The Soloist: Hodja

I awoke from a long slumber as I slept on a chair in the Prancing Pony after a night of music. Feeling the heat of the nearby fireplace caress my cheeks, I open my eyes to find that it was instead the steady dreamy like notes of a lute. Standing before, illuminated with a soft glow or red and orange stood a Minstrel, doing what he does best, playing music. With the light flickering in his eyes, and fingers gingerly plucking at the strings, I entered the woken life with ease and gentleness.

What a fine minstrel to feature in this weeks Soloist series!

You say, ‘Good Minstrel, what name do you go by here in Bree?’
Hodja says, ‘In Bree. In Rivendel. In every house and town I’m simply known as Hodja Nasreddin.’

‘You say, ‘And, what lead you to the road of taking up instruments and playing music?‘
Hodja says, ‘Lute is instrument of music, while music is instrument of soul. Without music we couldn’t properly give our interpretation of our feelings, as well as we can’t our happiness be seen without a smile on our faces.’
Hodja says, ‘Music is great way to express your soul. Of how wise and thoughtful you are.’

You say, ‘Excellent answer! So you do play the Lute. What other instruments do you play often?’
Hodja smiled. “Oh. Every instrument define the person.”
Hodja says, ‘I play lute because I am gentle and thoughtful, though I can tug a few strings of human’s nerves.’

You say, ‘Do you have a specific genre of music you play?’
Hodja says, ‘Hm… Tell me what genre is for you and I tell what my answer is.’
You say, ‘The type of music you play most often’
Hodja says, ‘What I play people consider to call…’
Hodja says, ‘I think they call it “hard rock” or “rock’n’roll”. Something like that.’
You say, ‘Do you favor love songs? Those that get the listener dancing,’
Hodja says, ‘Oh yes, I do play them sometimes.’

You say, ‘Do you play as part of a band, or are you typically performing your muse as a soloist?‘
Hodja says, ‘Only as a solo. Well, at least I am opened to the collective musical mind.’

You say, ‘Do you play at any of the open mic concert sessions, such as Ales & Tales, Concerning Hobbit music parties, or at any of the local (RP) Taverns?‘
Hodja says, ‘Not really, but I tend to play here in “Pony” quite often.’

You say, ‘Were you born in this realm of Landroval, or do you hail from another realm (server)?’
Hodja says, ‘Nope, I started here ;3

You say, ‘Hodja, if anyone desired you to play anywhere for them, how is the best way to get ahold of you?’
Hodja tap chin lightly, smiling. “Best way? Heh… Better way to get a hold of someone is to try to get a hold of a wind first. But for all the honesty, I spend here a lot of time. Mostly in Crafting Hall or here.”
You say, ‘And good Hodja, if you could say anything to the music community, what would you say?’
Hodja says, ‘Hm. Never leave music. Music is always within our hearts, our very beings. And if you do it for anything but entertainment and pure joy of music itself, money in specific, you do it for wrong reasons.’

You say, ‘Excellent. Thank you for the interview and answering my questions’
Hodja says, ‘No problem my dear friend.’

So, if you are out and about doing those things you do! Look out for Hodja strumming away!