Inverseroom was nominated for the Gearwire MVP Contest from the Tape Op message board. In this interview, he gives a shout out to his station wagon and compares mixes to sandwiches. Read on.

What is your background?

I'm a music hobbyist, and have been for 20 years ... I'm a novelist and English professor by trade.

How did you get started in music and what advice would you give to someone who just started?

Have fun, practice a lot, and become an expert with the gear you already have before you buy more stuff. I got addicted and bought too much stuff before I knew what I was doing.

Who are your musical influences and what genre do you listen to most?

Alternative/art rock, mostly; also lots of Jazz. Influences are They Might Be Giants, the Beatles - artsy guitar pop basically.

What's your inspiration?

My beautiful wife Rhian and our bizarre children. Also our 14 chickens and lovely station wagon.

What's your motivation for helping people out on forums?

It's just fun to talk about recording!

What's your favorite piece of gear and why? What gear do you use?

My Gibson acoustic, though I use all kinds of stuff, guitars, amps, synths, effects.

What are your favorite sources for gear-related information?

TapeOp magazine / messageboard and Sound on Sound magazine.

What's the best music related advice you've ever given?

"Turn that crap down."

What's the best music related advice you've ever received?

My friend Evan Sobel telling me to think of my mixes as a super special sandwich.

What's the best and worst thing about being a musician?

best: immediate gratification. worst: money suck.

What is the best and worst thing about online forums?

best: immediate gratification. worst: time suck.

What music-related topic do you think is most neglected on forums?

SONGWRITING

What are the 5 forum posts/threads where you are most proud of your contributions? (Give actual URLs)

Oh god...I can't search through 3500 posts. These are practically at random

• Mic Pre Shootout! Hamptone vs. JLM Audio vs. Yamaha PM180
• Wanna Help me with a Wurlitzer Electric Piano?
• Modular Synth- which one to get?
• DIY Mastering - Steps From Begining 2 End (and tools)!!
• Recording Banjo

Anything else you would like voters to know? Any interesting music related stories?

During an interview with producer/synthesizer god Malcolm Cecil, I played on TONTO:

• Click Here