The universe we are part of is mesmerizing to me. How does it really work? It is so intricate that it brings out so many unanswered questions. With this uncertainty, we need to hold on to notions that we are sure of, like Love. These tribulations were the basis for the writing of The Only […]

Washi Papers These papers are handmade from the inner bark the Mulberry, Mitsumata and Gampi trees by master craftsmen in Japan. They are sold under different names: Yuzen, Kozo. Their texture and exquisite patterns resemble Oriental textiles and are achieved with stencils, woodblocks or silk-screens. Washi dolls (Traditional style) This style of dollmaking originated in […]

I was experimenting playing with 2 capos. One on the six string, one half capo on only 3 strings. The half capo is interesting as it allows me to play above and below the capo. Since that day, it has become an integral part of my guitar playing. Then I detuned the bass string so […]

This is a series of sculptures inspired by the universe. It includes Starlight and Starbrite, King Sunny, Once In A Blue Moon, Orbie the Celestial Clown, Pierre de Lune (Peter form the Moon), Prince Of Stars, and the Moonlight Maiden. They were sculpted with Paperclay, and then cast in resin after a rubber mold was […]

Different instruments inspired different songs. This one is a good example. It was written with my Octave Mandolin. There is a somber tone in this instrument unmatched by any guitar. Since I wrote it I played it a few times on an acoustic guitar, but it feels more at home on the octave mandolin or […]

This is an extended version of Where Are We Going? (radio remix). It has a longer intro. There are additional verses and a section between the verses that was cut from the Radio Mix. For more info about this song, see the blog for Where Are We Going? (radio remix) Check out the MP3 for […]

This is a series of fanciful maidens. Their costuming is very intricate to made. It is a patchwork of Yuzen Washi paper. All the floating folds are shaped by hand and propped until the stiffener hardens. There are two characters in this series: Angele, an angel maiden Lydia, a Romantic maiden  

I love that song although it does not play well live with just an acoustic guitar. I was twiddling in Garage Band on my iPad. I came up with this layer of strings. Then added the punchy bass. I had (singer) Lisa Stanfield and Barry White in mind when I created the lyrics and melody. […]

I like making One-Of-A-Kind sculpture (OOAK) Unlike my other sculptures, OOAK give free reign to my creativity. Since there will be only one to make, I do not have to take notes on how to create the OOAK again. When I make multiples of one character I need to document every step, every measurement, every paper used. […]

I wrote this song while I was visiting my family in France. I keep a 12-string guitar there so I do not have to fly with an instrument. Every track was written on my iPad in Garage Band. Once back in the USA, I brought the tracks to the studio for mixing and I re-recorded […]

That’s one of a few songs that I wrote in 12/8 signature. Perfect for the 12-string guitar. The melodic line at the beginning and end is played on my Irish Bouzouki I got from Germany. It is a great instrument with a jumbo body. It can easily be substituted for a guitar. I have used […]

I love that song! However, I can’t play it live because it was entirely written with virtual instruments in Garage Band. But I love the break with the electric piano. Using only virtual instruments in Garage Band makes me write songs that I would never come about on my guitar. Check out the MP3 for […]

This song was written on a tenor guitar. It ended up being played on a mandola. It was a period when I almost exclusively played the mandolin and all its siblings in the mandolin family: octave mandolin, mandola, mandocello and Tenor guitar since it is tuned like a mandola (CGDA). The instrumentation is basically the […]

This is my first and only reggae song so far. Just a fun “revenge” song! I particularly like the harmonized last verse. Check out the MP3 for this on my When The Word Goes Around Music Page