Dancing in the Dark

Last night my friends and I went over to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (aka the MACC) to check out this event called Art=Mixx, which was a "multi-sensory interactive event filled with art making, video displays, music, dancing, and performance art. The best part was that is was free! So after eating dinner the three of us (Jo, Alex, & I) rode over to the MACC. As we walked outside to the car I saw the stars in the sky. One thing I noticed was the position of Orion's Belt. Its positioning was so different in comparison to back in Boston. I was amazed at how different my perspective of the night sky was, and how vast that space is.
As we walked from the car over to the MACC we were greeted by pink, blue, and green palm trees glowing under the night sky. There was music, laughter, lights and so many people. We walked through the crowds in single file weaving and bobbing around the circles and cliques that had established themselves on the lawn. I quietly followed as Jo and Alex searched for their friends hidden among 2000+ people who had gathered. Can you say "Where's Waldo?" We eventually found our companions and enjoyed the sights and sounds the night had to offer. At one point i turned around and I was standing next to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. I found that to be quite hilarious because he was wearing this silly hat that looked like a lion's head. We had an amazing time taking in the sights, sounds, and performances that took place throughout the night.
I'm so thankful to have such thoughtful friends who have shared their home and hearts with me. For having faith and providing me with space to take such a risk and explore. I guess that's why I've been thinking about space in different forms and how we use it. This morning I woke up to Jo & Alex making an easter breakfast that was off the charts! Jo made her chocolate chip / Walnut / Banana pancakes and Alex made some eggs and sausage! After that I hit up my family to say Happy Easter and I love them. It also seems that most of my post cards have started to reach their destinations, which is really exciting! I hope everyone enjoys them!

Return II Space

This morning I continued my job search until I received a phone call from my good friend Damian back home. He was getting in touch about sharing some music files we had started working on before I left. For those of you who are curious as to how thats done we use something called dropbox to transfer files back and forth. But, to look at the files I needed to open up a music program I hadn't used in quite a while called Ableton. When I opened it up I found some old audio files I had pretty much forgotten about. Some of which I thought were pretty good. It was a pleasant surprise to find these little explorations in sound.

This experience sparked another thought in my mind that tends to come and go. The idea of returning to space(s). The space isn't defined as a specific area or place. It's all relative. Lately I've found myself returning to and re-examining the space in which I found myself in regards to my love and work with music. In all the time I have had to myself recently I have spent a great deal of time listening to and examining how artists have defined the auditory space they use when creating music. It's helped me to understand that I have a strong awareness in what I like when it comes to my own taste in music. As I've gotten older I've noticed my desire to find works that become increasingly more minimal in sound and subtle in their transformations and transitions. I also really enjoy when an artist has mastered the art of creating space between sounds so that a push-pull tension is created. I know how obsessive I can be when it comes to a tune I really like, and how I can listen to it over and over again examining each individual sound layered within the mix.

What about the use of visual space? Our environments, ourselves, our work spaces are all part of the visual use of space. Thinking back to my time in San Francisco and Los Angeles recently I am reminded of the artwork and graffiti I saw. But, sometimes visual spaces can be deceiving, such as an optical illusion. Visual spaces can also be uncomfortable. Everything here at the moment is so new and different that takes up my visual space it's been a bit overwhelming/stunning/can't fully conceptualize it all. Then there is the visual space we can't see or are unable to use. I'm not sure I can define all this exactly at the moment.

What about having a lack of space? How do we define spaces that aren't physical like the mind? How do we define our own space? I'm still trying to figure this out. What do I want to put in this space? Of course if you haven't noticed yet I've posted videos between the paragraphs. The songs are from the album "Return II Space" by Mala of Digital Mystikz. It's one of my favorite vinyl EP's, but I left my copy back in Boston. It still has the cellophane sealed wrapper on it because I couldn't bring myself to open it when it first arrived in the mail sometime back in 2010. I find myself wondering whats better at this point. Is having a pristine copy of the album worthwhile, or should I open it and enjoy each tune as it's meant to be heard on my turntable with the needle tracking the groove? I feel like this brings me back to where I started. How do we use and define our space? This entry has me feeling more confused than when I started. I hope you enjoy this music as much as i do.

