idealistic, it's all music and hopefully there is a quality in all styles
that can reach you.  Condemning another genre is something that I would
never do.  And for the record, the members of Dream Theater are
definitely not stuffy prog-rockers who condemn songs if they're not in
9/8 time.  That's ridiculous!  We're into all different styles.  I listen
to a lot of different things myself: classical music from Beethoven,
Bartok, and Revel, jazz from cats like pianist Billy Taylor and
non-traditional jazz from John Scofield and Mike Stern, who's a monster.
And then I dig metal, too -- Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Alice
in Chains, and so on.  Of course, I'm not going to say that I listen to
everything; I don't particularly care for rap or country-pop.   Then
again, I really try to have a diverse listening palette.  It helps me
keep an open mind to music."


  
** 7.3 What is the correct pronunciation of the word - 'YTSEJAM'? 
 
Per Mike Portnoy, the correct pronunciation is 'yit-say-jam'. 

 
** 7.4 What was 'Ytsecon'? 
 
Ytsecon was an event that drew lots of those on the Dream Theater mailing list 
together to meet the band at a 'convention' like atmosphere.  The event was 
organized through the Ytsejam mailing list by Barb Battaglia 
(babs@sgenva.cc.geneseo.edu) and Jeff Chew (jc309@columbia.edu).  Ytsecon took
place on June 13, 1995 at the Smithtown Sheridan in New York.  For the first 
hour, all of the ytsejammers gathered in the "conference" room and mingled, got 
to know each other, etc.  Finally, Mike, John (Myung), and Derek came in to meet 
everyone.  They signed autographs and there was a poster raffle  of rare Dream 
Theater European tour posters.  Afterwards, Mike popped in a  tape of the studio 
recording of 'A Change Of Seasons'. No one else had heard it yet because they 
had just recorded it a few days before the Ytsecon.  When everything came to an 
end and the three left, a bunch of people were cleaning up, and Jeff Chew pulled 
out a freshly autographed acoustic guitar and played the Silent Man, with 
everyone singing along.  
 
There was also a Tokyo Ytsecon on May 14th, 1995 in Shimo-Kitazawa.  Can anyone 
give me more details...? 


 
END OF FAQ  
  
Again, for any corrections, information, or if you feel that you must abuse me, 
mail me at jskewes@why.net  :)  
-=-