*Name: J. Lozos
Nicknames: Mitya, Dmitri, Gustav, Antietam
What you’d like to be called: Any of the above works, but Mitya is best
*Age: 19
Birthday: 9 June 1984
City, State: Washington, DC is home. Pittsburgh, PA is school.
Tell us about your icon: These four notes (D, E-flat, C, B for those of you who don't read music/alto clef) are the musical signature of Dmitri Shostakovich, who is my favorite composer. Using the German notation system, those notes spell out an approximation of his initials, D. Sch. This is also the origin of my username. The notes are in alto clef because I'm a violist and proud of it!

*Five favorite/personally important songs and why you chose them:
Symphony No. 6 by Gustav Mahler: This is a long and terribly intense piece, and it is indeed very depressing and moving. But for those reasons, it gets to me on a very deep and personal level. This piece has reduced me to feelings of helplessness and lonliness and it's made me cry, but for that, it shows how very powerful the piece is. No other piece has moved me so significantly. And in addition to that, I love the orchestration and melodies of the work.
String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich: Another dark and pensive piece, but amazing and brilliant for those qualities. This piece introduced me to Shostakovich, and also to the concept that one can portray specific events in music without requiring words or dance. Indeed, it was this piece in particular that provoked me to begin composing seriously.
The Planets by Gustav Holst: I first heard this when I was 9, and I was so taken by it that I tried to play my violin along to the recording. Though I've always enjoyed classical music, this piece really made me want to play in an orchestra so that I could play it. It's continued to be a favorite melodically, but more significantly it did bump my classical "career" along...even though I've still not had a chance to play the whole thing!
Symphony No. 6 by Ludwig van Beethoven: This is the first piece I had the chance to perform with a full orchestra. It was an amazingly well-played concert for a high school orchestra, and the piece is so lovely and happy. This symphony always puts me in a good mood and sends me on a major nostalgia trip.
Viola Sonata, Op. 11 No. 4 by Paul Hindemith: First piece I performed on solo viola, which was seriously stressful, but it made me feel so good that I could do it. It's not an easy piece, and I was particularly freaked out because I didn't have long to learn the last movement. But it all pulled together, and the first movement of it got me into college...Not to mention it's just a gorgeous piece, with a beautiful main theme and a bunch of fun and crazy variations.

*Five movies:
Oh man. I almost never see movies. Hrm.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I watched this thing literally every single day when I was in first grade or so. I wanted to be Willy Wonka. Awesome fun movie.
Amadeus Music-geekery, and amusing moments! Huzzah! Or should I say AH HEH HEH HEE? I can't do the Mozart laugh right...
The Emperor's New Groove I know! I'll turn him into a flea! A harmless little flea! And I'll put that flea in a box and I'll put that box inside another box and I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives--ah hahahaha!--I'll SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER! It's brilliant brilliant brilliant!
Monty Python and the Holy Grail Because we like shrubbery.
Gettysburg Yes, I am a history geek. Thank you.


*Five books/magazines:
Only five? Daaah!
The Redwall series, by Brian Jacques: I've been following these since I was 8, and even though the newer ones have been predictable and formulaic, they're still fun and enjoyable. And the earlier books are still brilliant. I'm a very active member of the Redwall Online Community, and have been for five years.
Sandman by Neil Gaiman: I love the integration of literary themes, mythology, and "new legend," and Gaiman is just a fantastic storyteller and creator of characters. This was also my introduction to the genre of graphic novels, and it prompted me to write/draw my own.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: I just found this story fascinating. Raskolnikov's thought processes are absolutely gripping, and the whole portrayal of his interaction with the other characters made the whole thing a page-turner for me at least. I love Dostoyevsky's work in general, though--his style, his themes, and his characters.
The Army of the Potomac Trilogy by Bruce Catton: This is narrative history at its finest. Nonfiction, but just as compelling as any novel. Bruce Catton is an excellent writer and thorough historian, and these were among the first Civil War books I read. They probably had a lot to do with my following Civil War obsession...
Genome by Matt Ridley: Genetics is fascinating. This is a really thoughtful and yet easy-to-read book that told me so much I didn't know about how genetics is so important to applied life...Yes, it's geeky, but this thing just fascinated me.

*Five hobbies:
Reading
Writing
Drawing
Composing Music
Playing Music

What do you watch on TV?: I almost never watch TV, but when I do, it's almost invariably the Discovery Health Channel. I love those shows about the new high-tech revolutionary surgeries, the crazy and bizarre and risky methods that end up saving people's lives. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen was heart surgery performed by a robotic instrument controlled by a doctor, that could be inserted through small incisions, and showed the whole procedure on camera. Footage of the inside of the human heart being repaired. I think that's beyond merely incredible. But yes, I love things like that. And things with babies, because babies are cute. But I don't care for the whole weight-loss makeover stuff.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Why?: This is hard, as I read so much. But I really like Dmitri Prokofyevich Razumikhin from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. He's completely broke, but still an optimist and a good guy. He keeps up with his studies and despite his own problems still tries to help his friends with their problems as best he can. His name comes from the Russian for reason or intelligence, which is also admirable.