Surf's Up

Tuesday morning Rob and I both woke up with a touch of sunburn. Mine was tiger style across my back thanks to a friend fail at Lahaina. I won't mention names, but let's say from now on I'm only letting Alex put sunblock on my back. Rob, however, was toasted. But, today was a truly special day because Alex and Jo both had the day off so we could all spend it together as one big ohana. Rob was dying to go body boarding so that became the plan. Before leaving the house we all made sure to properly put on sunblock. Then we piled into the car and headed down to Baldwin Beach where the waves serious! I had never seen waves so big. I mean these things must have been at least 10 feet high from the ocean floor! After being in the water for about 20 minutes I was definitely feeing like I got a hardcore work out. We all had so much fun today, and Rob and I had a chance to sort of bond as we were body boarding out in the ocean. I felt like I was 12 years old except this time the waves were no joke, and hanging with Rob was awesome. He's another unofficial brother from another to me.

After a rousing day riding the biggest waves I have ever seen we headed back to Jo & Alex's place to cook up some food. We also got to meet Rob's friends who were married on Oahu. They were spending their honeymoon on Maui, and so we invited them over for dinner. I should also mention that Alex is a grill master, and not only does he cook up a mean steak he also does some serious grilled mushrooms! Needless to say the night was a success, yet Rob's time here was finally coming to an end. I want to take a moment and give a big shout out to Rob's wonderful and amazing girlfriend Mary, who I haven't mentioned at all. She is hilarious, super cool, and was really caring because Rob's back was as red as a lobster. She kept it covered in aloe all the time. I'm so glad I got to meet the both of them. They were so amazing, and now I have a reason to go check out Wisconsin!

Special Guests

Sunday evening Rob, an old friend of Jo's from high school came to visit. He was visiting Hawaii for a wedding and planned to come hang with for a few days after the ceremony . We kept it easy Sunday night and made plans to take Rob over to the town of Lahaina to do some snorkeling. We were out the door and on our way early monday morning. But, before hitting the beach we stopped at this fantastic place along the way for breakfast called Lulu's. The waitstaff there was awesome, and they brought us out an order of their malasadas to start. These things were serious! On top of that the main courses that everyone ordered were just as amazing. I went with the Cajun Ahi Benedict. It was spicy and flavorful, and the hash browns were crispy and crunchy! The staff and food were truly fantastic. I can't say how much you should give this place a try if you're out here.

Then it was off to the beach for a little snorkeling. The beaches in Lahaina are on the West side of Maui and are incredibly calm. They're the perfect place for snorkeling because the shore drops off to a coral reef about 25 feet out. We slapped on some sun block and dove in. We explored the ocean floor together and on our own. There were fish of all colors shapes and sizes. I wish I could have had a camera to take photos. At one point Jo and I were greeted by an unexpected guest. A massive sea turtle went right by us, and it was so close I could have touched it! The only way I can describe the experience was that it was like the opening scene of the original Star Wars movie where the giant star destroyer ship zooms by. Trying to put this into words doesn't quite do it justice!

After our snorkeling adventure we stopped by Ululani's for some shave ice. I went with the No Ka Oi (which I think was mango, guava, papaya) and a scoop of haupia ice cream on the bottom. It was serious business, and a whole lot of sugar. Everyone got something different and we passed them around the table. I also recommend the almond, pineapple, green tea, and pineapple flavors! (There's food bringing people together again)

We ended our day in Lahaina by walking through the shop lined streets in true tourist fashion admiring the galleries, storefronts, and all that was for sale. As we came to the end of the strip we found ourselves in the Banyan Tree Park where these massive trees rose up out of the ground with their twisted branches and dangling vines! At the entrance to the park was this wonderful "Aloha" made out of flower petals. Quite an amazing way to end an amazing day.

