January 1^st of 2013 was my first New Year based in Brooklyn since 2008. In 2009, I left for New Delhi, India. In 2010, I was in Bahia, Brazil. In 2011, I moved to Takarazuka, Japan. In 2012, I was living in Japan. Now in 2013 I was once again back in Brooklyn, only now with a sense of having recently transplanted myself back after being uprooted from my native land for a few years. Barack Obama was being sworn into his second term of office and I was creating new foundations in my hometown which now felt both familiar and quite different.

I began working with Paulie Z and Rock Asylum at elementary school PS 119 weekly. There I worked together with students and their teacher Ms. La Rossa to write an original educational song and ultimately create an educational music video by the end of the semester. I would bike there in the cold and do my best to get acquainted with the kids and to generate some sort of common vision between us all. I would also enjoyably visit classrooms and teach some of the established Rock Asylum educational songs such as “Scientific Method”, “Rounding” and “Multiplication”[1].

I was teaching guitar once again, working at Grace Music Center in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. I had previously worked with Yanyan some years before while teaching at Brooklyn Music House. So, while this was technically a new store, there was much familiar about it, and it basically felt like being back at old stomping grounds. It felt good to start creating a roster of students from the ground up. When my schedule for the day was thin, I simultaneously felt both bummed to have few students and elated to have a light workload so I could then focus on building my own teaching and music business. I might use the free time to develop single string songs or other material which I could use across the board.

Throughout these winter months we connected with family and neighbors, some of which were already long familiar to me as I had grown up on the very same block on which we were now living. Yoko and I had experienced adapting ourselves as new residents into an environment a few times together before. Part of our process was to establish real relationships with the people in our immediate vicinity and related communities. We occasionally invited people over for coffee. We would make conscious efforts to strike up conversations with neighbors and people in our neighborhood. 

On Saturday, February 16^th after teaching guitar at Grace Music Center (GMC), I commuted home and shaved off all my long hair with Mom’s help. I had been planning this radical act as a way of embracing a fresh life and identity in our new home in Marine Park. The date was significant as it marked the birthdate of Nichiren Daishonin[2] (1222-1282), the founder of Nichiren Buddhism which I practiced. I wanted to use this meaningful date to align with my own personal story. A core concept of SGI’s Nichiren Buddhism is that of human revolution, which can perhaps best be summed up in the following words: “A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind.” I felt I was deep in the process of my own human revolution as I was redefining myself in this new era. Later this same day, I e-mailed Paulie Z the first demo of the song I was putting together with the kids at PS 119 from the Rock Asylum project entitled “American Revolution”.  

Yoko and I watched the wonderful 1972 movie, Brother Sun, Sister Moon, about the life and mission of the inspirational holy man St. Francis of Assisi. We rejoiced to be reminded of the humble and beautiful truth of living a simple, honest, and sincere life of service in deep connection to nature and all beings[3]. Tears welled up from my heart and we both cried.

By early March I had begun to volunteer for a non-profit, a healthy food-themed educational program based in the inner city called Inner-City Plants[4]. I showed up bright eyed and hoping to make a difference. Yet, I had trouble figuring out what the program was all about and wondered if I could be of any use at all as a volunteer. While the situation felt bizarre to me, it did inspire me to compose some creative educational songs and I at least discovered that I enjoyed tutoring math. The coolest moment was recording an impromptu video for a rap jingle I co-created with the kids based around choosing healthier food options.

Yet on the whole, working with Inner-City Plants was leaving me exhausted, confused and offended in between moments of fun with the kids. I was already feeling stretched too thin between teaching guitar, Rock Asylum, Buddhist activities, and family plans. Something would have to give. 

There was a moment of relaxed fun as Spring began. Three members of my former rock band District 22[5] met up at Electric Plant for a reunion jam – Dave Evans (drums), Niles Kouros (bass), and myself (guitar). Lead vocalist Greg Danetti couldn’t make it, but I was familiar enough with the songs to fake my way through the vocal lines. It was sloppy, but fun to rip through some old beloved tunes which we hadn’t played together in 10 years.

