{"id":15336,"date":"2012-08-30T00:01:01","date_gmt":"2012-08-30T04:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/?p=15336"},"modified":"2012-08-29T13:42:49","modified_gmt":"2012-08-29T17:42:49","slug":"john-anealio-the-terribleminds-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/2012\/08\/30\/john-anealio-the-terribleminds-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"John Anealio: The Terribleminds Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Continuing the tradition here of posting interviews with storytellers of all stripes and polka dots, we’ve got Geek Bard John Anealio, also of the Functional Nerds podcast. He’s a funny dude, a smart man, and a kick-ass musician — fan of Jonathan Coulton? Do check out Mister Anealio’s work at johnanealio.com<\/strong><\/span><\/a> where you can download some free awesome music. Find him on the Twitters: @JohnAnealio<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Oh, uhhh, also? JOHN TOTALLY DID A TERRIBLEMINDS SONG. You’ll find it in the interview, below.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

This is a blog about writing and storytelling. So, tell us a story. As short or long as you care to make it. As true or false as you see it.<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve been a music performer for 20 years now.\u00a0 I\u2019ve played every type of venue that you can imagine: bars, coffee shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, churches, VFW halls, hookah bars, book stores, libraries and more.\u00a0 The most memorable gig that I ever played was with a cover band at a strip club.\u00a0 Now, that sounds awesome, but it was actually horrible.\u00a0 First off, the name of the band was \u201cHoosier Daddy\u201d.\u00a0 Second, we weren\u2019t performing for the dancers, we were performing instead of the dancers.\u00a0 The owner of this club thought it was a great idea to give the dancers a night off and hire our crappy college cover band to perform as a substitute.\u00a0 We proceeded to play the pop hits of the day (we did a mean version of \u201cBreakfast At Tiffanies\u201d) to a never-ending stream of horny dudes who walked in the door and were wildly disappointed to discover that the regular entertainment was replaced by a quartet of flannel clad douche bags playing Goo Goo Dolls songs.\u00a0 By the end of our set, all four of us were hammered\u2026 and shirtless.<\/p>\n

The capper to this story is that the gig was on the Saturday night before Easter and it was Daylight Savings Time Weekend.\u00a0 Oh, and I had to play guitar for a children\u2019s choir mass the next day.\u00a0 Being sleep deprived, hungover and covered in glitter is no way to accompany children singing \u201cWe Gather Together\u201d.<\/p>\n

Why do you tell stories?<\/h3>\n

Lessons are learned through stories.\u00a0 A good storyteller not only entertains, but educates.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been a teacher for almost as long as I\u2019ve been a musician and students learn best through stories, even inane ones.
\nWhen performing, I like to tell little stories that help to give my songs context.\u00a0 A song can have a much greater impact if you prime the audience with a relevant story first.<\/p>\n

Give the audience one piece of writing or storytelling advice:<\/h3>\n

Write with all five senses.\u00a0 A lot of songs, even great ones, are \u201cfeeling\u201d songs.\u00a0 You know: \u201cI love you baby\u201d, \u201cI need you\u201d, \u201cI want you\u201d, \u201cI can\u2019t live without you\u201d.\u00a0 This is fine, but there are a ga-zillion songs like this.\u00a0 I think one of the most powerful songwriting techniques is to describe the situation to the listener with all five senses.\u00a0 Even if it\u2019s a straight up love song, describe what\u2019s going on.\u00a0 Where are you?\u00a0 What do you see?\u00a0 What does she look like?\u00a0 What is she wearing?\u00a0 What do you hear?\u00a0 Cars in the street?\u00a0 Boardwalk creaking?\u00a0 A song on the radio?\u00a0 What do you smell?\u00a0 Salt water?\u00a0 Gasoline?\u00a0 What do you taste?\u00a0 What are you touching?<\/p>\n

I think you can really take a listener on a journey if you do this.\u00a0 Ironically, I think the listener can feel so much more if you describe in sensory detail what\u2019s going on, rather than just saying: \u201cI feel like my\u00a0 heart is breaking\u201d.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the worst piece of writing\/storytelling advice you\u2019ve ever received?<\/h3>\n

I was in a band with a drummer who was the primary songwriter.\u00a0 While discussing songwriting one day, he told me that: \u201creal songwriters don\u2019t use rhyming dictionaries\u201d.\u00a0 Besides being an incredibly arrogant statement, that is truly horrible advice.\u00a0 Rhyming dictionaries not only help you construct better rhymes, they help you write better stories.\u00a0 They may reveal a word that can send the story of your song into a completely different direction that can make your tune much deeper and more memorable.<\/p>\n

What goes into writing a strong character? Bonus round: give an example of a strong character.<\/h3>\n

Flaws.\u00a0 Vulnerability.\u00a0 Ironically, a character\u2019s weakness will reveal their strength.\u00a0 How someone deals with adversity and how they overcome their weaknesses ultimately proves how strong they are.
\nSo many strong characters, but I\u2019m going to go with Arlen from Peter V. Brett\u2019s THE WARDED MAN.\u00a0 Such a relatable character that develops into an utter badass.<\/p>\n

What’s the secret to storytelling in songs?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sequence.\u00a0 If you take a song and put the second verse first and the first verse second, and it doesn\u2019t really make a difference, then there\u2019s no story.\u00a0 Each verse, each line should develop the characters and story.\u00a0 The first verse should introduce the situation and character(s).\u00a0 The subsequent verses should move the action forward.\u00a0 The bridge or break should present new information or look at the situation from a different point of view.\u00a0 Otherwise, it\u2019s better to not have a bridge at all.<\/p>\n

