Root Blog

Q&A – Scott Goodwin

1: Analog or Digital?

Both.

2: What time did you wake up today?

5AM, 6:30AM, 7AM, 7:30 AM, and 8:20AM

3: Last thing you read?

How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built by Stewart Brand and NYTIMES.com

4: Whats your first memory?

My brother’s baptism. Though I was about three years old at the time, so I actually think I am remembering that I was previously able to remember that instance. A memory of a memory.

5: Tea Or Coffee?

Both, hopefully not on the same day. I worked for a year at a tea company and received a terrific education in tea and tea culture, but I live in a coffee town. Its practically on tap.

6: Last thing you cooked?

Egg sandwich with a really phony approximation of a harrissa-mayonaise.

7: If you’re reborn who or what would you like to be?

I don’t know. I don’t really think that will happen.

8: What inspires you?

Winter: The walking loop in Overlook Park. Summer: Beer.

Also, my friends.

9: Last record you played?

My turntable indicates that it was The Yellow Princess by John Fahey. I am generally not a fan of solo guitar music and that whole mystique, but this album really gets to me. It was absolutely the defining piece of music in my life when I moved to Portland, Oregon about three years ago. So to me the album’s sonorous chords ring out and a tempest of memories arises. I remember reading The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Thinking of Self-Speaking, and Space is the Place and then spending hours going through the copious collections of the Multnomah County library system. I was gazing covetously at the Saturn records up on the walls of Mississippi Records and drinking notoriously strong drip coffee all day for a dollar and tip at the Fresh Pot. I had no job and no permanent housing, but I had a wide-eyed Platonic sort of wonderment in my newly adopted city. It is an attitude and a time I find somewhat quaint now but still hold dear.

10: Favorite piece of musical equipment?

To me a well-placed microphone in a room with a good amount of amplification and some sort of EQ is enough. I could listen to “room feedback” for hours, but haven’t found it particularly useful for making music for a while.

I suspect my most honest answer would be Ableton Live LE 7 or my new MacBook, though both may be soon eclipsed by the DIY modular synthesizer I’m building.

11: Last movie you saw?

The Godfather Part I. The scenes in and leading up to the Michael Corleone’s reprisal murders in Louis’ restaurant were remarkably tense and physically affecting even after seeing it a number of times previously.

12: Who do you love?

My family first and foremost. Though that may be a result of a recent deep viewing of The Godfather. I have to shout-out my incredibly brilliant and beautiful group of friends in PDX and nation-wide, too.

13: Do you have any pets?

No.

14: Are you useful?

I really don’t think so. Unless you need a grant proposal for a music-related non-profit organization. Though when I was out of work last Fall the whole economy did go to shit.

15: Biggest fear?

That I’m wasting time. That I’m playing it too safe. On some level, they’re both the same basic fear, to me.

16: What do you value the most?

Thought and the time to think it.

17: Famous last words?

Nope.

Scott Goodwin is 1/3 of Bonus and more recently, has been rocking sine waves solo. A Bay Area native, Scott currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Apart from the recently released, amazing “Off Light” disc, we’re really looking forward to what he does next!

Fun fact: Scott is roommates with White Rainbow.

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