Hi, I'm Stephen Taylor
 

Hi

I'm not involved in a lot of forums, aside from Myspace (which I don't really like).

I am thirtysomething. I'm tall. I make music and paintings. I'm an internet junkie sometimes. I like eighties sitcoms and movies... mostly black comedy, although I've seen everything under the sun.

I have twitter, facebook etc. if anyone wants to connect with me elsewhere.

I have a band. Synth-disco-trash-pop. We've been touring a LOT for the past two years and now we've settled in Denmark to make a new album. It's just two of us.

I also make killer banana pancakes and love talking politics and cinema. I hope to meet some groovy people on this forum.

Thanks for listening...er, reading...

Love
Stephen

ps. I am also an eternal optomist, but I'm also kinda moody at times. So it goes.

Hi, Stephen,
Welcome to MB. I enjoyed reading the interesting details about you and your life, such as your musical journey that has led your duo to Denmark, and your ability to make delicious banana pancakes. I like the Cars, too (you mentioned them on your profile)!

You wrote about being an optimist. I am a pessimist who simultaneously sees the wonderful beauty and potential in life, which is made more poignant because of its future loss. I've had moody times in my life but those leveled off with age...yet luckily the creativeness I feel emotional sensitivity inspires has not died away. During my 20s I did quite a bit of painting, first in oils at college and then using acrylic afterwards (since it is less toxic). Do you have much time for painting with your musical activities?

I hope you enjoy MB!

--Erica

I WISH I had time... I could make time, and in all honest, I should. I miss painting. It's a release that is different than music, in the sense that it's physical and has to do with making something concrete and three dimensional.

My moody times have also levelled off with age, although every once in awhile, if I don't get enough sleep I totally lose control of my emotions (never hurting anybody, but just being moody with a capital M).

I also think often about how beauty and life has a beginning, middle and end... ah, the cyclical nature of everything. I'm pretty happy to be alive and want to really appreciate it, you know?

Started writing a new song today. Happy about that.

And what's your story?

Stephen P.

Hi, Stephen,

Yes, I'm happy to have a chance to be alive, too, and often very glad to be growing older because I recall the friends I've had who have not been so lucky.

I listened to some of your duo's songs and watched the videos on your website! The songs I have heard so far all sounded quite uplifting and funny (the moodiness with the capital M didn't seem so apparent to me, although perhaps in the Pony song). I was quite amused by the jogging song video and the clever lyrics that I think I would have to read to catch entirely. I enjoyed the quirkiness of your music. You both appear to be having such fun being creative and being yourselves by sometimes pretending *not* to be yourselves, if that makes sense.

My story...hmmm...I think my life is best described by an elementary school teacher who said of me that I like science, but my heart is in art. I've always felt very aware of the sentience of others, including non-human animals. I decided to follow my intellectual/emotional interests by building a career in biology, but have been playing musical instruments since I was a child and continue to play the violin in an orchestra in Iowa.

When I turned 40 I decided, quite suddenly, to learn to play the electric guitar and drums and put some of my vegan poems to music, plus write new vegan songs. My reason for this decision: I felt vegan music may be a quick, emotional way to offer people information about the environmental, health, and animal welfare benefits of plant-based diets, as well as inform them about the broader lifestyle choice of veganism, which I define as reducing the suffering of sentient beings and trying to help them live their lives as long as they can. Not many people may take the time to visit the Harvard School of Public Health's nutrition webpage about the benefits of plant-based diets, but people *might* listen to a 4-minute song. As a vegan, raising a vegetarian child, I noticed few vegan songs in existence and so decided to try to fill that niche. I have found that I love writing songs and practicing/recording them much more than I ever imagined I would when I began this new musical phase of my life. So, I can imagine your happiness about starting a new song, Stephen!

--Erica

Welcome to the site, and btw did you say So it Goes?
wow my favorite Rockpile song