|
|
Jonathan Socrates FeBlandD: What is your full name?J: Jonathan Socrates FeBland is the name on my passport. D: What a marvelous name. Oozing with intellect...I love it! If it were my name I might just go up to strangers and say... "My name is Jonathan Socrates FeBland"...over and over again...until they give me money to go away...(well hopefully that is what they would give me.) Do you use pen name(s) and if so, what are they and why did you select them? J: I have used various pseudonyms, it started with jonfeb then the backwards version befnoj, then other more weird and wonderful ones like Dr Fish, Alain Aardvark and Roffle LeMayo (derived from ROFLMAO). At the moment, I’m trying to cut down! D: Lol...I love Roffle...so I think that is what I will call you....also Dr. Fish is not bad...I can see why you might need to cap it though. :o) What is your career or your chosen employment? J: I am a trained Composer. I studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London, but for a living, I teach the Piano privately. D: Wow...that is eerie... I am a trained reposer...please, just keep that to yourself...Allow me to say, and this with genuine and sincere thought. Your work is wonderful, and it is a joy to know that you teach. Your experience at the Academy must have been fabulous. So Roffle? How long have you been writing? J: My earliest nonsense poem dates from the age of five !!! D: Why that is amazing!!! I think I might have held my pencil correctly by age twelve, quite the progressive individual... Actually I think I wrote something in elementary school that was tacked to the bulletin board in the laundry room. A most prestigious gallery! What do you consider your style of writing? J: That is more difficult. I like to dabble with all sorts of different styles. I have produced quite a body of nonsense verse which I greatly enjoyed doing, however, I am not averse to serious writing, pastiche, parody etc. Really, whatever I am most inspired to do at the time and also what is most suitable for the material I am working on. D: Is your poetry/writing based on your lifestyle? J: Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. I write poetry when I have a particular type of inspiration that suits that medium… suits poetry more than any other creative medium. D: Yes that seems to be true. What family member or teacher encouraged and nurtured your creative endeavors the most? J: None. I have relied on close friends for encouragement. D: Well that sounds nice...sometimes friends are the greatest resource for support and encouragement. Not as critical or demanding, I believe, as family members can often be. Did you have a favourite English teacher or professor? a favourite Music instructor? J: Not a particular one, actually! Not any one that stands out, obviously a few of my teachers had real talent! D: LOL...well obviously. Who are your favourite poets or writers? J: Starting with poets, today’s choices would be T S Eliot, Philip Larkin and Lewis Carroll. Writers: Dostoyevsky, Joyce, Pinter & Stoppard. D: That is an interesting list...seems to be a "cryptic philosopher's" choice... ummm? I am glad that you mentioned TS Eliot and Lewis Carroll in the same breath... of those poets or writers which one(s), do you consider most influences your style of writing? J: I try not to be influenced! D: I think that it is best to try not to be influenced...at least it seems to work for me with painting and writing. I seem to produce better work if it feels like my own. Do you think that your present environment has an influence over your writing? J: Some, but hopefully, not much! D: Where do you get your basic ideas, do you draw on personal relationships? J: Just the trivia and ephemera that make up life. Personal Relationships – usually, no. D: That is unusual to me...I think I might have extreme difficulty in not writing about personal relationships. You don't think I am flawed do you??? I mean, generally people do tell me, on occasion that is...that I am flawless! :o) Jonathan...could you provide us with your favourite pieces of poetry in your postpoems repertoire? J:’Money’, ‘What is this compulsion to write?’ and ‘Henry Dee’. D: Where can we see your work other than your postpoems site? J:I have my own website which is designed by Pat Wick in New York: J: I am also at Café Poetry, The Poets Guild, Shadow Poetry, Poetry.com and other places on the Internet. D: Yes...I'm also at those sights and have read your work from time to time. Quite a nice group at the Shadow Poetry site. Could you also share just a few personal aspects of your life, such as a childhood experience? J: I spent a great deal of my youth playing in Orchestras. What a wonderful way of spending time… and also what an excellent training not just in music, but understanding that you are often one of a team. D: Yes it does sound like a nice way to grow a "social" awareness. And wonderful skills to develop, I am afraid I am still working in that area and hopefully making progress. Now for a little personal information. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Who was your favourite relative? J: One of each. I take the fifth. D: Ummm...that sounds, well, safe! (smiles)What might that be a fifth of, I wonder. Do you own any pets? J: Not at present. D: At present I have a small gecko named, "Jaws"...and that is it for pets, unless you count my peeves. Where are you presently residing? J: London, England. D: I am interested in your favourite musicians. Who would you say encouraged your creative endeavors the most? And what musician has given you the most inspiration? J: I have just completed a set of 12 Jazz Piano Pieces aimed at the ‘Educational’ Market, although I am steeped in the Classical Tradition. The most important Composers to me are Beethoven and Stravinsky. Jazz I have most enjoyed listening to while writing my pieces were arrangements performed by Oscar Peterson and his band. D: It is interesting for me to note that most musicians I know always select Beethoven as a favourite. I selected several of his pieces for my wedding reception, which I felt were emotionally charged and my friend was thrilled to play them! It was much different than the traditional "wedding" theme music he was used to performing. Your Jazz pieces sound productive. I enjoyed myself wading in your music the other day. It was wonderful...a nice little playground for the ears! The diversity was nice and the jazz clips were tasty! I would love to know what one of your favourite books might be ? J: I mentioned writers above. Favourite novels would be The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov both by Dostoyevsky. D: What ideal are you most passionate about? J: All of them! I just hope things are going to improve all of the time, but then I’m an eternal optimist! D: Well it is wonderful to see that you are such a non bias individual when it comes to ideals. Really, I don't think it is proper to choose. Go with the flow... If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you choose to be and why? J: I think I would most like to be in an English-speaking major capital city such as where I am right now, London. D: London sounds wonderful to me. Are you quite sure they speak English, though? (smiles) Thank you very much for responding to the interview. I appreciate you taking the time to share your information with us. It is a pleasure to present the opporuntity for others to share your talents and insight. Author's note: In honor of Jonathan's Birthay (October 18th)I wrote this poem:
So nice to be listed, as a friend along with internet pals and chums The year has past and time to send a birthday hello, a wish for funds In marking the day of musical birth a wish, much success, peace and joy for sending us each a bit of mirth and for just being a birthday boy To you, Jon, we will raise our cup in hope your talent brings rewards When producers will purchase scores from a jazz genius among the moors Financial gain will open the doors In musical history you will dance in the halls of success and in fame in Austria,Germany, Asia and France a household word will be your name This birthday marks another year of creative genius and anticipates the future of you, a shining star when fortune and fame emancipates all mankind will know who you are A poet, an artist and a musician on his notes we've each parasailed with a love of music and intuition our Jonathan Febland, unparalleled! Many happy returns, Jon.
Author's CommentsPlease visit Jonathan's Postpoems page as well as his home page...His music is a treat...Thank you for reading Inside Postpoems. Peace, love and blessings... posted: 2001-10-18 12:48:46 views since [2007-12-06 00:23:35]: 912 |
