Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankianis a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, and political activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional live rhythm guitarist of the rock band System of a Down, formed in 1994 by four Armenian-American friends...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMetal Singer
Date of Birth21 August 1967
CityBeirut, Lebanon
CountryUnited States of America
coming definitely gone home mind months music relax time tour
I could definitely use a little time at home. It's been about two months on the road. The tour has gone really well, but I wouldn't mind coming home to relax for a little while.
booming dynamics loud noise silent suddenly sun
I like the dynamics of life, I like it when it rains, and suddenly the sun comes out, and I like it when it's really silent and then a loud booming noise comes through. Or vice-versa.
booming dynamics loud noise silent suddenly sun
I like the dynamics of life, ... I like it when it rains, and suddenly the sun comes out, and I like it when it's really silent and then a loud booming noise comes through. Or vice-versa.
thinking interesting parent
I think that because of YouTube, because of MySpace, because of the digital domain that we have on the Internet, the younger generation is much more open to information. I think it's so much easier for them to gain information and trade information, and they have become more aware. In some cases, more aware than their own parents and adults, as to what's going on in the world. I find that really intriguing and interesting, and I think there is a brewing of a whole new generation of activists coming.
beautiful song thinking
I think music is an intuitive force. It's this beautiful wave that connects all of us and inspires us, and I think music has the ability - when you listen to a song, you're not immediately thinking about the lyrics or what's going on in the mind of the writer, you're feeling the song.
writing here-i-am imperfection
My personal relationship with music is an imperfect harmony because I never studied music, but here I am not just writing for bands but full orchestral sections and doing all this composition, and I never learned the right way of doing things so I have a lot of dissonant sounds and things that are brought to my attention, and generally I leave them that way because I like those imperfections.
powerful thinking artist
I think the gift of music is it's intuitive capability. I think music is a powerful medium because it co-inspires. It inspires the artist who then inspires the listener, and it's a back-and-forth process. Because it's intuitive, the truth has to be defined intuitively. It can't be preached, it can't be pushed. It's got to normally go across organically and make someone feel something, and that's the power of music.
political reason upbeat
Political statements are usually more direct, and it works with the upbeat music as well, for some reason, the directness of your statements.
philosophical thinking political
In terms of political things, I think it's important to be more direct in terms of political statements. I think in terms of philosophical and things that you plant things and see them grow lyrically or musically, it's okay to be subtle.
democratic capitalism
Capitalism unchecked is not a democratic system.
giving people way
People get so attached to a position which they identify themselves with that they just spurt it out, but they can't really give you a viable reason why they feel that way.
people trying remember
A lot of pop music is based on trying to make people remember it so that they'll buy it. To me, it was not about that.
people democracy done
Nations are like people. Once you understand the interactions between nations, it's easy to understand why things are done, in terms of foreign policy, in a certain way. But nations are not like people in the sense that we are cumulatively represented by others - and their interpretations of what our interests are may not be the same as what they really are. And that's what's dangerous, even in a democracy.
eye appreciate giving
I don't find most people to be as politically engaged as I am. I do find people that appreciate eye-opening events and words, and who want to learn more about what's going on. I do find people with a lot of opinions. And I get a lot of people who come up to me and give us props for what we do.