Instead of the standard biographical format, we thought maybe an interview would be a good idea, so The AHSA asked Ari a bunch of questions in October of 2002, which he was gracious enough to answer.  Thanks so much Ari!!

Ari answered three more sections worth of questions as of 4.21.03.  Thanks again Ari!!

Lets talk about your musical background:

When did you first get into music?
My dad used to write jingles for TV toy commercials and he often needed kids to sing on them, so at 6 years old I did a bit of that. Though it’s hard to admit, perhaps my shining moment was for a toy puppy for girls called “Sweetie Pups”. But you didn’t hear that from me.

What was the first instrument you played?
I played a mean recorder in Mr. English’s 1st grade music class.

When did you pick up the guitar?
Guitar came quite a bit later on. I was around 15 when I first picked one up. It was an old Nylon string that my mother had that she rarely used. Unlike the recorder, clarinet or piano, the guitar was and still is something I never get tired of playing.

What was the first song that you wrote?
In ’96 I wrote a song called “Surrounded By Surprise”. Something involving a made-up girlfriend and a hot-air balloon.

What was the first band you played in?
I played in a band called “Synapse” from ’97 to ’99. We generally stuck to divey NYC clubs or graduation parties, and though we would have said back then that we were trying to build something as a band, looking back I’m more prone to say it was more of a hobby. Some of the songs I wrote for that group I now play on my own, like “Fade” and “Consistency”. Markus Dorfmann (drums) and Lee Nadel (Bass) are now in a rock group called “Carbondale” on RCA Records, and David Hyman (guitar) is a law student.

Did you ever take voice lessons or are you just a complete natural talent?
I tried voice lessons in several places but for one reason or another I never stuck with them. The best advice I got from them was to warm up as much as possible before a show (which is why you see me doing calisthenics like it’s my job before I play).

Who did you listen to growing up?
Like most other kids I listened to everything on the radio. When I got to junior high I began the phase of doing everything your older brother does, so I listened to everything he had, which included bands like Def Leppard, Men at Work, and the Allman Brothers and solo artists like Peter Gabriel and Sting.

When did you know you wanted to pursue music as a career, and why?
Near the end of sophomore year at Cornell I felt like the only thing I enjoyed doing every day was getting back from class and playing. I was contemplating a switch to another school, mainly because I didn’t feel like there was a lot of opportunity up in Ithaca to play. That’s when I decided to transfer to NYU. I wanted to finish school, but in the meantime I really felt like it was the right time to get the ball rolling musically.

Coming from a musical family, was it expected that you follow in their footsteps and take a career in music, or would they rather you did something else?
Neither of my parents expected me to do this. I think they’re still a bit surprised that I’ve been doing it this long, not because they didn’t believe in me, but really because I didn’t express much interest in it till the middle years of college. It wasn’t a childhood dream, but it became something so important to me that quitting was never a consideration.

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How about some general background questions:

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on June 16, 1979 and grew up in a town called Riverdale in the Bronx.

Siblings?  How Many?  Were you the oldest/youngest/middle?
Danny is my only sibling, and he’s 27.

What was your childhood dream?
I wanted to be Don Mattingly. For those of you not familiar with who he is, Mattingly had (in my opinion) the greatest baseball swing in the history of the game. Which leads me to the bigger picture – I wanted to be a pro baseball player. In 9th grade I asked my junior varsity baseball coach if I had what it takes to be a major league ball player and he paused for near two minutes and simply said, “Yes”. Never trust your JV baseball coach. I played on traveling teams till I graduated high school, I was recruited by several colleges for my baseball skills. Sure they all had shitty teams, but who gives a shit.

What did you study in college and how are you applying that knowledge to your current career choice?
I studied Communication at both NYU and Cornell. I am currently not applying my college education to anything I do, but there’s still time.

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Musical influences and favorites:

Who are the biggest influences to your music?
The Beatles, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, XTC, Josh Rouse, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, The Shaggs and Mozart.

Who are the biggest influences that are not heard in your music?
Rufus Wainwright, Def Leppard, Sarah McLachlan, The Police, Michael Jackson, Men at Work, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Ben Folds, Red House Painters, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Who are your top five favorite bands/musicians?
Favorites in no particular order: Beatles, Gabriel, Buckley, Wainwright, The Police.

What are your top five favorite cds ever?
Favorite CD’s in no particular order: Peter Gabriel “So”, Jeff Buckley “Grace”, Radiohead “OK Computer”, Def Leapard “Hysteria” and Sarah McLachlan’s “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”.

What is your favorite song to cover at the moment?
Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time”.

What is your ultimate act to open for?
Although it almost undoubtedly won’t happen is The Police. I’d settle for Sting though.

What is your favorite act to play with?
Llama would probably get my vote for best to play with. They’re insanely talented and funny as hell.

Outside of New York, what is your favorite city to play in?
Chicago is really fun, but honorable mention goes to Boston.

Lyrically, what song of yours is your favorite?
I most like the lyrics to “Effortless Success” because they were so stream of consciousness and I never needed to edit a thing. It captured what I was thinking at the time perfectly.

