Blip Nation Interview: Meet ladypn

http://blip.fm/ladypn

Blipper since: December 4, 2008

Pete Dulin: What part of the world do you live in? 

ladypn: Pacific NorthWest.

Dulin: Imagine you're 14-years-old browsing through a music store. What band/artist do you wish you had discovered that was so great you want to tell all of your friends about them. What would you say? 

ladypn: Like everyone else who truly loves music, that is nearly impossible to answer!  There are so many talented bands! Such as Hypnogaja, Mumford & Sons, Devotchka, Eels, Foals, Fleet Foxes...I could go on and on!

Dulin: What prompted you to join Blip.fm? 

ladypn: I was invited by a very popular Youtuber - interestingly enough, she has never blipped, but I took to it like a fish takes to water!

Dulin: You have over 56,000 listeners. You follow nearly 1000 DJs. And you have over a quarter of a million(!!!) props. Wow. How do you keep up with Blip.fm props, blips, reblips, etc.? 

ladypn: No one is more surprised than I am, at the number of listeners!  I don't know how that happened! It has never been about numbers for me, it's all about the music and the connections with music lovers from all over the world!

I used to use the email notices to handle replies but now find that is easier just using the Replies/Props pages.  I try to address every reply with either a prop or a reblip!  

"Music is my salve - it helps to heal
an aching heart, mind and body."  

Dulin: Tell us about your brother, who needs a kidney transplant. What qualities do you like best about him?

ladypn: He truly is one of the most impressive people I know.  He's very determined and accomplished - whether working in musical theatre in NYC (he starred on Broadway once!), or racing on his bike, running 26K marathons, or running his own successful computer graphics firm for years - he usually accomplishes his goals! In spite of all of his generous spirit and the redeeming attributes most would envy, he is a very humble person. And he is a wonderful big brother! Literally and figuratively, as he stands 6'4"!    

Dulin: How can people help your brother? 

ladypn: Well - simply put, the best way to help would be as a live kidney donor.  Where that isn't possible, people can help greatly by sharing the link to my blog - http://ladypn.blogspot.com.  I sincerely do believe that the more people who read it, the more who become aware, the more hope that a donor will be found.  The alternative simply isn't acceptable.

Dulin: What song would you dedicate to your brother for inspiration? 

ladypn: "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the 1945 musical Carousel.  It is very important for so many reasons. 

1-When we were kids, we both performed in that production in summer stock theatre. 

2 - It was one of our departed Mother's favorite songs and most importantly...

3 - He isn't alone through this! He has a loving wife and son, siblings, nieces and nephews, and friends all over the world who are walking this challenge with him. 

Dulin: What purpose does music serve for you? 

ladypn: The first word that comes to mind is - an escape.  It has always served as an escape for me.  To me, music is as necessary in life as breathing is.  I've always felt sorry for anyone who didn't have the same passion for music that I do - not because I think I'm better than anyone - but because music brings so much joy. I feel sad for those who don't know that joy themselves.  Music is my salve - it helps to heal an aching heart, mind and body. 

Dulin: What artist/band would you most like to meet? 

ladypn: Living or deceased? ;)  This is another list which could be endless!  I often fantasize about sitting around the chiminea in my backyard with Glen Hansard and Damien Rice! We'd all be singing and playing guitar, for the pure joy of it! I would be in heaven! I'd love to meet Preston Reed, one of my favorite guitarists!  I'd love to sing harmonies with Fleet Foxes, Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, a'tris, Hypnogaja, Local Natives and on and on...   

Dulin: If you could invite any band/musician over for dinner, who would you invite, what would you serve and what music would you play throughout the evening? 

ladypn: Wow, this is really a tough one! I really couldn't pick just one. Rather I'd like to host a huge party with all of my favorites!  I'd have to rent a castle though.  There would probably be classical music playing in the background, Chopin and Bach preludes perhaps would be more conducive to conversation. Until we gather around the piano - then its singalongs!   

Dulin: If you were on a world tour as a Blip.FM DJ and ambassador, what three countries or cities would you visit first? What DJs would you like to meet? 

ladypn: I can't pick any particular DJ's! There are so many wonderful people from all over the world!  I'd have to limit this answer to which countries I most want to travel to - Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, England, Ireland, France, and Egypt. It would be wonderful if all the DJs in each country would meet me at the airport! What a welcoming committee that would make!

