????在時間安排上，你是如何一邊巡演一邊完成工作的？

????去年我在歐洲進行了巡演，由于當時正在度假期間，所以沒有工作任務。但是我隨身帶著電腦。雖然歐洲有時差，但是我一旦上了網事實上就能工作了。在這種技術行業(yè)，只要能用VPN（虛擬專用網絡）上網，無論在哪里都可以工作。

????我再次開始巡演時，一切也都很順利，因為我能在工作了8小時之后，再去進行校音和小型現場演出的工作，有時候演出結束以后我甚至還能上上網，幫我的團隊解決問題。我有Zynga的Aircard無線上網卡，這樣一來，即使在巡演途中，我也照樣可以在車中工作。當然，無網可上或難以上網的日子也是有的。巡演過程中會常常因故暫停，這時候別人為了解悶會找些事做，而我則會工作。

????樂隊成員會給你難堪嗎？

????這些家伙有時候很討厭。他們看著我整日用電腦，而我工作時真的很投入。如果和別人以及員工進行視頻談話，我會一連幾個小時呆在電腦前。這時，他們會說：“哥們，把那破玩意扔掉。快來喝酒吧，”喬伊?凱普（Lagwagon樂隊的主唱）每隔一會兒就會跑來對我說：“哥們，你玩這個的最好成績是多少分？”

????你玩樂隊經驗給你領導團隊帶來哪些啟示？

????樂隊是個民主的大家庭。要工作就要有秩序。得敞開心扉接受其它思想。加盟樂隊完全是個人行為。但是必須拋開個人對事物的看法。這一上來很難做到，但是一旦做到了，就會打開你與別人協同創(chuàng)作的大門，就會靈思泉涌。

????音樂創(chuàng)作與游戲開發(fā)有什么相同點？

????兩者都得發(fā)揮創(chuàng)造力，不斷改變，不斷學習。作曲的主要任務就是盡可能創(chuàng)作出最好的作品。它總是充滿挑戰(zhàn)，無論做了什么或寫了什么，無論制作了什么，總是能夠不斷找到可以進一步完善的地方。所以，一切都是學習過程。我在寫歌的時候會去聽自己以前寫的作品，然后盡量找出自己那時不太喜歡的地方。領導團隊也一樣。想想我們過去哪個地方搞砸了？哪個地方疏忽了？我們怎樣才能避免這些問題再次出現？

????你在臺上的時候是否還會想著工作？

????不，完全不會。一旦關掉電腦，上路巡演，我就會忘掉工作。這時我通常會喝幾盅尊美醇威士忌（Jameson），灌幾罐啤酒。我會拿起貝斯練一會兒，讓自己進入表演狀態(tài)。這其實也是一種解壓。我的精神獲得了徹底的放松，這樣當我回到工作時，就可以做到100%的投入。我可以進入忘我的狀態(tài)，然后又回歸現實。

????Logistically, how do you get any work done while you're on the road?

????I did a tour last year in Europe, and I wasn't supposed to work because I was on vacation. But I took my computer with me. And even though there's a time difference in Europe, when I logged on, I actually helped out. In this tech field, where I can VPN into a network, I can work from anywhere.

????When I went on tour again, it worked out really well because I was able to put in eight hours a day and still do sound check and the gig, and sometime even get back online after the show and help the team out. I have an Aircard [Internet connection device] through Zynga, and I'm able to work in the tour van while we're cruising. Of course, there are some days where you don't have a connection and you have issues getting online. There's a lot of downtime while on tour, and everyone else is trying to do things to keep busy so they're not bored. For me, I'm just working.

????Do your band mates give you a hard time?

????The guys give me shit sometimes. They see me working on my computer, and my job is really in-depth. If I'm Skyping people and stuff, I'm on my computer for hours. They'll say, "Dude, you've got to throw that fucking thing away. Drink some beer with us." Joey Cape [Lagwagon's lead singer] likes to come in every once in a while and go, "Hey, what's your high score on that thing, dude?"

????How has being in a band taught you how to lead a team?

????When you're in a band, it's a democracy. It has to be in order to work. You've got to be open to ideas. It's a very personal thing, being in a band. You have to let your personal opinion about things go. That's a hard thing to do at first, but once you do, it opens up the floodgates to being super creative with other people.

????How is creating music similar to working on a game?

????You're using creativity and constantly changing and learning. When you're songwriting, you're basically trying to make a product that is the best it can be. It's always challenging, and no matter what you do, no matter what you write, no matter what you program or make, you can always make it better. So everything is a learning experience. When I'm writing music, I listen to what I'd written before and try to take the things out that I didn't like about it. It's the same thing leading a team. Where did we mess up in the past? Where did we slip? How do we not let that happen again?

????Do you ever find yourself thinking about work while you're on stage?

????No, not at all. When I shut down my computer and I'm on the road, I'm done with work. That's usually the time that I start taking shots of Jameson and drinking a couple of beers. I grab my bass and start practicing a little bit and I get in the mode of performing. It's actually a great release, too. It frees my spirit enough that I can come back to work and hit it 100%. I can let myself go, then come back to reality.