What is your favorite commercial? Describe it: Last summer, the Baltimore Aquarium had this special exhibit on sharks, and the catchline to get people to come was "get uncomfortably close to sharks." The TV ad for the exhibit basically had all these normal people being followed around by a guy in a ridiculous shark costume. There were shots of the shark tailgating someone, or following someone into an elevator, etc. and then at the very end, it would just say, "Get uncomfortably close to sharks. Baltimore Aquarium." I thought it was delightfully silly and very clever. Didn't get to see the exhibit, though.

Describe your favorite Halloween (or any occasion) costume: This past year, I went as Gustav Mahler, my other favorite dead composer. I always go as obscure things that require explanation, but that's because my interests almost never are related to commonly-recognized images. But anyway, I don't actually look anything like Mahler, so I decided to try altering my appearance with theatrical makeup. I'd never tried anything like that before, but it ended up working very well, and I actually looked quite a bit like Mahler. It was pretty weird, but at the same time cool that it worked. Of course nobody recognized me, but that was not the point. I was definitely pleased with myself.

Favorite superhero/super villain: I really like Nightcrawler. He's definitely a good guy, and makes that aspect of him more important than the fact that he looks "demonic." Totally goes against the stereotype of tail and fangs. But also, he does in some incarnations have a lot of self-doubt despite his abilities, which is something I can kinda relate to. I know I'm decent at music to have gotten into a good school for it, but I can't help but doubt myself...But yeah. Being able to teleport would be awesome, too. No more long nasty rides on Greyhound buses! Whoo!


Gay marriage: I'm all for it. It makes people happy and assures rights to more people. And as for the people who might be offended by it, other people's private marital lives are totally not their business. People who are offended by gay marriage aren't going to have gay friends anyway, so it's techinally not a personal issue to them, which means they have no logical reason to go and try preventing it. It's not like the issue is dominating their lives, while the issue of not being married to a loved partner is going to be more constantly present in a devoted gay couple. So what if that couple can't biologically reproduce? Marriage is a legal commitment of one person to another in love, not a promise to reproduce.

Cell phones: Having the ability to contact anyone from anywhere with one of these does not also give the right to be irresponsible! Yes, they are good for urgent communication or for organizing things spur of the moment, but you should not always be on the phone when around other people because it's rude, you should not answer calls during classes or rehearsals because it's disrespectful and unprofessional, and you should not talk on the phone while driving because it's dangerous! So cell phones aren't inherently bad, but some people need to realize how/when they should and shouldn't be used.

Stem cell research: I think this is an important and promising field of study. Genetic research has already shown us the potential of these cells, in that they have not yet differentiated into specific parts and purposes, but the genes are all there to make them become anything. It's just an issue of setting off certain protien triggers and other connected genes. There's so much that could be done, and other forms of genetic-based therapy have been very useful in patients. Stem cells are more genetically influenceable, and I'm sure that the full potential of cures and treatments that could come out of their use has yet to be realized. That lack of full realization could be used in an argument against further study, but limiting or ending that study is, I think, ultimately barring medicine from a lot of good.

Religion: I believe that God exists as an extremely powerful concept, but not as any sort of entity with independent actual physical powers. The concept of such a being, though, is a strong force in the lives of many people, and how people manifest their belief in concept often has a profound effect on thought and behavior. Everyone is going to have different beliefs with regard to that concept, and everyone's take on it should be respected. For most people, that belief is a positive and constructive thing. But nobody should try to force their specific beliefs on someone who is content with what they already think, and nobody should use religion as an excuse for negative behavior/actions.

Veganism: Sure, if that's what floats your boat, eat only veggie products. It's nobody else's business to tell someone what to eat or not to eat. But on that same line of thought, militant vegans should not go around condemning people who eat meat. Not like someone else's digestive system is your business. Not like you'd really want someone else's digestive system to be your business...yeck...

What one thing would you change about the world? If it were possible, I'd do away with intolerance of other people. Intolerance has a lot to do with many of the major problems facing the world today as well as many historical problems. Yeah, it's ok to not get along with an individual person, but intolerance of groups or concepts for the sake of their being a group or concept is just not going to be beneficial.

Elaborate on one issue you feel particularly strongly about, if it isn’t in the list above: I feel very strongly about the direction in which music is headed. I'm not going to go into some weird rant about how none of the music written now is worth naything and how nobody listens to "real music," but I do think that acknowledgement of the place from which music came is slipping away. You're not going to have your walking bass line without classical music, or your standard guitar riff without tonal harmony, or your background rhythm without a way to notate it as texture. Elements of classical music are vital to any music around now, and people need to recognize that and not let classical music fade out. Orchestras are already going bankrupt all over the place, and that's terribly sad. Another thing that irritates me along those lines is the assumption that classical music has to be relaxing. On the contrary, my very favorite pieces make me feel intense and active emotions. More people need to acknowledge or bring forward those sorts of pieces. And also, it bugs me that contemporary composers feel that one must be avant garde and forward to produce good music any more. It's like tonality and such are things of the past and should stay there, and that everyone needs to do something totally new just to be any good. Well, what if I do write emotional and personal music that's in the style of the late 1800s, that's just as well written and moving as anything from that time? If that's heartfelt and how I feel I need to make music, does that make it less good or meaningful than what people now are doing with electronics and sound effects? I think that with some people, that push to do something new is probably going to interfere with their personal deeper expression. But now I am rambling.