By mid-April I was experiencing high stress from my affiliation with the non-profit Inner-City Plants. Nothing was making sense and working there felt like a tornado of hot-cold emotions and unclear direction. I would often leave upset and in a tailspin of confusion. One day while I was going around guest-teaching in a manner that made at least some sense to me (since I would generally not have clear tasks to do from one day to the next), I was summoned to the principal’s office over the loudspeaker. I was told I could not teach in the classes that I was teaching in. It was a yucky and embarrassing experience. What the hell am I even doing there? And does anyone have any clue what this non-profit is even about? Because I sure don’t.  I had had enough and wrote a long email to the director when I got home announcing my departing the project and describing my disappointing experience with as much honesty and generosity of spirit I could muster. Here I was, a volunteer trying to have a positive impact on this community and feeling thwarted, undermined, and mistrusted throughout[6]. I was just glad to be clear of this awkward and unrewarding relationship. I chalked it up as another lesson learned about the disparity between an entity’s marketed image versus its reality. 

It took me a minute to shake off the unpleasant vibes from Inner-City Plants. In contrast, the Rock Asylum activities were developing steadily and while they required energy and focus, I enjoyed it and felt valued. After an afternoon teaching at PS 119, I met up with Paulie Z at a cool studio in South Williamsburg to create a pro recording of our song “American Revolution” with the very capable sound engineer and musician Kyle Paas. The recording experience and the final result simply rocked!

Amongst various other engagements in the beginning of May I was conducting brief English conversation classes on Skype with Cha Cha, where I had taught in Japan. I held the sense that, in addition to teaching music, I might venture more into teaching ESL (English as a second language) in my new chapter here in the USA. 

May 3^rd marked my fourth anniversary as a practicing Buddhist. And the day was extra special in that Otousan (Yoko’s Dad) arrived from Japan for a three-week stay with us. Within the limitations of our collective energy, we took him several places such as Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Coney Island, sight-seeing in Manhattan, museums, various local places and events, and to a New York Yankees game, a first for me[7]. We also introduced him to and hung out with some close friends and family. In the last week of his stay, Mom hosted a cousin from Norway at her place, so Otousan had a chance to meet an extended Norwegian family member-in-law (who was nearly twice his height!). Though tiring, it was a memorable and meaningful trip for our family.

Activities as an SGI-USA YMD[8] continued unabated as ever and carried an extra intensity as I was a member of the Gajokai / Soka Group / Young Men’s Academy which trained young men to be capable and peaceful protectors and facilitators as well as fine examples of human beings. It also meant that on weekends I was likely to be involved in YMD support activities on top of various local meetings and goings-on. 

From the beginning of May, over by PS 119, we were busy assembling costumes, props, and finalizing the script and shot list for our music video. In mid-May we began shooting and editing the PS 119-Rock Asylum collaborative music video, “American Revolution”. I took a huge cardboard box from Mom’s workplace to fashion into a boat for the occasion. We had costumes and a huge green screen set up in the school gym. This was my first time using green screen filming techniques and especially cool because it gave me the chance to work directly with Dave Z once again. He was the videographer and video editor. It had been years since we had seen each other in person. I spent a couple of afternoons over at Dave’s apartment editing the music video together. Watching him edit taught me a lot. His apartment was fun. There were several musical instruments, a whole wall of CDs and DVDs, lots of collectible toy figures including life-size dolls of popular horror movie figures sitting around his kitchen table! One evening Paulie Z and Tony Cortes were around and so the four of us (Dave, Paulie, Tony, and I) hung out together. We had not hung out like that since the last time playing together as Plush (Stone Temple Pilots tribute band) back in 2004. It was a moment.

On May 30^th, we had a party to screen the “American Revolution” music video[9] to the students who were involved and their parents at PS 119. It was a big deal, and everyone seemed to love it as we watched it through multiple times. It was truly an epic video all things considered. 