A Snail's Tale

Last night I saw this incredibly large snail, which I think is a Giant African Snail. It looked to be about oh maybe 4-5 inches long. I mean this puppy was easily a handful! I was definitely shocked to see thing, and it wasn't the only one. There were more than a few scattered about the lawn. After seeing these monstrous little guys lurking around I thought about adjusting to this new place. I was sort of feeling a sense of culture shock. I was a place where I knew very little about the people, culture and environment. I didn't necessarily feel scared or overwhelmed, but I certainly felt out of place for a moment.
I thought about the conversations I had throughout the week with Jo and Alex, and how insightful they had been. Their place is located in the Kahului/Wailuku area of the island, which is predominantly made up of people of Filipino and Portuguese descent. I also noticed (and as pointed out by Alex) that not all their neighbors acknowledge us (by us I mean Alex and I). However, they all acknowledge Jo, who is Filipino American. I must say that their immediate house neighbors who I met were incredibly friendly, and amazed at how I had decided to just up and move here for a while. I noticed that the many of the churches in the area held their weekly masses in Tagalog, which is one of the native languages of the Philippines. I remember Jo telling me about her neighborhood. She loved the fact that everyone in the neighborhood looked like her (which wasn't the case where she grew up). This was the first time she had ever experienced this, and through our conversation I could see how much she truly appreciated it

Writing Alohas

The past few days were spent working on cover letters and applications. I was basically stranded at my friends house while they were both at work, but the 3 of us all made breakfast together this morning (there's that food connection again). We made banana walnut chocolate chip pancakes from scratch with eggs and some pineapple sausage. The pinacle of it all was I discovered there is such a thing as coconut syrup! Just kidding, although it was fantastic. This was just a reminder of how great my friends here have been. They are so encouraging and supportive, and in the week that I have been here my spirit has been reinvigorated. I've had so many inspiring and reflective conversations with them. Even though I feel unsure about what direction I'm going in the ride couldn't be any more true.

Earlier today Jo took me out to run a few errands and we grabbed some lunch. I finally picked up some post cards, which was something that was at the top of my priorities list. I spent the rest of the afternoon addressing and writing them. As I did this I thought about a conversation I had with my advisor just before I left Boston. It was about quality control in relation to music; more specifically about how the quality of music has gone down because the music industry has focused on becoming more digitized.
When it comes to music and putting a release out on vinyl, (or cutting a dubplate) cost a fair amount of money so if you're going to invest the money into that you have to be sure the music is top notch. The other aspect of the digitalization of the music industry is that its created this immediate consumerism where everyone sort just gobbles the latest and greatest down their throats and then promptly awaits the next course.
I remember when I was in my late teens / early twenties going to the local record shop every week to check out the new releases. When it comes to indy labels and obscure music you have to be there often because limited copies can sell quick and you'll miss out if you're not on top of your game. But, I also remember the sense of inclusion and community I felt there. I met so many other local dj's who I learned quite a bit from. Not just about DJ'ing, but about running a club night, promotion, social and political etiquete, and much, much more. But, the record shop went under thanks to the inflating costs of importing records, rent, and the rise of digitalization. Those communities dissipated off and I was left with ordering my records from a vendor out of the United Kingdom whom I have never met and know very little about.
So as I wrote these post cards I saw this as a nod to those older days. I'm not saying they're better I'm just appreciating the experience and what I learned. I really appreciated writing out each name, address, and personal note to everyone by hand. I feel like it carries so much more weight than sending an email or a text message. I just hope that everyone can read my hand writing.

The Beach

Today we kept it simple. I spent the morning writing, reflecting, and looking into other job prospects since my schedule has been open. After that Alex and I rolled over to Kamaole Beach to  go for a swim. From when I first considered coming back to my actual arrival here I have had a strong desire to swim in the ocean. No scratch that. It's been almost more of a primal urge churning in my head as though the ocean was calling me back here.
Sitting on the beach with Alex we had a really nice talk about the beach, and how swimming in the ocean was a cleansing experience. A spiritual experience. I thought about when I was a little kid and how much I loved going to my extended family's summer house in South Kingstown, RI. Running up and down the shore and jumping in and out of the waves. But, as a teenager my viewpoint changed, and I remember hating the beach. I hated the fact that sand would get into everything. It wasn't until I was in my early-mid twenties that I rediscovered my love of the ocean. Upon this rekindling I have found deeper appreciation, inspiration, and gratitude for the grains of sand against my feet; the movement of the waves; the sun against my skin and disappearing behind the clouds; the pure experience of being at the beach.