Your proudest achievement: I'm having a novel published. It's going to be a Bantam trade paperback, and it should probably be out in the summer/fall.

Your biggest vice or worst habit: I procrastinate like you wouldn't believe. Most of the time involving a computer. I need to learn how to step away from the computer and do the work first...

A bad job experience you’ve had, or a job you’d never want to have: I've spent the last two summers working in a music store, cleaning the returned rental instruments. Trust me, you do not want to have to empty other people's spit valves...

Are you a day or night person? Elaborate: I'm absolutely a night person. While I am at my most awake in the afternoon, I have this habit of staying up until 1 or 2 in the morning. Even though I'm generally not doing anything productive after midnight, I just generally can't go to bed just then. And I absolutely stink at getting up in the morning. But I think it's ultimately worthwhile, as some of my best writing and composition has happened well after dark.

The most trouble you’ve ever gotten into: After an incident at a speaking competition, I was irritated at a teacher and a classmate of mine, so I wrote a rant about them in my livejournal. Unfortunately, the classmate in question was a spiteful and arrogant type, and said classmate somehow came upon my journal entry. After writing a terribly nasty comment to my post, said classmate showed the post to the teacher, who misinterpreted the rant as a death threat (!) and showed the post to the school administration. Fortunately, nobody at the school other than this teacher actually believed I would do such a thing, but since it could be interpreted thus, I was suspended from school for four days and forbidden to return to that teacher's class. Bad way to end senior year! Moral: be careful how you rant, or friends-lock your rant entries!

One thing you’d like to achieve: I'd like to write a symphony that actually gets played and really moves the audience to the feelings I had when writing it. I really want to be a good composer, and the best music makes me emotional, so I would feel like I was good if I liked what I produced and if it had an emotional effect on people. Heck, even if the people rabidly hate it, that's more profoundly emotional than indifference! I guess I want to write meaningful, memorable, good music.


What do you want your tombstone to say?: I think I'd just want it to have my name and dates, something very simple. To quote Gustav Mahler with regards to this, "Those who seek me know who I was. The rest don't need to know." Or maybe it could say that...

What famous award (Nobel Prize, Grammy, Academy Award, Pulitzer, etc.) would you most like to win?: I'd want to win the Pulitzer. It's associated with thoughtful creativity with an emotional and societal impact; creativity is a strong driving force in my life, and I know that's the kind of impact I would want to make.

Would you rather have a hat of indefinable comfort or an afro of magnificent luster?: Hat. Hats are cool. I already have a few cool hats. Mahler also has a cool hat. Richard Strauss looks silly with an afro. And my hair doesn't do that anyway. But we like hats.

If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? What would you ask them?: Oh man. This is hard, since I've had quite a few obsessions over various historical figures. I think I'd have to say either Dmitri Shostakovich or Gustav Mahler, though. They're my two favorite composers, and their music has effected me more than anyone else's has. But to pick one of them over the other would be terribly hard. I've met people who knew Shostakovich, but that's not the same. And Mahler was a totally different time. Their music stands for totally different things. I couldn't say who. But I know that Shostakovich was a Mahler fan, so he wouldn't have objected to having lunch with Mahler, so who said I can't meet both of them? Ha!

Would you rather eat a gallon of live millipedes or wrestle an alligator? Why?: I'd rather wrestle an alligator. Eating millipedes would not only be a repulsive sensation, but a gallon is a lot of any sort of "food," and millipedes could have chemicals that are unhealthy or even make you sick. But for the most part, alligators are actually relatively sedate, not nearly as aggressive as crocodiles are. Also, if the gator just ate, it would be pretty calm and lethargic, and you didn't say I had to wrestle a hungry gator. Heck, you didn't say I had to wrestle an adult gator! I'd take a one-foot-long juvenile gator over the millipedes in a heartbeat! Betcha didn't think of that!

What should you be doing right now instead of filling this out?: I should definitely be writing music. I've recently started a violin concerto, and I want to have more than a few measures to show my teacher tomorrow. But considering the fact that I recently had Mountain Dew and don't feel even slightly tired, I can still get in a few hours of solid composition tonight!

*PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SAY SOMETHING INTERESTING: Apparently it might be possible to send humans to Mercury. Despite the fact that the planet is the closest to the sun, its days are the equivalent of 88 earth days, and its nights are frigidly cold. Therefore, it would technically be possible to land a spacecraft, explore and experiment for a while, and lift back off to earth in the span of one Mercurian morning, a time during which the temperature is around 80 degrees fahrenheit.
I think that's pretty interesting, at least...

*Your photo here:


A picture/photo of anything else:
Look! Czech composer Antonin Dvorak on a cookie!