Musicians Union in Hollywood!

I played with a big band at the Musicians Union in Hollywood yesterday. Oh, I love energetic music 🎶 I had so much fun

playing the bass as well as dancing while I was playing! 🕺

Musicians Union in Hollywood!

Musicians Union in Hollywood! 🤗

As always, I rocked out the studio and danced whole way through. Oh I had a blast! The band members changes all the time in this band and today the trumpet player who used to live in Japan for 25 years came in! He was sitting in front of me, turned around and said "hey, where are you from in Tokyo?" in Japanese! My jaw was right on the ground.

I'm hoping to collaborate in the near future; him on trumpet and me on shamisen or sanshin!

It's spring! 🤣👍

Spring is here! 😆

How are you, friends? The spring equinox had passed a couple of days ago and the Northern hemisphere is officially in spring now! Well, I am really surprised that it was actually winter all this time. For the first time in my life, I almost got heat stroke in the middle of winter.🤣

I just made the first noise in spring at the Musicians Union in Hollywood! Ah yes, I felt so good to play loud in a big band! I was just too happy playing and dancing and doing both at the same time!

Aaaaa, I so wanna play more….. I need more of the good stuff…. I’m like suffering from withdrawal…..

Musicians Union in Hollywood!!

Hello,

The weather is great as always! LA has been almost 90F lately! Well, I’ve heard the weather in Boston and New York haven't been so bad either so there is no point of being sarcastic about it. Sigh. Not fun. I have to find other topics that I can be sarcastic.

I had fun at the Musicians Union in Hollywood yesterday! The time working with professional musicians putting our heart and soul is priceless!

All Saints Church in Pasadena!

I'm about to play at All Saints Church in Pasadena! Look at the cool robe! 😄👍

Back in Musicians Union in Hollywood!

This is the first time to come to the musicians union in Hollywood after the tour. Well, I felt totally different tension in there from the stage because I need a different skill. Our job on the stage is to entertain our audiences for whatever it takes. Our job in the studio is to read the charts precisely and play as the composer imagined or even better. I have been almost only playing on stages and I am now trying to change my career to be a studio musician.

I was thinking I had to choose one or the other, but that's not true. I’m going to do both. I can do it. It just takes more time. That's all.

Done with the tour!

There wasn't a snowstorm ❄️ We didn't hit any deer 🦌 Therefore it was a very very good tour! 😄👍

We drove ten hours back to Seattle from Great Falls, Montana last night and I'm about to jet to LA.

It was a short tour but definitely was a productive, connected me to lots of great people and sure is leading me to future. The funny thing is that I kind of decided to retire from this touring business a while ago but I realized on this tour that I'm still in love with touring.

I am going to seek the way to somehow do both touring and recording. I just enjoy standing on the stage in front of audience.

Montana Performing Arts Consortium!

I've been touring with Russian 🇷🇺 /Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 group. We are about to play at a conference in Montana and the next 12 minutes will decide our future in 2018 & 2019.

The moment of truth! Tension is maxed out, but I'm still smiling because I am an entertainer. Even if I'm getting cold feet, having 100 butterflies in my stomach and almost peeing in my pants and I'm still smiling, because..... yes, that's right. Because I am an entertainer!

We are going to kick some ass.

Heading to Seattle, Washington!

Leaving Eugene and heading to Seattle! Seattlians! (I don't know if it's right demonym) Fierce accordionist and bassist are coming to you!

Oregon!

I reached the biggest city of the State of Oregon, Portland. I'm almost there to Eugene! 😆

NAMM 2017!

I came to NAMM for the first time!😆 I am surrounded by tons of shiny and fancy new guitars and basses!🎸 Aaaaa, I want that toy and that toy and..... I'm becoming like a third-grade kid in here! (Well, I know I'm usually like a fifth-grade kid so there isn't much difference). I'm enjoying a lot! I so want a new instrument!

We Berklee alumni had a party after the first day at NAMM!