305 QUESTIONS WITH PETER TOMLINSON
(O.K., maybe just 10)

An Interview With The Two-Time RMAT National Champion

By John Hagelston

RHINO: What in your educational/employment background could have produced so much arcane musical knowledge?
PETER TOMLINSON: With the exception of the time I spent in the 1970s and '80s living the life later portrayed in High Fidelity -- as an obnoxious, opinionated record-store clerk -- I have never been able to turn my music fanaticism into an actual career. I liken my prodigious geekocity to a bodybuilder who has decided to concentrate strictly on turning the third toe of his right foot into a sculpted work of art, at the expense of the rest of his body.

R: Are there any areas of your pop expertise you consider particularly strong? Particularly weak?
PT: Strong on '50s/'60s/'70s music, which I'm guessing most RMAT-takers are. I try to keep an eye and ear out for new stuff, and there's always loads of great music out there (it just requires a lot more digging for it these days), but I'd have to say I'm pretty weak on virtually everything released after, like, 1980 or so!.

R: I'll bet you listen to a lot of music. What's your collection/audio system look like?
PT: Not an audiophile by any means, though I'm glad to see vinyl getting its due once again. I used to have a pretty amazing (to me, anyway) collection of albums and singles, but a few decades of house-moving and poverty cut major chunks out of it. I was really thrilled when companies like Rhino started to release music I thought I'd never hear again on CD (in fact, the very first CD I ever bought was Rhino's 1987 edition of Odessey And Oracle by The Zombies)..

R: Name a few of your all-time favorite recordings. Is there anything in particular that you've got in heavy rotation at the moment?
PT: Right off the top of my head: “Mystic Eyes” by Them. Argybargy by Squeeze (going through a major Squeeze re-appreciation at the moment). Oh, you know, everybody's favorites: Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, Byrds, Who, Kinks, 4 Seasons, Cameo-Parkway, Stax and Southern soul in general, Monk, NRBQ, everything recorded in LA between 1962-'68, Big Star, Nervous Norvus, Stephen Duffy, Marshall Crenshaw, Nick Lowe...please stop me..

R: In years past you've taken the RMAT in person as well as online. How do the two experiences compare, and do you have a preference?
PT: Well, I enjoyed taking it online this year for obvious reasons! I must say I was surprised at how seamlessly everything seemed to work online...I seem to recall having some server issues in previous years. I really enjoyed the vibe when I took it in person, though. Kind of like taking the SATs in some bizarro parallel universe..

R: Do you do any preparation before taking an RMAT? Any study tips?
PT: No, I don't prepare in any way except to use the men's room exactly two minutes before start time..

R: The RMAT is an open-book test. Are there any good reference works you use or would recommend?
PT: I know it has an iffy reputation, but Wikipedia totally saved my bacon this year. I wouldn't rely on it for a dissertation, though..

R: Was there any question you recall really struggling with on this year's test?
PT: Never in a million years would I have guessed that Korn was the first white rock group to play the Apollo Theater. Korn, I ask you! I still can't believe it, but the great god Wikipedia told me it was so..

R: What's the secret to pacing yourself on an hour-long test? Race to the end and then go back and fill in blanks? Do you set a time limit for each question?
PT: I guess it's kind of a cliche, but whenever I've taken the RMAT I go into a bit of a zone. Like a Powertrivia zone! I'm unaware of much outside stimulus. I just plow through all the questions as quickly as I can, and try to fix the most blatant errors in the time remaining, usually about 10-15 minutes. If I set a time limit for each question, I'd never finish..

R: You've aced a couple of RMATs, so it can't be the hardest test you've ever taken -- what was?
PT: Pretty much every test ever taken in school. My academic career was less distinguished than my professional career! I've always been too busy memorizing Black Sabbath's lineup changes..