June 9^th was a full day. After emceeing the Grace Music Center Spring Recital announcing and listening to around 70 students, I joined the GMC crowd for dinner in Bayridge. I then left early to catch the remaining few hours of the Rock Asylum rehearsal in midtown Manhattan, which was an intense and fun time. On June 13^th, the Rock Asylum project culminated in a big daytime rock concert at the Cutting Room in Manhattan. This must have been a super exciting experience for the kids to have a class trip attending a genuine rock concert in a real club. The Rock Asylum educational music videos were screened and then the Rock Asylum band performed led by Paulie Z. Several of us took turns singing lead vocals. There was a moment when we huddled together pre-show and Paulie expressed to us all, who were directly supporting this project, how meaningful this was and encouraged us to do our best. It felt like a bonding moment through time. 

While riding trains and buses hither and thither I would alternate between studying Buddhism, reading in general, visualizing and planning creative and work projects, and chanting quietly to myself. I was often involved in Buddhist meetings on some level. I might give a faith experience, lead a study topic, present a cultural presentation (generally music), or act as emcee. And there was always the business of promoting and inviting both members and guests to attend. So, my downtime never really presented itself. I truly had no idea what slowing down meant. On June 21^st, at a Buddhist meeting, I explained the concept of the Ten Worlds[10], one of my favorites.

Nichiren Buddhism emphasized the oneness of self and environment and the importance of harmonizing and respecting individuals on every level and especially the ones that we encounter on a regular basis. Thus, connecting more deeply with neighbors was important to me and my personal mission towards world peace. In an effort to form deeper heart-based bonds, Yoko and I attended the church of our neighbors to understand them more deeply. Another aspect of Buddhist practice, especially as a YMD behind-the-scenes supporter, was to support the SGI community at large and so on June 30^th, I participated in a six-hour long Soka Group shift to support SGI Sports Day in Prospect Park. It was a long, beautiful, and challenging day.

In early summer, I got together with Jeremy Batchelor a few times to review the bass parts for the Beauty and Chaos reunion recordings, a mysterious project that we were somehow continuing from that fateful jam at Electric Plant Studio in December 2010. It felt good to stay connected with former band mates and pals in whatever productive manner that we could.

Yoko and I hosted the first barbecue at our new home on the 4^th of July. A few days later we enjoyed a beach day celebrating the third anniversary of our marriage.

I felt I needed a guitar teacher web presence and began a blog on my website in that regard. And with Yoko’s help I took some promotional photos to post as well. By mid-July, I had posted half a dozen blog posts online related to motivating beginner guitarists and those who fell away from their guitar learning journey but wanted to return to it.

About a month after the Cutting Room show, Dave Z came over our house for a lunch prepared by chef Yoko. He said yes to three plates of her chicken curry with carrots and mentioned that he had never really had carrots before! It was great to have extended time with him just hanging out which we hadn’t done in years. And I was glad Yoko and Dave got a chance to know each other. Following a song she played for us, Dave encouraged her beginner ukulele skills with a big applause. I showed him some aspects of my life which were foreign to him. Like how I would practice classical guitar before bed as a way of calming myself. He thought that was interesting and in his boundless eagerness and curiosity remarked how he’d like to start learning classical guitar. I showed him my Buddhist altar and how to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to it. He tried chanting with me for a few minutes and noted how he loved the musicality of it. When I showed him our backyard garden, which had some early summer vegetables growing in it, he was struck by the idea. In a reflective tone he said, “Wow! I never thought about planting things in the dirt.” As he did not grow up with a backyard garden, he seemed intrigued and surprised by the notion.

For me gardening was part of how I grew up and I so I continued to garden at our house, to help at Mom’s house and, between all the various activities, I would also do my best to get over to Floyd Bennet Garden to tend to Mom’s plot out there. I loved working with the soil and the plants, though my joy was often muted by the intensity of my schedule and the various pressures I couldn’t help but carry with me.