Favorite songs that tell stories. Pick three. Go.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1.\u00a0 \u201c1952 Vincent Black Lightning\u201d by Richard Thompson\u00a0http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j0kJdrfzjAg<\/a>
\n2.\u00a0 \u201cRed Barchetta\u201d by Rush\u00a0http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=djVGhqvl_8A<\/a>
\n3.\u00a0 \u201cAnother Auld Lang Syne\u201d by Dan Fogelberg\u00a0http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ar9Ip7pSqEg<\/a><\/p>\n

What’s a musical artist we should all be listening to but aren’t?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are so many amazing singer\/songwriters out there that most people have never heard of.\u00a0 I can\u2019t pick just one.\u00a0 Here are three:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Kelly Joe Phelps
\n2.\u00a0 Peter Mulvey
\n3.\u00a0 Jeffrey Foucault<\/p>\n

In my opinion, these are the three best singer\/songwriter\/guitarists performing folk music these days.\u00a0 They all had a profound impact on my own writing, guitar playing and performing.\u00a0 If you like literate story songs, soulful singing and stunning acoustic guitar work, then you can\u2019t go wrong with any of these guys.\u00a0 Pop their names into YouTube and prepare to kill a few hours.<\/p>\n

What geek topic or pop culture property deserves a song that doesn’t yet have one?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

All of them.\u00a0 Let me clarify.\u00a0 Back in the day, TV shows used to have theme songs that would really lay out the story behind the show.\u00a0 Nowadays, songs are put into movies to evoke a feeling.\u00a0 Lyrically, they usually have very little to do with the source material.\u00a0 \u201cLive to Rise\u201d by Soundgarden was the theme song to The Avengers movie.\u00a0 It has nothing to do with The Avengers!\u00a0 Hey Marvel, why not hire Jonathan Coulton, Kirby Krackle or me to write a song that is actually about The Avengers?\u00a0 I work cheap.<\/p>\n

What’s an average day like in life of John Anealio, Geek Bard?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wake up at 5:30am.\u00a0 Get to the day job (elementary school music teacher) at 6:30am.\u00a0 Do my creative work from 6:30am to 8:30am before my students and co-workers arrive.\u00a0 During this two hour period, I\u2019ll work on recording and editing whatever my latest song is.\u00a0 Fortunately, we live in a world where you can make a pretty professional recording with a good mic, audio interface and laptop.\u00a0 I teach my morning classes from 8:30am to 11:30am.\u00a0 I continue working on my song during my lunch hour.\u00a0 I get home at around 4pm and take care of my son until about 6:30.\u00a0 After dinner, I do about an hour at the gym.\u00a0 I usually try to put another hour of work on the song in before I go to bed.<\/p>\n

If you had to write a song about terribleminds, what would the chorus be?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I actually wrote a tune and recorded it.\u00a0 Here’s the link:\u00a0Terrible Mind Song<\/a> If you are so inclined, you can click the share\/embed button to get the code to embed the player widget within the blog post.<\/p>\n

If you look inside his terrible mind<\/strong><\/em>
\n You\u2019re bound to be offended<\/strong><\/em>
\n So don\u2019t look inside the terrible mind<\/strong><\/em>
\n Of the man they call Chuck Wendig<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Recommend a book, comic book, film, or game: something with great story. Go!<\/h3>\n

CONTROL POINT by Myke Cole.\u00a0 Blackhawk Down meets the X-Men.\u00a0 If you dig military sci-fi, D&D and the afformentioned X-Men then you will love this book.<\/p>\n

Favorite word? And then, the follow up: Favorite curse word?<\/h3>\n

Appoggiatura: which is a type of musical grace note.\u00a0 I just like the way it sounds.
\nCock-wad: I find myself yelling this when I get angry these days.\u00a0 Sometimes I shorten it to wad, which seems even more vulgar for some reason.<\/p>\n

Favorite alcoholic beverage? (If cocktail: provide recipe. If you don\u2019t drink alcohol, fine, fine, a non-alcoholic beverage will do.)<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a beer and wine kind of guy.\u00a0 If I want to catch a buzz quicker, than I\u2019d say red wine.\u00a0 If I had to pick a favorite based on taste, I\u2019d go with a nice beer like a Blue Moon or a Sam Adams.<\/p>\n

What skills do you bring to help the humans win the inevitable war against the robots?<\/h3>\n

The ability to bore the robots to death with my endless, narcissistic blathering.\u00a0 I\u2019m also an excellent swing dancer.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for you as a storyteller? What does the future hold?<\/h3>\n

Good question.\u00a0 I want to continue churning out good songs and releasing singles, albums and E.P.s.\u00a0 I have lots of awesome spec-fic author friends.\u00a0 It makes me want to do more collaborative work.\u00a0 Perhaps a concept album tied to a novel, like what Rush just did with Kevin J. Anderson for CLOCKWORK ANGELS.\u00a0 Maybe some sort of trans-media thing.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I\u2019m excited to have the opportunity to work on any of it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Continuing the tradition here of posting interviews with storytellers of all stripes and polka dots, we’ve got Geek Bard John Anealio, also of the Functional Nerds podcast. He’s a funny dude, a smart man, and a kick-ass musician — fan of Jonathan Coulton? Do check out Mister Anealio’s work at johnanealio.com where you can download […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[77],"class_list":{"0":"post-15336","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-theramble","7":"tag-interview","9":"no-featured-image"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pv7MR-3Zm","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15336"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15343,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15336\/revisions\/15343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terribleminds.com\/ramble\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}