EurasiaNet: What are the major difference between working as a composer today and working in Soviet times?

Gusev: There are some differences. In the past the state not only controlled the creative work of composers, it also was responsible for our social welfare. Nowadays composers are left to their own resources. If someone can work, he works and can have success. Yet, if one cannot work he disappears from scene. What is taking place now scares some of the composers because this is a time when everyone has to think about his own life independently.

With the help of the Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan, a studio called "The Laboratory of Sound" has been in operation for the past two years, allowing musicians to record music and refine it using computers. Furthermore, we can make audio tracks and CDs.