Paganini's pieces are VERY difficult to play. I've had a try once, but I didn't get very far in the hard parts. I could play all the notes, but not really fluently. I'm now at the point that getting better at the rate I'm used to takes 2 hour of practice a day to get the technique perfect. Unfortunately I don't have the time to do that because of all the exams I have this year. Sometimes I work really hard for a week or more to try and save some free time to make some progress for a week or two, but after I've had 3 or 4 days time school already catches up and I don't have much time to practise. That's actually very frustrating since I realy want to get really good at playing the violin and viola. I'm already better then the average violinist of my age (according to some people I work with) and my teacher says I've made great progress the last couple of years, but I just feel like I could have done twice as good if I had more time. Within a mont or so my exams will be over and I'll have all the spare time I want and then I'm planning to kick some paganini ass (or at least some other really nice, but hard pieces of music).

The problem with my current viola is that it's not the most easy instrument to play with. It's got a really nice sound, but it's hard to get the maximum out of it. If I play something with difficult notes I have to really have good technical skills to make it sound good. When I play it right though I can amaze people with the sound the instrument's got and then it all comes together. Good thing is that I didn't find wolf-tones (is that the english term?) yet. My viola is my best friend in the world, I like it even better then Phtalo (my computer). Music is the most beautfull thing there is.

I am impressed with the diverse and sophisticated musical repertiore we Brycians have! I, like many others, have huge eclectic selection from which to choose. Off the top of my head, this week's favorites are: "Heaven and Hell" (Album) Vangelis "Symphony for the New World" No. 9 Dvorak "Fanfare for the Common Man" Copeland "LeftOverture" (Album) Kansas "Banba" (Album) Clannad "Melrose" (Album) Tangerine Dream "Heartfelt" Fourplay (Album)

Mozart, Adagio and Fuge in Cminor (K 546)

Quatuor pour la fin du temps from messiaen is great too. I've heard it played life and I was lucky enough to sit close enough to be able to read the music as the musicians where playing. Great tension builing up in the piece. I can go to some relatively exclusive concerts (no more then 100 or 150 people) for extremely low prices and those concerts are always of top-quality. Afterwards you can speak with the musicians and check out the score (according to my dictionary that should be the right word) and analize the music.

I'm gonna have to go with albums Aphex twin, selected ambient works 85-92 Global communication, 76:14 Dreadzone, "into the light" and "sounds" Orbital, the brown album Future sound of London, Accelerator Air, moon safari David Holmes, Lets get killed CJ Bolland, analogue theatre Jeff mills, The transmission series Luke Slater Four cornered room Uziq, tango and vectif and for an all time classic track, Derrick May, "strings of life". If any body should happen to have the original vinyl of this, it's not worth much so you may as well give it to me, no honest, I wouldn't lie!!!!!!!!

Rayraz.. have you heard Meteora ? It is awesome, I have the enhanced CD version (2 disk set) that has a DVD with the making of Meteora on it, well worth the extra bucks.

Don't have it yet. I'll have a look. Is there a making of the points of authority video on the DVD too?

no .. just Meteora. I have the Frat Party DVD with the video The End on it.. VERY GOOD !! When I was at Best Buy last weekend I noticed there was a second DVD with The End on it as well as Point of Authority Video. Yeah the song is on Frat Party.. but it's just clips from a concert (still great in any event).

I don't have a favorite piece. I love Kasmir by Led Zepplin and a lot of there other stuff. U2 is my favorite group. I like stuff from every album they've ever done and they have a few albums that I like every song on. thats very hard to do. I like, Live, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones-mostly 60's and early 70's stuff tho. J. Giles only the 70's stuff,can't stand "angel is a centerfold and their other 80's hits. Can't stand Limp Biscits swearing crap but like "Rollin" Love "In the end" by Linkin Park but didn't care much for the rest of that CD. Cold Play, seems very promising. Love "Clocks" by them. I like a lot of the 70's music that you don't hear played on clasic rock stations (ain't nothing but a house party - j giles. I got to see them in concert pre 1980). I have albums by "Flash in the Pan, Klatuu, and some other very forgotten groups. Yeah, I'm weird when it comes to music, I even liked Disco, but wouldn't ever admit to it, lest I be ousted from society. Also, I like Yanni and Enya and Sarah Mclaughlin. My spelling sucks so if I got anyones name wrong sorry.

Orbital: Nice list of music there. Haven't you missed out The Chemical Brothers, Groove Armada... :)

Whoa, this is tough question... I'm most into classical, but I listen also a lot of... oh, well, everything. So, I'd say... Classical: Absolute #1: Everything by Richard Wagner #2: Everything by Gustav Mahler #3: Everything by George F Handel #4: Everything by Ludwig Van Beethoven #5: Bach played by Glenn Gould Non-classical: #1: Everything by Nine Inch Nails (just love 'em! Or, better, him) #2: Jethro Tull's first 10 albums #3: Everything by Tom Waits #4: Almost everything by Lou Reed #5: The Doors It was hard to narrow the choices... :) Stefano

alright.. i've been doing a lot of thinking.. and i've desided what my favorites are.. my favorite song of all times, the one i can listen to the most, over and over..(although, i can listen to no song more then 4 times in one day, before i don't want to hear it again for a month Would be; "O Fortuna" by Therion... i adore that song with utmost passion.. The other songs that i enjoy hearing the most would be; "One" - Metallica "Du Hast" - Rammstein "When Worlds Collide" - Powerman 5000 "Wolf" - Iced Earth "Kings of the Nordic Twilight" - Luca Turilli "Chop Suey" - System of a Down "Super Beast" - Rob Zombie these would have to be My top songs over all others.