What's in a Name?

Rhino was not born Rhino; it took some very special circumstances that made such an impact as to warrant such a name. So why Rhino Madness?

Rhino

Peter Parker was not born Spider-Man™; he ran into a puny little spider (OK, so it was genetically altered but it was still a puny little spider) and he famously became Spider-Man™. Well, I've had an encounter with, you guessed it, a rhinoceros! While visiting one of these wildlife safari parks where you trek along in your car to observe wild animals in their pseudo-natural environments, I spotted a rhinoceros in the distance slowly walking toward the road. Parking to the side hoping to get a better sighting, I anxiously waited while other cars started to line up behind with the same excitement.

The rhinoceros eventually made it to the road about 50 feet ahead and proceeded to keep on walking toward the car: wow, maybe an opportunity to see the beast from fairly close! Well the beast got pretty close, alright! Not content to walk by the car, it stopped in front of it, stuck its horn under and decided to shake it a little! Taking a moment of respite from its new game, it then proceeded to rub its horn on the hood. Seeing how it was kind of fun, it repeated those activities, alternating between shaking the car and scratching the hood for several minutes.

At that point, the rhinoceros backed up a little and seemed to move away from the car, leaving its occupants to think that the joyride was over. Alas, it was not so obvious yet. The rhinoceros planted its imposing frame perpendicular to the side of the car, right at my window, its horn mere inches away from my face! Long minutes went by as my puzzled self stared directly into the eye of the beast trying to read its intentions, knowing very well that the monster could shatter the window (and anyone behind it) simply by accidentally leaning onto it. For a few moments, it seemed like Time itself had stopped while the calm display of power was taking place.

Knowing its quiet message would make an impression, the rhinoceros eventually turned away and disappeared behind the other cars. As our vehicle was also leaving this fortuitous area of the park, I did not know what to make of it all. On the drive back home, I realized it was big. Random and incongruous, yes, but still big. An event so absurd had to have meaning. I came to be known as Rhino.

Madness

Modern life is madness; madness is part of life. Madness is everything outside the perceived normality. Madness is everything in the perceived normality that shouldn’t be normal. Madness is the unknown and the unexpected. Madness is when everything is known and expected. Deciphering what makes sense and what doesn’t is madness. Not wondering about the issue is madness. One has only to observe passers-by for a few minutes to witness the madness of our society; yet, when everything is taken in, this madness becomes beautiful.

All of this madness, good and bad, is what inspires and pushes me to write and perform my own compositions. For me, the madness is both interiorized through the depths of my feelings and acted out by channeling its energy to project my own take on these emotions.