can be created by adding five and four. As for musicians who don't suck, my list would have to include John Coltrane, Eric Clapton, Roni Size, Joe Zawinul, and many more whom I won't mention right now because I might end up adding five to four too often. Personally, I feel that if you have 23 head-circumference-inches, you should use all 23 of them. I really hate waste. It seems to me that people should find what their true strengths are and use them to the fullest extent possible. Thoreau wrote of a person's "genius". Everyone has a genius lurking in them, and we have to find it and use it. I'm bothered when I hear people say to kids: "You can do anything and be anything you want...". I don't think that's fair. You have to work from your strengths, not just your wants. I've seen too many people pursue things that they're just not cut out for, while ignoring things that they could really nail. Another thing that bothers me is negative reviews by critics. If someone doesn't like something, that doesn't mean that it's necessarily bad art. That critic might just not get it, or it might not resonate with the critic's aesthetic, or there might be a personal issue involved, or the critic might actually be an idiot. (It's much much easier to be a critic than to be an artist.) I think that only positive reviews should be published. I mean, what's the harm done if you read a positive review, check something out, and don't like it? At least it got you out of the house. If I don't check something out that might have profoundly moved me because I happened to read a negative review, then I've been denied a potentially life-changing experience. So critics please take note; if you don't like VGST, just shut up about it. -Randy Roos, summer 2003 |
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