Dulin: What song(s) give you comfort in times of stress? 

ladypn: Again, there are so many diverse songs that I fall back on, depending on the mood. When I'm in frustrated, I love to play Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" on the piano, or one of Bach's fugues! For my sadder times, nothing soothes like Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." As sad as that piece is, it builds to golden moments of pure joy - reminding me that no matter the torment or strife, there are better times ahead. And no matter what particular brand of stress, I can find most anything by Glen Hansard and Damien Rice which speaks to me.    

Dulin: What's your dream job?  

ladypn: Archictect or rock star! :) 

Dulin: Pick one song that encapsulates your personality, and explain why. 

ladypn: Muse - "Uprising." Because no matter what fate throws my way, I will be victorious! I've had a lot of challenges in my life; nothing will keep me down. "Uprising" reminds me of my own innate optimism to overcome.

Dulin: Do you have any favorite song lyrics? What are they? Tell us about the appeal of those lyrics.

ladypn: Glen Hansard's "Falling Slowly" "Take this sinking boat & point it home, we've still got time." Just love that line!  Again, it speaks to my desire to be optimistic!

Dulin: Think of another Blip.FM DJ. You don’t have to reveal who it is. What question would you most like to ask him or her? 

ladypn: No worries, I won't reveal who! But the question would be: Why are you so cryptic?  What is it that you're hiding behind that facade? 

Dulin: Name your favorite cover song, the original artist, and who covered it.  

ladypn: "Wild is the Wind" originally released by Johnny Mathis (my mom used to listen to it!). I love the David Bowie cover!

Dulin: If you could blip one song that could reach everyone on the planet, what would you choose?

ladypn: "I Hope I Never" by Split Enz. "Happiness is back in style!" 

Dulin: What has been the most pleasant discovery, experience, or aspect of Blip.FM? The most frustrating? 

ladypn: The most amazing aspect has been new music discovery and reacquainting myself with old favorites. Blipping has also fed my urge to find even more new music! I scour the Net looking for new artists/bands and new releases. I can't seem to get enough!

Another pleasant aspect is that because of Blip, and that thirst for new music and my desire for high quality sound, I have bought more music the past two years than I have in my entire life! My library is now so vast that repeating myself isn't much of a concern. 

The most frustrating?  I'm hard pressed to find anything frustrating about Blip.fm! I think it is the greatest gift! Seriously, I look at being able to blip a privilege. To have this incredible forum to share music with people from all over the world, what more could a people-loving music aficionado ask for?  I can't even get frustrated by the poor quality live videos or cover vids. That's why I have as much in my library as I do.     

Dulin: What influences your blip picks? Mood, nostalgia, new artist/song, social interaction, or other factors? 

ladypn: All of the above! Sometimes I'm in a very playful mood, others I'm feeling nostalgic. Still other times I want nothing but the freshest tracks.

Dulin: What is the earliest age that you can remember listening to music? What artists/bands did you like in your youth? 

ladypn: My first words were sung, rather than spoken, so I don't think I actually recall the earliest memory.  My parents always had music playing in the home. My father played the piano, I had 4 older siblings who all loved and played their music. When I was little I had equally diverse tastes. I loved classical, rock, pop, the standards.

My older siblings played a lot of Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, Chicago, Yes, The Who, Guess Who, Carpenters. When little, we used to put on John Philip Sousa marches and do our own little parades around the family room!  My parents taught us the Cha Cha, Waltz, Two Step, Fox Trot, etc. We were always singing, dancing or playing instruments! And having done summer stock musical theatre from the time I was 7, our home was usually the preferred location for cast parties which of course were filled with music! 

Dulin: Any other thoughts to share?  

ladypn: I want to thank everyone at Blip.fm for making this site available to us all and for all the work they do in maintaining it! I don't think @Jeff and the crew get enough credit for all they do! 

I also want to say how deeply moved I have been by the compassion of thousands of friends on Blip.fm! I cannot express how much it has meant to me. I've gone through two boxes of tissues since I first blogged about my brother, just reading the encouraging replies on Blip, Twitter and the blog itself. So many wonderful people! The music is what brings us together - the people and the sense of community makes Blip.fm special!

Finally, thank you so much for Blip Nation Pete!  I've so enjoyed learning more about our fellow Blippers and am honored to be interviewed!

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Pete Dulin is the co-publisher and editor of www.presentmagazine.com and writes freelance for magazines, websites, and newspapers. He can be found in the Blip Nation at http://blip.fm/slipperydistortion. He can be reached at Twitter.com/petedulin, http://www.facebook.com/pete.dulin and www.petedulin.com.