We here at Dwarf Nebula.net are proud and privileged to present to you, the faithful follower, an exclusive in-depth interview with Rob Dittrich. Rob co-founded the project along with Brooke Wilton. He and Brooke met at The Major Computer Corporation where they both worked, and "just sort of clicked." They found that they shared similar artistic sensibilities, and decided to start working together musically. Through a series of band permutations altogether too many "uncool situations," Rob and Brooke managed to stick to their guns and gradually enlist the other musicians that make up Dwarf Nebula, until his departure in the fall of 2001 to finish his physics degree. This, however, did not diminish his support for the band, however vicariously it may seem at present.

DN: Well let's start at the beginning, just so our readers can get an idea of your background...

RD: Okay. I was born in England as part of a military family, but we soon moved to Texas when my Dad got out.

DN: Is that where you grew up? Where in Texas?

RD: I lived in the hill country South and West of Austin for most of my childhood and adult life. I come from a large and musically diverse family,so I've listened to and played music for nearly all of my life.

I had a really cool piano teacher when I was little. She taught me a lot about what fun there is to be had playing music, and taught me a big chunk of the early music theory stuff.

DN: What were your early influences?

RD: Let's see... Spider-Man... Grover from Sesame Street... (laughs)

DN: (Interrupting) --No, I mean early in your musical career...

RD: OK, Beowulf... Perseus... Doctor Who... Fat Albert... Oh, you mean my musical influences? (more laughter)

I'd say the favorite bands and artists of my early childhood were Eric Burdon & The Animals, The Everly Brothers, Creedence, and Jefferson Airplane. Also some of the trippier Beach Boys stuff (Surf's Up & so on...)

DN: Nice. So what did you do before Dwarf Nebula?

RD: I had heard the whispered tales of immortality, the deepest mystery. From an ancient book, I took a clue.

DN: Wow... Ummm... Ok... But what I was looking for was: What were some of the bands you played with before?

RD: Oh... (pretends to be thinking back a long time...) Let's see. Untimely Demise... Politically Correct... Driftwood Thirteen... Airport Noises... The Bleeding Mummies... Breaking Wheel... and various and sundry other projects where I could get people to look at me.

DN: Some great names in there... Sounds like a lot of different kinds of music too. So why a jam band this time?

RD: A lot of the projects I'd been involved with before were really tight, polished bands with very defined song structures. I wanted to see if I could create in a more open-ended environment in a way that rocked rather than sucked. (laughs)

DN: Do you feel that you have accomplished that?

RD: You betcha! (Beams a wide, self-satisfied grin.)

Alot of my previous projects were situations where I left or was invited to leave because something I was doing was "too much" one way or the other. Too loud, too heavy, too funky, too fast. I was fired from a metal band with the dual-guitar thang for playing too loud and drowning them out. in another band I started playing a flea-like bassline to a sappy love ballad... They didn't appreciate it... I feel that Dwarf Nebula accepts my quirks and extremes, which is good because basically I'm the kinda guy who loves the succulent taste of sacred cow...

DN: I see... Ok... Now I'm almost afraid to ask... (but the Space Whales need to know...) Any peak experiences you'd care to share with us?

RD: Hmm. I don't want to get into details, but I know there is definitely a benevolent God driving this thing, and everything.

DN: Oh... Kinda like "God Drives A Galaxy" or something...

RD: Exactly something like that...

DN: Allright. Well, any other life experiences you'd care to share?

RD: I'm going back and re-reading all that literature they made us read in school, and finding whole other layers of meaning. If you haven't tried this, I highly recommend it.

DN: Very interesting. I just might do that...

Ok, last question: What do you believe is the greatest asset you bring to the band?

RD: My undying evangelism for the notion that any key can easily and seamlessly modulate into any other key at the drop of a hat without destroying the harmonic integrity of whatever's going on.

DN: That's a mouthful... I hope you music geeks are taking this down...

RD: Also, I feel it is partly my role to be the Triple Sec. --the little bit of bitter that ends up smoothing out the concoction as a whole.

DN: An alcohol analogy? Is that bitter as in beer?

RD: Margarita, actually. Do you drink your beer with Triple Sec?

DN: We do indeed. That's the way real narrators like 'em. Well, thanks for the interview. I'm sure we all got to know you a little better. ...And perhaps ourselves as well. ...And isn't that what it's all about?

RD: Nope, the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about!! (laughs)

DN: God Drives a Hokey Pokey?

RD: Who else do you think issues the unending command to "shake it allabout"? (laughs)

DN: Any other parting remarks?

RD: Yeah, you're mother dresses you funny...