Desert Island Disks - BotRH Style!

[North Star]

Ever since the demise of popular music into something which i loath with a passion and is now all that seems to played on radio stations such as radio 1, i have developed a love of classical music - most of all piano music as i have played the piano since the age of 11. This bit of music is very famous and absolutely beautiful. My sister is also a pianist, and much better than i am so this reminds me a little of her. Its also the bit of music i want to walk down the aisle to at my wedding, whenever that may be.

its Pachebels Cannon in D Minor. I have found a lovely piano version which i hope you will enjoy. i believe its played by an improviser which my sister takes alot of inspiration from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABBzejbplVQ&feature=related

[Corki]

An extremely relaxing piece of music. Any reasons why you want it as the bit of music to walk down the aisle to?

So, what don't you like about modern music that drew you into classical music? Is there any modern day popular music you like? Or do you prefer stuff from the past? And if you were a pianist, what instrument would you have liked to have played?

[North Star]

I just think its a beautiful bit of music that touches something in me and makes me think of things i wouldnt otherwise think of...it always makes me smile.

i really dont like modern music as there is hardly anything which i enjoy listening to. all the rap stuff seems the same and gives off messages i dont like..and the men sing about love and all of the singers have synthesized voices which makes them sound all the same....and then you get train wrecks like amy winehouse singing awful music and putting totally the wrong message over to the younger generations. classical music is all different and it makes you think of different things...its relaxing and calms you in a way popular music doesnt. i guess the most modern music i like is things like rem, manic street prechers, red hot chilli peppers, stained, and some odd tracks. but mostly i prefer older music like queen etc the majority of stuff i listen to now is actually film soundtrack music.

if i werent a pianist i would have loved to have been able to play guitar properly...i did learn it a bit so i know a few chords but i could never move my fingers fast enough...they are much better suited to the piano!! lol!

[Corki]

You've made some interesting points there. I agree with you that some of the messages given off aren't correct. The way Amy Winehouse lives does give a bad impression, but I do think she has a good voice. This is obviously noted by people, especially with the number of awards she has picked up. I also think this explains why I've drifted away from mainstream music towards the metal genre and European music. There's just something different which appeals to me.

Now, onto your final piece of music. What is it, and why have you selected it?

[North Star]

This bit of music relates fairly heavily to my current life. I have always been facinated by the concept of religion, but i have never been religious - never been to church on a regular basis, or baptised/christened etc. I have never believed in God in the conventional sense, but i thought it was about time i rejected/accepted christianity on an informed basis rather than an uninformed one. I started off by going to some talks about the truth behind christianity at uni, and am currently studying Marks Gospel in some lunchtime sessions. Im also reading a book called "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Hes an american journalist who went to Yale law school, and is basically interviewing the formost christian scholars, classical historials and archaeologists in order to investigate the reliability of the bible. the amount of evidence he comes up with is staggering - for example, in greek text alone, there are over 8000 near complete new testiments or fragments of them from the first and second centuries. The next most commonly recorded text is Homer's Illiad of which there are only 650 surviving fragments from this time or before. The evidence for Jesus, his miracles and his resurrection is powerful and may be the most reliable evidence that we have for anything at that time or before - for example the biography of Alexander the Great is accepted as historical fact, however it was only written around 400 years after his death. the true biographies of Jesus - i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were writen 30-60 years after Jesus's death, and there is other historical evidence from historians of that time which predates the gospels. and yet with all this evidence...its not that i dont want to believe, its not that i wont believe, its that i cant believe.

As of yet, im only about half way through the book so i have more reading to do, but its lovely to be able to form an informed opinion about christianity.

So on that note, my final bit of music is by one of my favourite groups, REM and is called Loosing my Religion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQeSIkw3X0&feature=related

[Corki]

Interesting connection. But still a good choice of a song.

Those lectures sound really interesting, especially for a bad Christian like me. Any chance you could smuggle a U.C.L. student into an Imperial lecture? I didn't realise there were so many texts relating to the New Testament in Greek, but most of the religious texts I have come into contact with are in Latin (and Latin from either the Dark Ages or Medieval times).

Now, before I ask you to pick one song from those you have chosen to take onto the desert island, along with one book and one luxury item, what do you do in your spare time to amuse yourself? What do you consider your hobbies? Does it include 'spot the rock'?

[North Star]

If you take all the languages that were recorded at that time; so greek, latin, etc etc etc there are over 24000 fragments of text or the text itself from the New Testiment.

I read alot in my spare time...go out with friends...watch tv on iplayer...talk to various people...and spend a small amount of time on the band/dm, but no where near as much time as i used to. My hobbies...i play backgammon quite a bit, i love walking and sailing...i think my life is going to start to include geology alot more as i learn more about it. i will never be able to look at a cliff in the same way ever again!! lol!!!!

and you realise we are the only two people on this site who know what you mean by "spot the rock"?

[Corki]

I think it is quite easy to work out what 'spot the rock' means without me going into too much detail. I see you have a wide variety of interests, which is good. And the ability to bore me about the rocks in a cliff!

Now, we are drawing to an end here on the first ever Desert Island Disks - Band of the Red Hand Style. So, before we finish, out of the 4 songs you have picked, which one would you take to your desert island? Also, which book would you take and why? And which one luxury item and why?

[North Star]

i forgot to add in piano to my hobbies! lol!!

hmm...this is tricky

i think it would have to be pachelbels cannon because it reminds me of so many different things i.e. home, my sister, piano, school music lessons with my friends, the future, my hopes and dreams...the book would be Lord of the Rings because i dont think i could get tired of reading it...and the luxury item...i think this depends on what you mean by luxury item...but i would choose a piano because at the moment i really really miss playing! and because when you play its like talking...you can get everything out.

[Corki]

I'm sure all will make you very happy on your desert island. So thank you for taking the time to be here on Desert Island Disks - Band of the Red Hand Style. It was very informative and extremely interesting discussion.

Feel free to pick the next person (Bander or non-Bander) to continue this thread.

[North Star]

*pokes all the listeners awake*

Welcome to the second episode of Desert Island Disks - Band of the Red Hand Style!! Today, we have our lovely XO, Bridmorgan to answer questions about life, the universe and of course the WoT. 

So, first question Brid, why the wheel of time and Robert Jordan and why dragonmount?

[BridMorgan]

Well thank your for inviting me m'dear Quartermaster.   

First off, why Robert Jordan.  Well, I was out with my sister at a Barnes and Noble and I was looking for a new fantasy author.  I'm a definate book cover shopper.  If I don't know what I'm looking for, I'll pick up a book first off because of the cover art.  I'm sure a lot of people do.  Well Eye of the World's cover art intrigued me, so I bought it and you can say the rest is history.   

As for Dragonmount, I found it purely by accident.  I had joned TV.net some years ago, but couldn't remember what it was called and DM kept popping up in my searches so I decided to take a look.  I got involved in some of the discussions and then went and took a peek at the Org side.  The Band was the first Org I joined back in July of '06.  I've loved every minute of it.  I've made some really great friends here at DM.