tien beat

Week 2 summary: Enjoying Itajai and Balneario, went on a weekend trip to Ibiraquera, wrote some music and learned some more Portuguese Shoutouts: Evandro, Luis, Jota, Paula, Anny, Guilherme, Tulio, Pablo, Fernando, Maria Amalia, Duda, Leonardo, Mariana, Felipe, Heron, Colby, Mamae, Papai Monday, August 27th (Day 7) – Itajai I go for a long walk around downtown Itajai. I hang out at a café for a while. I go to a yoga class, which is great practice for my Portuguese vocabulary of body parts.  I return home, and as I fix myself some dinner, Papai is blasting Hall and Oates in the computer room and taking a nap.  Awesome.  Later, Paula takes me to her gym, where there seems to be a resurgence of 1980’s fashion trends; the female contingent is sporting a significant abundance of such items as leg warmers and/or neon animal print tights. Definitely saw a scrunchie or two. Awesome. Tuesday, August 28th (Day 8) – Itajai It’s a rainy day. I spend the day at home with Ma...

Week 1 Summary: Departed from MD, arrived in Rio de Janeiro. Bus trip south to Itajai, attended Paula's graduation.   Shout-outs: Jose, Felipe, Felipe's mom, Maria Clara, Luiza, Gustavo, Bianca, Leco, Luciene, Studio FUN Training, Paula, Carol, Tiago, Mamae, Papae, Kalen, Vanderson, Anny.   August 20, 2012 (Embarkation) The way that trees are supposed to look, the way that roads are supposed to wind, the way that food should taste - everything is in its most familiar form to me on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Today I depart after a grand summer of family fun, wonderful gigs, and lots of fresh Maryland air. Jose gives me a lift to BWI, where a flight for Rio de Janeiro awaits.  Currently being loaded into the belly of plane are my two checked items: a.)     my Gibson Midtown Custom semi-hollowbody electric guitar, and b.)     a small roller bag filled with clothes. This little red suitcase, which I found abandoned in the h...

Hello my dear friends and family, I hope this message finds you well. It's been a year since the last Tien Beat, and I've spent the last year trying to find some type of balance living and working in L.A. Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of our loss of Kennedy and Maggie Fitzgerald. As I am reminded of them, I can't help daydreaming about having them here. Maybe Ken would be on Zak's road trip to California and I think Maggie would have been graduating from college. It's just not fair, and it's hard to tell if I am more sad for them or sad for myself and the rest of us. Sometimes it seems so cruel that such joyous people would so consistently be associated with sadness, but I hope you will agree with this sentiment: When you lose the ones you love the most, the ones with whom you've shared countless experiences and emotions, they are a special part of every beautiful landscape, every celebration, every moment of appreciation that you will have f...

Festa Junina!!!!!! Celebrating the rural culture of Brasil (including dirty mustaches and unibrows) Mini Tien Concert (Mic Stand: Lucas) I'm having the time of my life. I didn't know what night life meant before this trip....seldom has the party ended before 5 a.m. I've met so many wonderful people, everyone is ridiculously hospitable and nice, and my portuguese is improving every day. 9 de Julho: (Rio de Janeiro) took the bus from GIG airport into Leblon. Called Felipe and Renato. Felipe met me at post 12 on Leblon beach. Renato picked us up, ate some Arabic food and had some mate tea. Met Felipe's family at their condo in Alto Leblon. Went to the lagoa (lake), then a Forro (traditional dance/music) club in Lapa (artsy area in Rio, lots of artists, musicians. Love it!). Learned to dance a bit. 10 de Julho: (Rio) got my cell phone working. Went on a walk, took a nap, ventured to Lapa on my own. Saw a band playing in a restaurant, met the guitar player, danced with so...

TIEN BEAT - SUMMER '10 Dear Friends, Today I encountered a group of children on the metro and they referred to me as "mister". Clearly I have entered the next stage of my life. Yes, I have turned 23 years old, and the first month or so of my 24th year has been quite pleasant, thank you very much! I had a very nice trip to Maryland, during which I attended my sister's graduation from medical school, played 2 shows in Easton, ate a lot of crabs, helped my sister move to Cleveland (her surgical residency starts soon at the Cleveland Clinic), hung out in Chicago, and returned to Los Angeles, without taking a single shower (almost true). I've moved out of yet another apartment in Los Angeles. I loved Echo Park, the culture, the music, the authentic Mexican tastes of the taco trucks, and so much more, but I did not love the smell of whatever died under the room I was renting, nor was I enamored of the fleas. On May 14th, I graduated from the University of Southern ...

was mildly concerned about life, but got a job and things have stabilized a bit. Thanks to randomness...made a friend at a Dayplayer show who hired me shortly afterward to be her accounting assistant. It's actually pretty fun. Working for a production company that does commercials and music videos. Also intern at Wyman records when I get the chance. Random random, thanks to the metro as well. Started taking the bus to and from work. A few nights ago heard a bunch of people speaking what sounded like portuguese sitting behind me. as you might know i took a semester of portuguese and I happen to be in love with Brazil. started a conversation, made friends, invited them to hang out. Breno, Renato, Evandro, Felipe, Kalen, and Paula. met up with them at their hostel and took two of the guys, Renato and Felipe, out w/ my buddies Trevor and James. Went to gold room in Echo Park. Felipe is passionate about education reform, gets along great w/ James. give him my copy of Theatre o...

"TIEN BEAT" the sporadic bulletin detailing the life of Tien January 2010 Hi everyone! I hope the new year is treating everyone well. I finally graduated from college, with a degree in Philosophy and a minor in Theatre. I loved USC and I'm glad I went to college, grandiose debt notwithstanding. I just moved to Echo Park, a vibrant locale near downtown Los Angeles. Plans: to get a day job, finish my latest acoustic album (Starboard Sessions) and the debut Dayplayer album. I'm really excited about both. I want to TOUR TOUR TOUR...that's the main overarching goal right now, career-wise. I'm tempted to say that there are many things I figured out in college, like who I am, what I believe in, what is right, what is REAL...but I don't know if that is really the case. If anything I am more confused about all of those things, but I will claim that I am more at peace with their indeterminacy and impermanence. I just take comfort in the notion that my persp...