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Monday, September 19, 2016

Bill Harry Interviews Full-Time Beatles Music Scholar

10:07 AM Posted by Nicole M
Beatles music scholar and author Aaron Krerowicz ('Days in the Life') was recently interviewed by legendary Mersey Beat founder and Livepool native Bill Harry about his book, 'The Beatles & The Avant-Garde'. The following is reprinted here with permission from Mr. Harry himself.

                  Bill Harry.


              Aaron Krerowicz.

It is interesting to note that your Beatles research is sponsored by universities; does this entail writing in an academic style?

Only The Beatles & The Avant-Garde was sponsored by a university (the U of Hartford in Connecticut gave the university's music library $1,100 to make purchases at my request as I researched for that book). Every other project I've done has been independent - not affiliated with or subsidized by any school, store, or business.

So for that book specifically I felt a certain obligation to adopt a more academic style. Since publishing it in 2014 I've continued academic style analysis (BEATLESTUDY Volume I: Structural Analysis of Beatles Music, on schedule for publication in 2017, is an academic encyclopedia of form in Beatles songs), but I've also consciously implemented more accessible writing styles (my most recent book Days in the Life is a travelogue of my March 2016 tour, written in a purposely anti-academic tone).

I'm an academic at heart. For many years I wanted a career as a professor. But experiencing first hand all the garbage that goes on behind the scenes in academia turned me off that career path. My new career as a Beatles music scholar is an attempt to balance academic research and analysis with engaging and accessible presentation and explanation. I'm aiming for the "best of both worlds". And I'm taking a big risk in trying to strike that balance - I could easily isolate instead of engage both if I'm not careful.


It was John who said ‘Avant Garde is French for bullshit’ and in Weybridge told Cynthia that Yoko’s calls were because she wanted money for “her Avant Garde bullshit”. Was John serious or tongue-in-cheek’?

You know, Lennon's "avant-garde is French for bullshit" quote is perhaps his most famous quote on avant-garde art. Yet despite its prevalence, I have yet to find a reliable source. Many authors have quoted that sentence, but I had to remove it from my book because I couldn't cite it. (Earlier this year I received an email me asking about that quote because he wanted to use it in his own writings but also couldn't find a trustworthy source.) That of course does not necessarily mean Lennon didn't say it, but I'm not convinced he did.

The "wanting money for her avant-garde bullshit" quote, however, is reliable (Ray Coleman's biography, page 336), and so I did use that in the text.

Anyway...

As has been well-documented, Lennon often hid his insecurities behind a caustic tongue. Obviously deep down he was interested in Yoko and her work - he wouldn't have married her if he genuinely believed her and her work to be bullshit. So I suspect lines like "avant-garde bullshit" are his way of masking his true feelings. He didn't want to admit his interest at first to another or to himself, so he made harsh comments as a way to hide his true feelings. Eventually they came out, of course, and Yoko helped give him the courage to show who he really was.


The major figure in the book is not a Beatle, but Yoko. Could the book have progressed without mention of her work?

I'm not sure I would say Yoko is the major character, but she is one of three primary characters in the book (the other two being Paul McCartney and John Lennon).

In any case, Yoko is integral to the story. What I mean by that is that any consideration or comparison of The Beatles and the avant-garde without Yoko would be incomplete. So, no, I don't believe the book could have progressed without her.


Part of John’s early creativity was in writing and drawing, as in his Daily Howl and two books. Did Yoko’s Avant Garde participation end this direction of his talent, apart from ‘Skywriting by Word of Mouth’ which isn’t entirely typical of his early work influences?

I suppose it is accurate to say Yoko ended that more literary side of Lennon's avant-garde interests because he didn't explore that avenue much after they met, but it's a bit counter-intuitive. Kind of like how Jackie Robinson's breaking of Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 was actually the beginning of the end for the Negro Leagues. Just as Robinson essentially closed the door on Negro League baseball by opening up a bigger and better door to Major League Baseball, so too Yoko closed the door on John's literary avant-garde avenues by opening up bigger and better doors to other artistic paths.


Was John being sarcastic when he described Paul, George and Ringo as “avant-garde revolutionary thinkers"?

He was famous for his sardonic and sarcastic wit, so in context of that quote, yes, I believe he was being facetious.


