12 Answers to 12 Tweeters Questions

From RecycleOrBurn@: Whats in the mug you’re always sipping from during concerts? Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is oral demulcent sore throat syrup. It’s like tea, but more like molasses from the China Sea.


Better than what’s in the mug is how I have adorned it with two very special stickers. One is a snazzy headshot of Sathya Sai Baba throwing a high five. You probably know him for his most famous incense, Nag Champa. But in India, Sai Baba is a great Fakir, a holy man who uplifts and inspires, feeds and houses people for free. Some say is merely a master of sleight of hand as he often performs miracles conjuring up jewelry from thin air to give to his devotees as solid proof of God’s ability to provide for all. To many, Sai Baba is an avatar, an incarnation of God himself. His is a pretty trippy story.


The other sticker reps 2hip bikes, a homegrown bmx bike company in Santa Cruz, California founded by ron w. Ron is a pioneer of the vert-ramp and has been riding since before the sport was even acknowledged as a sport. He is one of the key philosophers and mentors that introduced me to the very life I have now. Pura Vida Ron. Stay Rad.

VivaLaCarlZ Asks: what does the line “taste these teeth please” in “Plane” mean?
If you don’t brush your teeth for a while they tend to get fuzzy like they’re wearing sweaters. “Taste these teeth” is an invitation to kiss; ergo, undress me from the sweaters…

ColbertGal5 is curious to know: How many hats do you own?
It’s taken me years to find a system to travel with more than one hat. In the past I would just wear my hat constantly to avoid it getting smooshed in my bag. But on this tour I came up with the perfect storage solution. I now keep four hats stacked upon each other in a cardboard box in my suitcase, well stuffed and padded, inside and out, with my socks and underwear. Not to pat myself on the ass or anything, but I thought that was a rather keen way of using supplies I already had to cushion the hats and keep them company. Hopefully this doesn’t make you think twice before asking if you can have my hat.



Mry13 wonders: How or why did you choose those clothes to perform "Shower me with your love" in 1991? Spell Check tells me this is how you spell Cummerbund. I do as I’m told. And in the 8th grade, I was told to wear one. A good way to know whether you have it on correctly is if you can catch crumbs in the pleats or if girls are not speaking to you.

A good question from Cocoa3C: Why did you decide to change your lyric “God Forsaken” to “God intended right?” Songs don’t have to be written in one sitting. I allow lyrics to evolve, or rather, reveal themselves naturally. The term “God Forsaken” is simply turning a phrase, but in fact the phrase means to withdraw or remove the right. A “God Intended right” is a more powerful suggestion implying that Love is meant for all by all and it gives us more of a lift when we shout it.

The_littlest@ poses a big question: hugs or kisses?
Besos.

07Kje07 wants to know: I’ve been a fan of your blog since 2007. Why did you start writing your blog? Since 2002, long before anyone ever uttered the word blog, I’ve been maintaining a journal on my website. I do so as a way of extending love beyond my capacity in music and for writing directly to my expansive family and friend-base.

Our official message board, RKOP, has an extraordinary archive of posts from days of old. I started freshnessfactorfivethousand in 2007 because blogspot offers a layout that’s familiar to read and easy to use, welcoming pictures, video and comments. FF5000 is where I post my blog first, followed by Myspace, and from there it is syndicated to every other network including Facebook and JasonMraz.com

PaulCulliFord@ is perplexed: Yeah, why don’t you do your own tweeting? Two main reasons for not twittering myself are A) I’m a blogger and B) I don’t have a personal relationship with a handheld device.

But I do choose to use Twitter as a powerful medium to inspire people and connect, just as I do with music. Tricia Huffman, our resident Joyologist (Yoga Instructor, Raw Food Chef, Life Support, Etc) is at my side every step of the tour. I ask her to post affirmations, thought provoking questions, and clever insights. She is NOT pretending to be me. She is however, the ultimate tour insider and we are all grateful for her commitment to this circus and her fondness for Tweets. Without her, we may not have a Twitter account at all. Take this answer for example. 140 characters just don’t fit into my realm of typing.



DaisyClvr is a strange girl who asks a strange question: Would you like to be kissed by 10,000 ladybugs simultaneously?
Heck Yes. That sounds much more pleasant than being kissed by 10,000 Lady GaGas.

Eckie Asks Politely: How do your band compositions come together? Do you write them or does the band figure it out? How does it work? I write and arrange most of the songs at home where I do a silly job playing the drums and bass too. Eric Hinojosa, our keyboard player lives just around the corner so he and I are known to stay up all night blazing on sounds, synths, and reverbs, which determine the required layers. Toca Rivera is our harmony finder for all the vocal parts. When I bring in the rest of the band for tour rehearsals, new rhythms are created and applied by Drummer Michael Bram and Bassist Bruce Hughes with hits and segues suggested by all, especially Grooveline (Carlos Sosa, Reggie Watkins and Fernando Castillo.) The horn section has written every one of their brass arrangements for both album and stage. Come show time, all band members are vital to the expansion of the arrangements and overall sound. Also, we do not advocate the use of backing tracks and in fact have never played along with a pre-recorded song. What you hear at a show are real guys playing real parts. I can’t speak for their clothing however. Give it up for my Super Band!



kaywynn@ says: My friend Chulo is coming to your concert on 9-16 in TX. Are you still ok with fans taping favorite song at ur concert? What about your record company?
Yes. We still encourage taping at the concerts. This is a tradition I’ll never turn my back on. I grew up listening to Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead and DMB bootlegs among others. Thru this art form I get to sit-in on extended jams with special guests, hear the banter between songs, all from many concerts I wasn’t even alive for. I’d like to think that a recording of our show in TX could be heard seven generations from now in Chulo’s Great-great-great-grandson’s flying car.

MintsOnPillows@ dives in with: Whats the deepest philosophical belief that’s helped you the most?
Row, Row, Row your Boat
Gently, down the stream
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily
Life is But a Dream

...If you missed the philosophy in that, I encourage you to slow your boat and read it again.

Thanks for the inquiries. We'll take more questions on Twitter this Friday for more answers next Monday. Meanwhile, answer this one for yourself:

Who are you grateful for?