Help Thinking of Interview Questions

[Dr. Cheese]

I am currently working on a book that partly deals with music in East St. Louis and the adjacent area from 1945-1995. I am working up interview questions, and I want a list of questions specific to musicians. Do you guys have any suggestions? Thanks!

[Jim Nazium]

What's the best bass for metal?

[bass12]

Can you be more specific as to what kind of information you're looking for as far as these musicians are concerned?

[macaroni tony]

As long as you interview my dad, Oba (real name is Tony Brasfield) you should have a great book He's a St Louis area reggae bassist; if you haven't heard of him, then maybe he's not quite as locally popular as he thinks he is

[BassChuck]

Anyone left in E. St. Louis who knew Miles?

[CrispyDelicious]

"How has being black affected your experience in the music industry?"

[hover]

are there any mainstay venues of the scene that have remained viable / prosperous over such a stretch of 50 years? How do you feel they have remained so?

[hover]

Does the area foster a sense of musical "community" and has there been a decline or resurgence of that sense in recent years? What helps to promote that?

[hover]

Do you feel that in any way the musical community has given back to or remained at the forefront of or helped along, change for the better in your given neighborhoods?

[bottomzone]

How would you rate the importance of 5 and 6 string basses? Does the music that you hear today groove like the music of the 70's and 80's? What is your opinion of the "modern" sounding basses, amps and speaker cabs that are popular today? What bassists and/or bass makers, in your opinion, have had the most profound impact on the current state of the electric bass?

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[bass12]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

"How has being black affected your experience in the music industry?"

That one should elicit some good answers from the white musicians interviewed...

[jmattbassplaya]

More of a general statement, but when coming up with questions it is very important to watch how you word your questions. Avoid question that can be answered with simple "yes/no" responses. Try to make them as open ended as possible.

[DerHoggz]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

"How has being black affected your experience in the music industry?"

Ouch.

[Dr. Cheese]

I appreciate the suggestions guys! My project is an attempt to find out how entertainment and leisure activities and businesses changed in the area over the time I am studying. Hover's questions really got at the spirit of what I'm after. Macaroni Tony, I will look up your Dad.

Jmattbassplaya, I agree that yes/answers really need to be avoided. Bass Chuck, Miles just passed in 1991, it is not too hard to find folks who knew him pretty well. He still has a lot of family, including siblings in the area.

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by DerHoggz

Ouch.

Wat? Should I have added smileys? We all know it's coming, Doc

[MJ5150]

If you could start your musical career all over again, what would you do differently?

-Mike

[Thunderscreech]

What modern music/muscians/bands do you like? Is there any modern music/musicians/bands you draw influence from?

[Unrepresented]

I hope this is of assistance:

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Um, hi. Welcome to The Chris Farley Dr. Cheese Show. I'm.. Chris Farley Dr. Cheese.. and, my guest tonight is.. one of the.. greatest musicians.. uh, rock musicians. I guess, songwriter, ever. [ Smacks himself ] GOD! That sounds stupid! God, I'm an idiot! I never know how to start these things!

Paul McCartney Relevant interviewee from St. Louis: You're doing great, Chris Dr. Cheese.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: [ hopeful ] Really? No, I'm not. [ hyperventilating ] Anyway.. I guess.. I didn't have, have to say, who you were, because.. man, I mean.. everyone knows who you are. Mmm.. you're Paul McCartney a relevant interviewee from St. Louis.

Paul McCartney Inteviewee: Well, it's great to be here.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: [ uncomfortable ] You.. you.. you remember when you were with The Beatles in 1945-1995?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yeah, sure.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: That was awesome!

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yeah, it was.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: O-kay.. Oh! You.. you remember when you went to Japan.. and, uh, and at the airport they arrested you 'cause you had some pot, and.. it made all the papers, and everything..?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Well, to be honest, Chris Dr. Cheese, I'd kind of like to forget all of that.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: [ smacks himself harder ] IDIOT!! That's so stupid! What a dumb question!!

Paul McCartney Interviewee: No, no, no, [del]Chris[/del Dr. Cheese. I get asked that all the time in interviews. Maria Shriver asked the same question last week.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Really? [ pause ] Did you know that she's married to Arnold Schwartzenegger?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yeah. I've heard that.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Did you see "Terminator"?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: No, I missed that one.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: That was a pretty awesome flick. [ pause ] O-kay.. remember.. you remember when you were with The Beatles in 1945-1995, and you were supposed to be dead, and, uh, there was all these clues, that, like, uh, you played some song backwards, and it'd say, like, "Paul Is Dead", and, uh, everyone thought that you were dead? That was, um, a hoax, right?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yeah. I wasn't really dead.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Right. I think we.. I think we got time for one more question. Uh.. remember when you were in The Beatles 1945-1995? And, um, you did that album Abbey Road, and at the very end of the song, it would.. the song goes, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"? You.. you remember that?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yes.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Uh.. is that true?

Paul McCartney Interviewee: Yes, Chris Dr. Cheese. In my experience, it is. I find, the more you give, the more you get.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese [ ecstatic, starts to point at Paul Interviewee and mouth "AWESOME!" ] Well, that's it for this week's show. Thank you, [del]Paul McCartney[/del relevant interviewee from 1945-1995, thank you, for being one of the greatest.. of rock.. I mean, a living legend. And uh, a legend of rock and roll.. and.. just thanks for being on the show, and.. [ smacks himself even harder ] GOD DANGIT! That sounded stupid! I knew I'd screw up!

Paul McCartney Interviewee: You did fine, you did fine, [del]Chris[/del Dr. Cheese.

Chris Farley Dr. Cheese: Really? Thanks, man. Thanks. Thank you. [ Outro music comes on, Chris continues to talk to Paul ] Remember.. remember when I was talking to you about "The Terminator"? You.. you should see that movie, it's pretty cool..

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I am currently working on a book that partly deals with music in East St. Louis and the adjacent area from 1945-1995. I am working up interview questions, and I want a list of questions specific to musicians. Do you guys have any suggestions?

"To what do you attribute the complete & total demise of the West St. Louis Toodle-Oo?"

[DerHoggz]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

Wat? Should I have added smileys? We all know it's coming, Doc

On the other hand I laughed pretty hard at your first post.