John and George were fascinated by the films of Alexandro Jodorosky, and John arranged for Klein to represent the filmmaker with his ‘El Topo’ movie. John then provided the finance for his next film ‘The Holy Mountain’ while George was offered the leading role in it, but was dismissed for refusing the ‘ass’ scene. I thought this would have been interesting for your book...

Well, 'El Topo' was released in 1971. By that time, Lennon's avant-garde period was waning. And 'The Holy Mountain', released in 1973, is even later and thus further removed from Lennon's avant-garde period. So it might have fit aesthetically, but not chronologically.


Paul’s ‘Fireman’ project has been described as ‘Avant Garde’, why isn’t it mentioned in the book?

That was started in 1993, I believe - well after The Beatles break-up, while my book deals with The Beatles years.

Also, Ian Peel wrote an excellent book called The Unknown Paul McCartney: McCartney and the Avant-Garde, in which he goes into detail on Paul's post-Beatles avant-garde experimentation. It's been a few years since I've read that tome, but I'm pretty sure he deals with the Fireman project.

Since it fell outside of the chronological boundaries of the book, and since Peel had already covered it, I felt no need to include mention of it.


What is the relevance of the entries on ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ and ‘Give Peace a Chance’ in an Avant Garde sense?

Stylistically, 'Ballad' is NOT avant-garde - it's pretty tame, actually. But lyrically, it documents and describes many of their avant-garde explorations: the mailing of acorns to world leaders, their press conference in Vienna, the bed-ins, etc.

And 'Give Peace A Chance' is significant because, as I wrote towards the book's conclusion, the song "represents a turning point in John's artistic production - the beginning of the end of his avant-garde period. ... Instead of musical emphasis, many of his subsequent songs placed emphasis on extra-musical aspects, such as the political overtones of 'Give Peace A Chance'." So instead of worrying about psychedelic or avant-garde aesthetics, John instead embraced more accessible styles because those styles engaged more people, thus bringing more fans to his call for universal pacifism.


Images enhancing the Avant Garde items mentioned would have been worthwhile. Was their absence due to the fact that images are now getting too expensive for authors and publishers to afford?

I purposely avoided reproducing copyrighted material as much as possible - the images you describe included. But I also made a point of writing in the preface, "I encourage all who read this tome to take the time to listen to the music references (and, for that matter, to observe the extra-musical art referenced, such as the painting and poetry) to help complete understanding."



With this definition: “Avant-garde music may be distinguished from experimental music by the fact that it adopts an extreme position within a certain tradition, whereas "experimental music" lies outside tradition,” does your definition still apply to the Beatles experimental music?

As I wrote in the book, it's impossible to conclusively define the definition of "avant-garde" for the very reason that what was innovative or "cutting edge" last year/decade/century is no longer so at present. As soon as you decide on a definition, an artist will create something that defies that definition. It's constantly changing, like trying to hit a moving target.

For the purposes of my book, I consciously adopted an open-ended definition of "art [that] deliberately breaks with both traditional and contemporary art." In other words, art that is trying to be new and innovative in unconventional ways.

So a distinction between "avant-garde" and "experimental" seems to be somewhat contrived and arbitrary. I've used the terms interchangeably for years.


What do you think is the best Avant Garde work by John and Yoko, and their worst?

I've always been fond of Yoko's White Chess Set, in which opponents play the game on an all-white board and using all-white characters. As the game progress, it becomes more and more difficult to remember which characters are yours and which are your opponents. The ultimate statement is that of pacifism - that conflict is futile and self-defeating. And that theme would reappear even more strongly in her work with John Lennon.

