Q: Are you, yourself, the fan of a particular artist? Also, I suppose that you know the band “Dead Can Dance”? Are they part of your base influences? I find them influential above all in the area of percussion. (Hierome) A: I had the pleasure some years ago to attend a performance by the band Dead Can Dance and was particularly struck by their ability to create a rich and mysterious atmosphere from so many divergent musical strands, and to bring those many traditions to a new audience. One of the most wonderful things about my work as a musician has been the opportunity to travel and to learn about the musical traditions of many countries, and to expand my list of “favourite artists” geographically and culturally. My best-loved artists are probably too many to list, but some perennial favourites include Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Alan Stivell, Muszikas, The St Petersburg Chamber Choir, Amalia Rodrigues, Planxty, The Bothy Band, Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, Mikis Theodorakis, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen – LM Q: Is there a plan to release a Loreena McKennitt live DVD? Does Loreena sign autographs right before doing the soundcheck? Because I'd love to meet her and have her sign an autograph. I'd love to talk with her and exchange just a few words. ( Stéphane) A: We presently have only one DVD for sale – No Journey’s End, which can be purchased via the Quinlan Road Shop and is also included in our limited-edition reissues series. I look forward to having an opportunity to create a live DVD, but this will only be undertaken after the recording of my next studio album and the touring that follows. Rest assured that we will keep you informed of our DVD endeavours via the Quinlan Road website. I very much enjoy meeting fans at my concerts, but the logistical concerns of each show are different and it is not easy to give a hard and fast answer about when, or if, I will have the opportunity to meet members of the audience at a specific concert. There are many things I must do before and after a performance, which can often include press and radio interviews, band meetings, conversations with record companies and last-minute musical preparations. Additionally, on long travel days, we may arrive just before soundcheck. Generally speaking, however, I am busy up until soundcheck, and then I try to go for a run, eat a light meal and use the dinner hour to reconnect with the touring party. For me, as for most artists, meeting fans and signing autographs generally happens after the show, where logistics permit. Sometimes, for security reasons, because of other commitments or because we need to depart after the show to travel on to the next city, it simply isn’t possible. But whenever we can do so, we do. - LM Q: What kind of sports did you play in school? ( Kathy) A: I was an enthusiastic athlete in school and enjoyed playing basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, street hockey and field hockey, and although my adult life leaves much less time for sports, I still manage to find time for a run whether I am at home on the farm or in a foreign city – as long as there is a park nearby! - LM Q: My question concerns the instruments, particularly the percussion on the song “The Mystic's Dream”. Overall there is a very ambient sound from all of these instruments. I'm curious if all these sounds came from real objects, or if most of them were generated from some sort of computer software (fruityloops, battery, etc.) I'm trying to reproduce similar sounds, and I'm hoping a program was used, because that would make my life easy: If they are real instruments, any chance I could get the names of any of them?(Jared)
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