Hailing from Milan, Italy, Rosanna Salonia received bachelor's degrees in fine art photography and art history from the UA. Her works can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, UA Special Collections, the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Japan and the International Center of Photography in Verona, Italy. See her desert-inspired artworks at www.rosannasalonia.com.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Paul Young in Milan, in the early '80s, when he was hottt!
What CDs are in your changer right now?
Desert Noir No. 2, a fantastic compilation from Kidd Squidd; Brazilian Girls, Brazilian Girls; Until the End of the World soundtrack; The Bird and the Bee, Please Clap Your Hands; Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom.
How many total albums do you own (CDs, vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks)?
About 50 CDs and three or so vinyl records. I still have about 20 of my old fave cassette tapes, but by now, they must be totally melted.
Do you download music, and if so, legally or illegally?
I'm into sharing, though I haven't done a whole lot of legal or illegal downloading. Am I deluding myself by thinking it's OK because we "stick it to the man"?
What was the first album you owned?
Duran Duran, Arena. I loved it so much!
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
Nick Drake, "River Man."
Musically speaking, what do you love that your friends don't know about? What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
Hard-core '80s pop. Do I have to feel guilty about still loving The Cure? Or Pearl Jam?
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
Duran Duran made me learn English; The Cure made me feel OK about being a brooding teenager; Pearl Jam and Soundgarden made me rock out!
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
It's a tie: Jeff Buckley, Grace; Björk, Homogenic and Vespertine; Ry Cooder, Paris, Texas soundtrack; Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom; Radiohead, OK Computer; Tom Waits, Rain Dogs; Nina Simone, The Blues; Neil Young, Harvest.