Musically, what song of yours is your favorite?
Musically speaking, probably “When Everything Seems Wrong” cause I like the chord progressions the best of any song I have.

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Some More Music Questions:

You're doing a lot of material with the band now... when you get bigger is your ultimate goal to do almost all songs with the band, or to keep it like it is, where you do some solo and some with the band?
I’d like to do both, because I like being able to switch back and forth. I do think, though, that I’ll need a band to get where I want to get to. There’s a lot more intimacy that comes with a solo show than does a band show, so playing for thousands of people with nothing more than a guitar would be a bit awkward. I’m not a big loop guy, effects usually scare me more than excite me, so for now, I want my solo shows to be about nothing more than my voice and guitar.

A lot of your songs have food references - "rice cakes and melba toast" in Terms and Conditions, "roast beef sandwiches" in Hiding You, "pour a glass of milk" in Effortless Success, plus a comment in your webjournal comparing using a pick to "Broccoli", just to name a few. Have you ever thought about this food fascination you have? Where does it stem from? Do you think you will continue to use food imagery in your songs?
I love food. I cook, not well, but I cook when I can, and I like to eat. Maybe I should stop eating while writing songs. That could be the problem.

Are there any other themes or motifs that run through your lyrics? Especially the obscure ones, like food :-)
The theme that pops out in most of my songs, or at least the message I want to get across, is that you can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks. I was a super shy kid, used to speak to no one, and even now I’m not a great conversationalist, because it doesn’t come easy to me. But if I didn’t try to communicate, I’d wind up alone and afraid, and that would suck.

People inevitably compare artists to other artists. Who would you be flattered to be compared to, and who have you been compared to where you really did not like the comparison?
I’m flattered when I’m compared to any musician. You have to look at comparisons as compliments, whether you like the artist or not, because in the end, they are compliments. Someone found something in me that makes me think about what they like in someone else. That’s a good thing.

When it comes to your music, which is easier to deal with? Praise or Criticism?
Criticism. When I get praise, it’s great, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to do even better. Criticism warrants the same reaction, which is a good thing, but who wants to hear that someone doesn’t like them?

If you were not a musician, what would you see yourself doing career wise?
Like I said, cooking is something I love to do. There are several Japanese steakhouses near NY that have hibachi steak chefs preparing food right in front of you. These guys are my favorite. I’ve already researched schools for it, and if I get the chance to, I’d love to try that.

Two years down the road, where do you want to be in your music career?
Successful. That to me means supporting yourself doing something you love. If I’m still doing that, I’ll be happy.

Since you were born and raised in the big city, how has touring given you a different perspective of the US? Have you had any misconceptions about different parts of the US dispelled by actually visiting those places?
I never really got in to stereotypes like many NY’ers and other big city people have. People have warned me about places I go to, but there’s never been anywhere where I felt unwelcome. I love southern accents, I like that people are friendlier in the Midwest, I like that everyone’s laid back in California. It’s good for me cause it’ll help me figure out what I like and where I want to end up.

What advice would you give to others who want to make a living in music?
I’d tell them to do it. It’s hard every day driving crazy hours and getting so little sleep, but you realize how lucky you are once you’re on stage.

What instrument (if any) would you like to learn to play that you do not currently know how to play?
So many, but drums would especially be nice, cause I’d like to finally be better rhythmically with my feet. I’ve always had issues with my lower body balance and coordination (I once fell off a bike with training wheels).

Pick one song of yours, any song you want, and analyze the meaning for us (kind of like an english paper). You will be graded on correct format, and style ;-)
The Upper Hand is a song lots of people don’t quite understand, because I don’t have a kid or anything. My father was a musician, and it’s been hard for him to watch me get into the same business because he knows how cutthroat it is. He has since warmed up to the idea of me doing what I do, and he’s watched me get a little older, wiser, taller etc. That’s where the song came from. I don’t have a daughter in Wisconsin like someone asked.

If you could step into the shoes of any musician in history and tour as them for one week, who would it be and why?
Paul McCartney in the Beatles. I’d like to sing “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude” in front of a hundred thousand people, though I’d probably shit my pants.

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Food Questions:

Favorite dish? Spinach Pie

Favorite dessert? Death By Chocolate

Favorite type of food? Greek

Favorite pizza toping? Mushrooms

Frozen or cook-it-yourself? cook, unless it looks like it’ll take over an hour.

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

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Miscellaneous Questions:

When you are not playing shows, what do you like to do?
Hang with the fam mostly. Don’t get to do that much these days.

As you're touring more and more, do you still find time to do those things?
see above

What's one thing you wish you had more time for?
see above

You've lived in New York all your life... would you ever move anywhere else?
I couldn’t go too far from home, and NY will always be my home, but yea, I’d consider moving.

What is one thing you wish you could do that you cant?
fix a car

If you could be granted any superpower you wanted, just one, what would it be and why?
walk on water, cause I don’t like flying all that much.

Have any hidden talents you'd like to share?
Most people won’t believe this, but I can hold my breath for 20 seconds!

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THANKS ARI!!!!!!!!!