Of their collaborations, I find 'Revolution 9' (actually a Lennon/Ono composition even though it's credited Lennon/McCartney) to be their most substantial. Far from being "random" (as so many have criticized), it has a fascinating three-part structure: After the introduction (0:00-0:24), the first part (0:24-4:59) features a gradual build-up in intensity. Sound effects such as women laughing (1:44-1:47, 1:51-1:54), baby noises (1:56-2:11), playground children (3:28-3:39), and shouts of “alright!” (4:14-4:15) establish a calm character. In general throughout the section, the density (the number of simultaneous sounds) increases, building tension until we reach...
            The second section (4:59-6:39) is characterized by greater intensity and more bombastic sounds. This represents that “violent revolution” Lennon spoke of when describing this piece. It is marked by a dramatic burst of loud static at 4:59. Low D and high A pedal tones add a menacing tonal quality. Other sound effects such as fire crackling (5:43-5:50), crowds shouting (5:11-5:17, 5:26-5:33, 6:10-6:16) and the shooting of guns and lasers (5:52-6:17) help provide an intimidating and unsettling atmosphere. But by the end of this section, the violence has diminished. Clips of children playing (6:38-6:52) and the return of the familiar “number nine” refrain (6:31-6:38) and B minor piano waltz (6:40-6:47) from the introduction help reestablish order and lead to...
            The third section (Part C, 6:52-7:54) is the shortest and features a return to normalcy after the violent revolution subsides. Significantly, the voice of Yoko Ono is heard only in this third and final section. If we interpret this autobiographically (and there's no evidence - much less any guarantee - that Lennon intended that to be the case), then it's as if John has survived the chaos ("it'll be alright") and his reward for making it through all the craziness is the love of his life. Indeed, she's heard almost constantly throughout that concluding section.
            The coda (7:54-8:21) reprises the crowd shouting heard earlier in the second section. It is as if that violent revolution has not been forgotten, and the threat of another is lurking.
            All of this makes for a compelling piece of music.

On the other hand, I don't find their projects from the very late 60s and very early 70s to be compelling - like the films Up Your Legs Forever (1970) or Self Portrait (1969) and the "Live Jam" with Frank Zappa (recorded 6 June 1971 and released as part of their 1972 album Some Time In New York City) - because they rehash old ideas without adding much that's new. And that defeats the whole point of being "avant-garde"! They seem shallow, one-dimensional - nowhere near the depth of 'Revolution 9'.


Paul was influenced by his counter culture friends in the Sixties, but did his interest wane with the passage of time?

Yes and no.

In the late 60s, as Lennon and Ono embraced avant-garde aesthetics, Paul certainly withdrew.

But after the Beatles' break-up, after John and Yoko retreated from avant-garde styles to more accessible production, Paul came back to experimental art. Again, my book covers only through and slightly beyond The Beatles years. Ian Peel's book mentioned above has much more detail on Paul's post-Beatles avant-garde experimentation.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Octopus' Garden Review of 'The Beatles & The Avant-Garde'

9:22 PM Posted by Nicole M
Adapted with permission from Octopus' Garden fanzine, Volume 26, Issue #1, September 2016. Review by Tom Aguiar.


THE BEATLES & THE AVANT-GARDE by Aaron Krerowicz. AK Books, Hartford, CT.

Fans of the Beatles know that one form of art that the Beatles explored was the avant-garde and when they think of this fascination, they immediately think of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with good reason. It was Yoko’s influence that drew John into the avant-garde. However, Paul also experimented in the avant-garde as did, to a lesser degree, George Harrison. The other person within the Beatles’ circle to enter the avant-garde was George Martin. Krerowicz delves into many of the Beatles’ avant-garde projects and illustrates how those artistic productions reflected the lives of their creators.

The truth of the matter is that Paul McCartney was the first of the Beatles to become interested in the avant-garde. Paul was the only Beatle living in London, as the other three Beatles had married and moved out into suburbia. Paul explored the avant-garde through friends and colleagues, such as Peter Asher, Barry Miles, John Dunbar, and others, who shared recordings and took him to concerts. The avant-garde scene in London was growing and one of the most popular locations was the Indica Gallery and Book Store. Through his exposure to the avant-garde, Paul became an admirer of John Cage, who experimented with indeterminacy, unorthodox instruction, and silence as part of his creative process, as well as unconventional instrumentations. The impact on Paul resulted in compositions such as the famous, but seldom heard, song “Carnival of Light.”

Yoko Ono was a well-known and respected artist in the avant-garde, in the Flux movement in New York City, long before she met John Lennon at her exhibition at the Indica Gallery, and it was through her that John became interested in the avant-garde. It was her “Ceiling Painting” piece that spiked John’s interest in what would become a lifelong partnership.

John Lennon began his career in the avant-garde as a result of his relationship with Yoko and as with many things in his life, he dove into the artform full force with film, music, and events. His two books, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works, demonstrated his early awareness of experimental avant-garde literature and poetry,

George Harrison explored the avant-garde with his musical creation Electronic Sound, which consisted of two tracks, “Under the Mersey Sound” and “No Time or Space,” both large scale compositions produced on a Moog synthesizer.

George Martin, even before the Beatles, created atmosphere and sound pictures.