I did my best to keep the fun side of music in my life beyond just the teaching and promotional side. After a Gajokai / Soka Group / Young Men’s Academy meeting on July 28^th, I walked to Guitar Center on 14^th Street and purchased a guitalele for its portability, good sound, and size. As per my training, I shared Buddhist philosophy with the store clerk. And a few days later, after a men’s meeting at a home by Flatbush and Church Avenues I ventured to the East Village to catch my bassist buddy Kon Medyuk’s current rock band The Militant Pacifists[12] at Otto’s Shrunken Head. Despite my tiredness, it was worth the trip. 

As I was setting new foundations, I felt called to build some positive community around myself and as a musical being and guide. Throughout the summer I collaborated with Yanyan at Grace Music Center to host Monday Night Jams. These would take place after work hours around 7pm. I sensed most of my students never had much opportunity to play their instrument together with others. The idea was to bring together students and extended members of the GMC community to casually hang out and jam. I prepared basic chord sheets for players to have something to follow as we jammed. This gave students a chance to experiment with the natural flow of music as experienced in a group setting. There was space for improvisation, honing fundamental skills, and working with others. Just as I was establishing myself anew as a guitar teacher in Brooklyn, it was also the first full year of Grace Music Center and seemed mutually beneficial for us to create a feeling of something special happening there.

Simultaneously, I began an informal music hang at Marine Park, a few blocks from home. I invited various local musical friends to either jam or sing along together. We would get together in the open grass, trade songs and just hang for a few hours. 

An important aspect of Buddhist practice as an SGI member was sharing the practice with others. Ideally, in a spirit of genuinely hoping to empower others and relieve suffering with the sentiment, “If this Buddhism has improved my own life, then it may do so for others too, so why not share it so that others can benefit as I have.” Some people were more open to new viewpoints than others. And so, sharing the practice could be quite a challenging undertaking. There was a man Jacob Ramirez, who I had been introduced to through my own Buddhist sponsor Mary Ann. Jacob, a single father of two, was undergoing some struggles of his own and was open to learning about Buddhism. Through much chanting, determined prayer and continued communication, I helped Jacob to begin his own practice and to receive his own gohonzon in late August. My prayer was that he would benefit tremendously from Buddhist practice much as I felt that I had.

By mid-August I was giving English lessons privately to a young woman alternating between Skype and in-person. Conveniently she lived in the vicinity of GMC and so I could schedule an English lesson by her, then bike or walk straight to work, and afterwards I could visit my new friend Jacob’s place (who lived along my route going home) to support his understanding of Buddhism. To make all these various aspects of my life flow together, I was chanting a lot (both alone and with others).

Now and again, I would have difficult feelings which I would somehow need to work through. Concerns about family and friends, my own health, being the best I can be as a YMD Buddhist, as a husband, teacher, neighbor, and creative being. While I managed to remain optimistic and generally positive, I sometimes wondered about it all. Will the storms ever cease? Will the trials and tribulations ever be finished? Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective? Besides SGI Buddhist meetings, I also found solace of a different kind at local Al-Anon meetings for other challenges in my life. Sometimes recalling the Al-Anon slogans would help me: “One day at a time” and “How important is it?”.

September rolled around. We had a fun barbecue at our place with friends on Labor Day. It seemed whenever I was part-host of any gathering I ate and drank until nearly exploding, I couldn’t help it. We hosted a couple of Yoko’s friends from Japan stay for a few days. I chanted for and supported the enshrinement of Jacob Ramirez’s gohonzon. And I made efforts to get clear about completing a single string guitar book; my goal was to be finished by November 18^th. 

As we settled into our new home, we were constantly going through various items that had come into our possession one way or another and figuring out what to do with. Keep it? Give it away? Or garbage? Sometimes this would be precious personal stuff from our past. I had been saving all my private journals accumulated over many years for one day writing my life story. I felt the urge to rip up and throw out all of them, yet I hesitated. As I leafed through several of them, I let myself be guided by the energy of each one. The ones that held a heavier and darker energy, I let go of. I did save quite a few later journals[13] but most of them, between 1994 – 2006, I parted with. There was a tightness in my stomach as I did so, but I went through with it. I felt I needed a clean slate from which to build a fresh identity. 

