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Q.1.How many times a day
do you practice playing to Koto?
Is it easy to play?It was difficult for me.
A .The koto was very easy for me to pick
up. I just tune it to
the key of the song and then find melodies that work.My friend Yukiko gave me a CD of Japanese Koto Music that I have listened to alot.
Q.2.What is the lure
of Koto?
A .I always loved the sound of Koto and other
traditional Japanese instruments like the Shamisen.
Q.3.Why is the title
"HAIKU"? Have you ever tried to make Haiku before?
A .I just liked the
name for that song which has Koto playing the melody.
Q.4.When and where
do you usually make these songs?
A .I write most of the
songs in my studio and also in my living room on my acoustic
guitar.
Q.5.Where's your
favorite place?
A .I love L.A. but my favorite place to go
is Maui, Hawaii.
Q.6.In this album
which is your best song?
A .I like all of them but if I had
to choose it would be"Sahara Song".
(His wife's
best song is"The one and only love")
Q.7.This album has
15 songs more than the last one. What do you think about that?
A .I actually had too many songs for this album.2
songs that wouldn't fit on this CD will be on a re-issue of "The
World According to...M.T." as bonus tracks. ("The World According to...M.T."re-issue is in store
now!)
Q.8.I feel
like traveling all over the world when I'm listening to it. Do you have a
favorite country or city?
A .I was trying to
create a feeling of traveling to different places when I was writing the
songs for this album.
Q.9.What is the theme of this
album?
A .There's really no theme,It's just me playing all
the different types of music that I love.
Q.10.The vocal songs
were awesome in the last album. Why didn't you put them in the new album?
A .I wanted to use my guitar as the "Voices"on this
album.My next album will include vocals
again.
Q.11.What did your family shout out in the
song called"Stress ball"?
A .They are
shouting "Go Nate"(Nate Morten)"Go Gregg"(Gregg
Bissonette).
Q.12.What do you think about your daughter
"Sahara"'s voice?
A .I love her voice,it fit with the music
nicely on "Sahara Song".
Q.13.Did you send
your album to Miyuki Nakajima?
A .No,but I
will be recording her new album with her in June and I will give her one
then.
Q.14.You often give
the word"MOON"in the song titles. Do you have a particular reason for
doing so?
A .The Moon that I'm referring to in "Moon
& June"is Moon Calhoun-my good friend.June is his
wife.(Moon's wife died about 5 years ago.)
Q.15.Do you have any
message that you want to send out to the fans in Japan?
A
.Thank you for listening to my music and I hope to be able to do a
little tour of Japan sometime in the future.
'2006.Jan.
Q.Do you like sports? What is your
favorite team(or player)?
(Question
from B.E)
A.I love watching basketball, preferably the
Los Angeles Lakers
.
My favorite
athlete is Kobe Bryant (of the LA
Lakers).
Q. Do you like to sing? Why don't you
singing on the solo album?
(Question from Sheena)
A. In my mind, I'm a great singer!! I just try to sing with
my guitar because my voice sucks....
Q. If you couldn't play the guitar,What
are you going to be?
(Question from luna)
A. Haha....a surf bum!...no, just kidding. I was going to be an artist
(drawing) when I was a little kid.
Q. What's your impression about
Japan,the Japanese pop music and Japanese traditional musical
instruments?(Question from luna)
A. I'm
using a Koto quite a bit these days! I've used it a bunch on my new album.
I like Japanese traditional music alot! The pop music is very similar to
American...in its own ways.
Q. What is the most impressive album
you've ever played or Who is the most impressive person"musician"? (Question from ryu)
A. I think that the
greatest thrill to me was when I got a chance to work with Mutt
Lange on Shania Twain's last album. Of course, getting to work
with David Foster for all those years was the greastest help to my career
and also was a great learning experience.
Q. Who's your guitar hero? (Question from guitar mania)
A. My favorite
all time guitar player is JEFF BECK(although I have many
other favorites.)
Q. What is your favorite songs ? (Question from guitar mania)
A. One of my
favorite song is "EUROPE" by SANTANA
because the melody is so beautiful.
But I have WAY TOO MANY TO
NAME!!
Q. Who's your attention grabber"new
guitarist" ? (Question from guitar mania)
A.
One of my favorite new guitarists is my friend, Matt
Scannel from the band VERTICAL HORIZON
.
Q. Which do you like to
play"Ballard"or"Funky"or"Rock" ?
(Question from mt
fan)
A. I like to play all three types.It keeps it
interesting when I get to play on different feels and tempos. I grew up
playing rock and then spent a long time playing in funk bands, and then
started playing alot of pop in the studio. So I have had alot of
experience playing all three types.
Q. What is your favorite album and movie
now?
(Question from mt fan)
A.
Right now I am listening to some stuff that I have been working on
lately with a girl named Haiti.
And also listening
back to some of the songs that I have been getting ready to mix for my
album. It will be called "M.T. Speaks" (my wife and
daughter came up with the idea)
My favorite movie right now
is
"White Chicks" (with
Shawn and Marlon Wayons as the stars).
Q. What do you think about working with
Miyuki Nakajima and her new album?Does she speaks in
English at the recording studio?
(from Lov)
A. I love working with Miyuki. She doesnt speak much
english but she sings live on every single take in the studio--I think
that's really cool. We're doing a live DVD at the end of September. I'm
looking forward to it.
("Miyuki Nakajima
Live in L.A."dvd in store now!)
Q. Your guitar play was excellent in Johnson
Enos's album called "Forever".Tiffany's
album"Friends" was also good.What was your impression when you were
working with the studio musicians on their
two albums?
(From Akitsu)
A. Johnson is a REALLY good
friend of mine and I love his music. I just saw him last week when we were
on vacation in Maui. I've enjoyed getting a chance to work with all the
great studio musicians throughout my career. Man! Tiffany's album was a
LONG time ago!!
2004/10/6
Q. Whats songs are you played on
Shania Twain's new album"UP!"? (Question from senapy)
A. I'm playing all of the electric guitars on the
pop CD(the red one).
Q. What kind of guitar
are Michael using now?
A. "Burns Steer"
& "Tom Anderson Hollow Tele"
Q. What's M.T.'s favorite albums right
now?
A. "Monsters Ball"(Soundtrack) and
SANTANA"Shaman".
Q. Michael's brother Mr,Todd
is older or younger?
A. He is 1year older.
Q. When is Michael's
Birthday?
A. February 11,1954. (Aquerious)
'2002.
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