The Beatles & The Avant-Garde is the only book that delves into the Beatles’ interest in the art. Krerowicz, a professional Beatles scholar and lecturer, won a research grant in 2011 and used his findings to present the many avenues the Beatles used to create innovating and world-changing music. It is a topic often overlooked by Beatles fans but one that played a major role in their accomplishments. Krerowicz does an excellent job explaining this period in a way that fans will enjoy. I give this book a grade of A. It’s well worth reading and having in your library.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Interview with Authors of Upcoming 'Days in the Life' Book

9:06 AM Posted by Nicole M
Full-time Beatles music scholar Aaron Krerowicz is set to publish his next book, Days in the Life, in July 2016. The story chronicles his travels while on a Beatles presentation tour of the U.S. alongside his travel companion, his father John Krerowicz. Below is an interview with the two authors. (Content copyright ©Aaron Krerowicz. Reprinted here with permission.)

Interview with the Authors


On 16 June 2016, following Aaron's presentation A Four-Headed Monster:
The 4 Beatles in 5 Songs at the Allen County Public Library in Fort
Wayne, IN, Aaron and John sat down with Nicole Michael for an interview
about their trip and book. Nicole owns and operates 910PR, a public
relations service specializing in Beatles-themed promotions. She
works as a publicist for several Beatles authors, Aaron included.

* * * * * * * * *

NICOLE: When you're sharing close of quarters in a travel trailer with
somebody for that long -- two and a-half weeks -- you must have learned
something about each other. Were there any surprises?

JOHN: I didn't realize how much of a workaholic Aaron is. Not in a bad
way, but he's obviously committed and persistent and wants to work
hard on his programs. Every morning it seemed like the second he was
up, the laptop was open and I could hear him typing.

AARON: I thought you were sleeping. [Laughter]

JOHN: Not with all that typing racket! No, just kidding. But I would
wake up and there you'd be, working. Even during meals, if we stopped
at a restaurant, we'd want that internet connection so that you could post
a blog or do whatever you needed to do.

AARON: Well, if I'm gonna do something, I do it wholeheartedly.

JOHN: It drove home what a hard worker you are. A lot harder worker
than I am.

AARON: You said it, not me. [Laughter]

JOHN: What about you, Aaron -- learn anything about me?

AARON: I thought, because you worked for a newspaper, that you'd
write concisely, not flowery. But a lot of what you did for this book was
more artistic and literary with the metaphors and unusual word choices.
Some of those metaphors came out of left field and left me wondering
what you were trying to say.

JOHN: Being a lefty, I have to say that coming out of left field can be a
good thing. [Laughter] You're right, though -- not left, in this case --
about the style. While we were on this trip, I was reading a book about
creative writing, and the author urged writers to break rules when appropriate,
surprise readers, make up words, stringently avoid clichés,
stuff like that. I think for every word I used differently that Aaron and
my wife Polly liked -- something like "roasty" for Texas in the summertime
-- there must have been five words they groaned about. Like
"doodny," which I used to describe Bob Dylan's nasally voice. I thought it
was appropriate, but I couldn't sneak it past them. Polly read drafts of
our book and when she came across the parts where I'd obviously overdone
it, she would add in the margin, "John! That was way creative!
Don't do it again!" [Laughter] Sometimes I made references to things I
know about and I think other people know about but maybe you don't
know about. And that's probably a generational difference.

AARON: Certain parts went over my head. Like the term "yippies".

NICOLE: Yeah, I had to look that one up. Did he mean hippies? No,
"yippies" is an actual thing, a common phrase 45 years ago.

AARON: I'd never heard it before. I thought of Chihuahuas when you
said that. [Laughter]

JOHN: It was beneficial to have two generations working on this book.
The result was not as limited as it might have been with just one of us
writing.

NICOLE: So it sounds like there was some tension while writing this
book?

JOHN: I thought there was, to an extent, such as Aaron and I would argue
on use of a word, or a simile that the other person believed did not
work well. I was, however, pleased with some of the go-arounds we had.
When I was a boy, my family avoided conflict. It was a bad thing -- you
didn't contradict, you didn't argue, you didn't challenge. So it was still a
little difficult for me to be able to do that with you even though I now
realize it's okay to disagree.

AARON: We read our writing aloud and the other would make comments.
That tennis-style volleying back and forth throughout the editing
process helped clarify the text.

JOHN: Yeah, we were sculpting the book by this back and forth, making
the book take form. Even so, after a longer, particularly difficult or argumentative
point, I might feel drained, but I'd also feel elated and invigorated,
like, "Yeah, we're getting somewhere with this."

