Hayduke Schnook :)

Hayduke Schnook has not been playing in Casa long, but he is an awesome talented guy. His shows are packed full of fun, and its not a Hayduke show unless he has told a fishing story, of which he has plenty!!! Ask him about the finger story........O.O
Oh and sometimes he appears as a turtle!

Duke took time out to answer some questions for us.

1. Who are you and where are you from?
My RL name is Alex and I'm from the high mountains of Colorado.

2. How long have you been playing?
I have been playing the mandolin for about 7 years now, though have only been comfortable playing for other for about 3.

3. Which instruments do you play?
My main instrument is the mandolin. I also play some guitar, and a bit of saxophone.

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?
On the Mandolin it was a bluegrass tune called Old Joe Clark

5. Is your family musical?
I have people in my family who like to sing, but not a lot of instrumental talent in the family.

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
Any musician, famous or not, who plays the music they love and makes a name for themselves doing it. I think if you really put yourself out there, sing, play, let that music flow through you... Then you are experiencing the music the way it is meant to be, and if you stay true to the music that moves you, you can't go wrong.

7. Do you write everything yourself?.
LMAO, Hell no. I don't have my writing confidence yet. I have written about 2 songs, both have been trashed. As of now, I feel I am still learning a lot and building up the experience I need to do justice to a good song.

8. What are your fondest musical memories?
When I began to get old enough to spend nights away from parents, friends would go out and spend hours of fun just messing around with guitars. I always wanted so badly to be able to pick up an instrument and join in, and that eventually lead me to my mandolin and the motivation to learn to play.

9. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?
Too many to list, but a lot of old country and folk, along with Classic Rock...

10. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?
I generally enjoy music played by the performers, with instruments. Studio-generated music styles are not really my thing.

11. Do you perform in RL? If so where?
I have only performed in RL once, at an open mic in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Woohoo! I have come a long way since then...

12. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
I usually giggle and blame somebody in the audience for distracting me ;D

13. Do you get nervous before a performance?
YES, but sometimes more than others...

14. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
You can play as well as you can in practice, sometimes better. So just relax and play it the way you normally do. Don't rush, don't overthink it. When on stage, that is the time to just let it smoothly flow.

15. How often and for how long do you practice?
I pick up my instrument every day, sometimes I play a few songs. Other times I play for a few hours. Depends on the day, but to build up your muscles and muscle memory you need to put in a few extended sessions on occasion.

16. Was this your life long dream?
SL Musician? Nope. RL Musician? Thought about it, but not really my dream. I have wanted to be proficient at an instrument for a long time, a goal which I feel I am just now attaining.

17. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?
My Lucky Stars!

18. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? Please add website/myspace details here.
For now, you have to come find me. Perhaps I will at some point lay some tunes down for folks to hear when they want, but for now live is best ;)

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
My Dog!

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
My Mandolin (duh)

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
Survival pack, Boat

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
I would be a mountain man exploring America, trapping beaver

- What is your favorite food and drink?
Fish I caught with a fine red wine!

- What’s your pet hate?
My dog hates getting his ears wet. It really disappoints him.

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Still undecided, perhaps Scotland?

Dukes next set in Casa is on Friday 14th November @ 2pmslt - dont miss it!!