ART, TECHNOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY

STOA - pl. Stoae, in Greek architecture, a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. The Stoa of Attalus at Athens is a prime example. (Enc. Britannica)
STOICISM - Stoicism was one of the new philosophical movements of the Hellenistic period. The name derives from the porch (stoa poikilê) in the Agora at Athens decorated with mural paintings, where the members of the school congregated, and their lectures were held. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Stoic Marcus Aurelius begins 'Meditations' with a reference to people who influenced him with their character. Who would be people that you learned a lot from?

Naturally, I could mention big names now: Karl Jaspers, Erich Maria Remarque, John Stuart Mill … but mostly, however, there are inconspicuous people who shape the person. One learns from moments in which is felt ‘that something’ they have incited within oneself. Smile, if one does not expect it, a gesture, which gives trust; a sentence, which lets us think for a long time about it.

Some scholars say that his time bears a lot of similarities to world of today. Do you agree?

Wasn't always like that? Everything could be compared to some predecessor.

sToa is also 'anachronistic'. How do you combine classic and contemporary in your music and thought?

By taking the essence. And now as ever, we are humans with our feelings, hopes, fears. So, nothing elementary has changed in history of mankind.

I read that J.S. Bach's music is one of your favourites. "Brandenburg Concertos" are on board of Voyager for aliens to discover. Was that a good choice?

I doubt that music can accomplish anything in our contact with extraterrestrial life. A small shift in the perception of the frequency spectrum and music will circum-oscillate to simplicity. The human thought is very much ego-fixated. We still do not understand the whales or bats…

Technology of music making changed greatly. What are your views on use of digital equipment?

Actually, the technological development stands only at the beginning. The use of digital technique can bring large easements. In addition, it ‘democratizes’ music-making. It was never this simple to make a CD and present it to the world. In a long run, we would need only i-book and suitable software… however, the most important thing is thereby often missing - the inspiration. It is humans that use the technology and thus are the weakest point in its development.

Do advances in technology bring us progress?

It is interesting to clarify the German translation of the word "progress". It means "progressed" – in which one "progresses" together in time; and it could be interpreted as "walk away from something" as well.