NICOLE: Given that, what are the chances that the two of you will work
together on future books?

AARON: I'm sure Dad will help with future books, at least as editor, if
not co-author.

NICOLE: Are there any plans for a sequel to this book?

AARON: We're already discussing another trailer tour. I'm not sure
whether another book is likely to come out of that, but I'm open to the
possibility.

NICOLE: Maybe if there's demand for a sequel.

AARON: Right. If I'm asked about Days In The Life frequently, and
people say they'd like to read a follow-up, then absolutely I'm open to
writing another one.

NICOLE: What about other books?

AARON: I'm constantly getting ideas for new books and presentations.
The one I did tonight, A Four-Headed Monster: The 4 Beatles in 5 Songs,
I want to turn into a book at some point. Also, tomorrow in Kendallville,
IN, I'm doing a program celebrating Ringo. Many people have expressed
an interest in that information in book form.

NICOLE: And I understand you want to publish your BEATLESTUDY
series?

AARON: I'm aiming for December 2016 for the first part of that series,
which is an encyclopedia of structure in Beatles music.

NICOLE: John, what did you learn about Aaron's writing?

JOHN: How far he's come from his first book, The Beatles & The Avant-
Garde -- much more direct, less esoteric.

AARON: Yeah. Days in the Life is a conscious counter to that more academic
style.

NICOLE: From a marketing standpoint, I'm excited to get this book out
there.

AARON: I could never go on Good Morning America promoting The
Beatles & The Avant-Garde, [Laughter] but this book is more along those
lines.

NICOLE: How did you two fare as travel partners?

JOHN: Traveling with someone was different for me. I like being on my
own. I think Aaron is like that, too. But for this trip, having another person
there, it made for a more enjoyable time. Aaron and I are a lot alike
in that if we have nothing to say, it's okay -- though I didn't mean to
quote Beatles lyrics there. [Laughter] We don't need to fill the silence.

AARON: That would have driven me absolutely crazy if you had talked
about nothing just to fill the time. [Laughter]

JOHN: There also was plenty of room in the trailer for the two of us.
And when I wanted to go birding, I did so. I didn't feel restricted, as if I
had to entertain Aaron; he had to work. I didn't. [Laughter] Joining
forces allowed us to do something that we might not have done on our
own.

NICOLE: So you don't think you would have gone to Arizona on your
own?

JOHN: I wasn't sure whether I could handle the trip while hauling that
trailer. But now that I know what it's like, I definitely want to go back.
And if I go by myself, that's fine.

AARON: Well, I wouldn't have driven all that way by myself. I was
happy to drive the hours that I did, but Dad did most of it. But he likes
driving. I drive because I have to, not because I enjoy it.

JOHN: Ohhhh, so that's why you wanted me to go on this trip?
[Laughter] So I could do the driving?

NICOLE: John was 32 years old when Aaron was born; Aaron will turn
32 next year. Since John is a first-generation fan, it seems like he should
be the Beatles expert, not Aaron.

AARON: At one of my presentations last year, the hosting librarian enthusiastically
turned to Dad and said, "We're really excited about your
Beatles presentation this evening." [Laughter] And one of the comments
I frequently receive at my talks is, "I was expecting somebody older." On
a related note, restaurant servers will see me analyzing music while waiting
for my food and ask if I'm working on homework or studying for finals.
One waiter at an Olive Garden in Pennsylvania retracted an offer
for a free wine sample because "you're not 21." I know I look young for
my age. I'm 30 but I've had people guess as young as 16. My ever-present
baseball cap and backpack complement the illusion. But at least I'm no
longer riding my bike to work! [Laughter]

JOHN: On the other hand, I'm consistently given senior discounts
without even asking for them! [Laughter] Maybe I should stop wearing
my granny glasses, you know -- those mask-like, huge black frames that
fit over my trifocals?

NICOLE: A good part of this trip was spent with Alan and Carrie, John's
childhood friends. How did Aaron react to them?

JOHN: It seemed he and Alan and Carrie were on the same wavelength.
They spoke easily together on various topics, they were open to the
other's interests, they enjoyed learning about each other.

AARON: They were open and welcoming hosts, which makes it a lot
easier to be a friendly guest.

JOHN: But Aaron has always handled himself well, even in high school
and college when it was impressive to see him comfortably discuss things
-- whether musical or not -- with visiting musicians or with his professors.