October brought with it a focus on the new family-friendly Halloween music I had been developing which could function as both entertainment and as single string songs which I could teach to my students. I also had a few more complex songs for the season and notated one in particular for advanced guitar students, “Orange Goes with Halloween”. I created a demo CD of these songs which I planned to take with me on my upcoming trip to LA for a music conference. 

Towards the end of the month, we hosted a Brazilian friend whom we had known at IICD. It was good to touch base with the Brazil vibe. Yoko and I planned to return to Brazil in the coming year to make good on a promise we made to our Brazilian friends back in 2010. We had told them that we would return in 2014, the year Brazil would host the World Cup. On my commutes to work I would listen to Brazilian Portuguese language material to brush up on my skills.

Being in an international marriage sometimes involved time apart. On Halloween, Yoko left for a solo trip to Japan to visit her family. The next day, I flew to SGI’s Florida Nature and Cultural Center (FNCC) for a YMD Conference. It was my first time at this popular SGI-USA destination. The weekend was intense and inspirational. I left there with the flame of my mission as a bodhisattva of the earth burning a bit brighter. 

We had completed over a year living our new life in the USA, I was getting clear on my desires for a career as a writer, musician, and teacher. I made business cards and created some composer and songwriter demo CDs for the upcoming trip to LA. On November 8^th, I flew out to Los Angeles for the TAXI Road Rally, a music conference for composers and songwriters interested in getting their music onto film and TV for income. I had been flirting with the idea for some time and thought it was worth diving into deeper to see what might resonate with me. The event did not particularly inspire me to be a film or TV composer, however, the trip was worthwhile. I met the multi-talented and inspirational Bob Baker[14] and discovered his work. During an introspective session at the conference, I discovered an interesting truth about myself – namely that being financially or famously successful in music was not very important to me. Also, Paulie Z had since moved out to LA, and we had a chance to hang out together which was awesome. On the flight home I worked on drawings that would pair with the songs in my upcoming book for the beginner guitarist. Partially true to my goal, I finished a draft of the single string song book and sent it to a book designer for professional assistance on November 18^th. At the end of the month, I began recording the play-along tracks to match the songs in my upcoming book with local friend and guitarist Sean Kerrigan. 

For Thanksgiving, as per usual, Mom hosted replete with a fantastic meal of turkey, stuffing, candied yams, apple cider, wine, and much more. Dessert was loaded with homemade pie varieties, coffee, alcoholic beverages, jokes, chatting, and music. In the international vein which our Thanksgiving gatherings had evolved into over the years, besides a good showing of Americans (of different backgrounds), we had folks who were born abroad at the table including from: Uzbekistan, South Korea, Romania, and Japan. 

December was unsurprisingly busy. Amidst the hubbub, Yoko and I were getting clear on various details regarding our upcoming return trip to Brazil. I was studying Portuguese regularly and arranging for a suitable substitute guitar teacher to cover my students for the three weeks I’d be gone. Yoko was making the various bookings of flights and accommodations.

Our IICD friend from the 2009 Brazil Team, Alex Beltrán, visited us from Europe and we enjoyed a reunion amidst the holiday atmosphere doing some crafts and decorating together.

This being my first holiday season teaching at Grace Music Center, I arranged with Yanyan to hold a guitar holiday recital there and so was prepping many students for this. The SGI-USA calendar had a brief reprieve from official activities from roughly Christmas to New Year which I gladly anticipated as I would have breathing-room from some responsibilities.

Shortly before Christmas break, I visited former guitar student Ronnie Nissinboim at the school where he was now teaching guitar in northern Brooklyn. It was a thrill to see how he had grown into not only a great guitarist but a capable teacher as well. The next day I taught my first online private guitar lesson (via G Chat); something I had been hesitant to try. It went well enough to encourage me to open up to that as a teaching option. The Grace Music Center Holiday Concert was held on Sunday December 22^nd, a great 33^rd birthday present to me.