NICOLE: That's interesting because people who are very scholarly sometimes
lack social skills.

AARON: Mmhmm. “Ivory tower syndrome”.

JOHN: Your teaching skills developed in Boston, and that's made a difference
in your personality. You seem to relate to people better since
then.

AARON: For sure. For a long time I wanted to be a music professor and
teach at a university. But there is often an arrogance to academicians.
That's ultimately why I left classical academia and embraced pop music.

NICOLE: Will you ever go back to university life? Might you apply for
professorships when you stop working as a touring Beatles scholar?

AARON: It's possible, but it would have to be at a very progressive institution.
I have no interest in joining an old crusty school.

NICOLE: John, after hearing so many of Aaron's programs, have you
started to hear The Beatles' music differently?

JOHN: Definitely. And that's the point of Aaron's presentations -- to
help people appreciate what's going on musically in each of these songs.
For all the years I've listened to 'Penny Lane', I could tell there was a
little bit of difference between the verses and choruses, but I had no idea
what it was. After hearing Aaron's discussion of the song, I know it's a
change in key.

NICOLE: And Aaron, after spending so much time with your Dad, have
any of his observations and anecdotes influenced your perceptions?

AARON: Sure. In the book Dad talks about Crosby, Still, Nash, and
Young and how Young was the more gritty, less refined, more raw and
emotional member of the band. I knew of CSNY, and occasionally people
ask me to compare and contrast them with The Beatles. But I've had to
admit ignorance -- I'm just not familiar enough with CSNY's music to
comment. But now when I'm asked I'll have something to say.

NICOLE: You both mention interests outside of The Beatles in the book:
John with bird watching, Aaron with baseball. How do you feel about
each other's "other" interests? Can you draw any similarities between
how you observe birds and baseball? You both seem very orderly about
your hobbies.

JOHN: I put my list of birds on a spreadsheet. And that makes it easier. It
tallies the total number. I can go right to the bottom to find out how
many species I've seen. There is a practical side to that. I've always considered
myself logical and structured. Mr. Spock was my favorite character
on Star Trek. That tells you something. So yeah, there is a certain
amount of linear thinking. Very organized. Everything in its place.

AARON: My job is organizing and making sense of pools of information.
That's what I do every day. And that's also why I use baseball scorecards.
They allow me to keep track of the game and illuminate patterns that I
would otherwise miss.

JOHN: What kinds of conflicts do you find when part of your personality
is so pragmatic, while you must also be creative as a musician and author?

AARON: In one of the chapters I talk about the balance between intuition
and cultivation -- how learning how to teach was painstakingly
slow, whereas the musical analysis just comes to me naturally. One of
Lennon's quotes has always resonated with me: "It doesn't make me better
or worse than anybody else; I just see and hear differently from other
people -- the same way musicians hear music differently from non-musicians.
And there is no way of explaining it." And that's very much how I
view myself: I hear and think differently from most people. And that's
not inherently a good thing or a bad thing, it's just different. I've been
unconventional for as long as I can remember. I've never fit the mold.
I'm allergic to mold! [Laughter] A large part of maturity for me has been
learning to anticipate scenarios in which my alternative thinking style
will yield consequences. I actively avoid situations where those consequences
will be negative, and consciously embrace situations where
those consequences will be positive. I've learned how to balance my natural
gifts with learned skills.

NICOLE: Your spring tours ended about two weeks ago. In addition to
the March tour documented here, you also visited Florida in February,
New York in April, and Milwaukee and Louisville in May. How have
you held up over that stretch?

AARON: It's been quite an experience -- four months of touring. Now
that it's over, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the last four months
have been some of the most exhausting of my life, and I could sure use a
vacation; on the other hand, the last four months have been some of the
most exhilarating of my life, and I want to continue that wave.

NICOLE: And your plans for the future?

AARON: Short-term, I'm going to Kansas City in September, New England
in October, and back to Wisconsin/Illinois in November. I'll start
planning for 2017 shortly. Long term, I suspect this is a viable career for about five years.
I've been doing it full-time for one year already, so I figure I have maybe
four years left. After that, I'm not sure I'll want to sustain this type of
profession even if I could sustain it. It is, after all, a ridiculous amount of
work and keeps me away from home the majority of the time. Having
said that, I enjoy it. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would continue doing
what I'm doing. I might not pursue it quite as vigorously, [Laughter]
but this is what I want to do.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016