Refining Plans and Launching the Execution Column

Today, I finalized the second version of my business plan and launched a new “Execution” column on my blog. I’m using the 12 Week Year framework to pursue my goals with focus and momentum.

I’ve recently split my daily routine into two parts. Before 6 PM, I concentrate on practicing the guitar and keeping up with my studies. From 7 PM to 9 PM, I work out, and from 10 PM to midnight, I push forward with my entrepreneurial projects.

For guitar practice, I’m honing my solo and improvisation skills. My goal is to establish a solid framework for playing simple major and minor scales fluently. I’ve been drilling the 2-5-1 progression, repeatedly practicing licks from my lessons to internalize and emulate them.

Today was productive overall, though I lost some time this morning. I’m still adjusting to balancing these two distinct parts of my life.

Today I reflected a bit, and realized I’ve been in the United States for almost a year now. What exactly have I accomplished… My guitar skills don’t seem to have improved that much, which makes me feel a bit guilty… But thinking carefully…

July: Berklee – entered a new environment, gained new perspectives… August: Went on a very memorable trip, explored America, took care of an entire tour group… September: Join MI. Hosting an Airbnb and began a romantic relationship… Over the next three months, I started playing different pieces. Practiced Sixths, Thirds… and so on. Further improved my sight-reading ability. January to March: Wrote songs, practiced Triads. Hosted four parties… Learned n8n… I guess I have achieved some things after all.

今天把上面那個商業計劃第二版完善。並且在 Blog 上面開了 Execution 專欄。用 12 week year 的方式去Execute 我的目標。

近期的生活也分割成兩個部分。晚上六點之前專注在練琴、課業的進度。7pm~9pm 運動，10pm~12pm 則衝刺自己的創業項目。

練琴的方面，最近要把 Solo/improv 這塊補齊。至少一些簡單的大調小調要有一個框架可以好好的彈奏。用 251 的方式不斷反覆重複上課練習的 Lick. 嘗試內化、模仿。

今天總體狀況挺認真。早上有點浪費掉。但要花一點時間習慣現在兩個 Part 的生活。

今天回想了一下，來美國也快要一年的時間。到底做了什麼⋯⋯ 吉他好像沒有進步特別多，覺得有點內疚⋯⋯ 但其實仔細思考⋯⋯

7月 Berklee 進到新的環境、新的視野⋯⋯ 8 月去了一趟很難忘的旅行，探索了美國，照顧了一整個旅行團⋯⋯ 9月進入MI, Host Airbnb. 並且開始談戀愛⋯⋯ 接下來三個月， 開始彈奏不同的曲子。練習 Sixth, Third.. 等等。把 Reading 的能力再往上提升。12 月寫歌，練 Triads. 辦了四場 Party.. 學了 n8n… 好像也是有一些成果。

Photo dump

From Day 199 to 399

I haven’t been meticulously documenting every day’s events. For one, MI’s schedule has become more intense, with each day spent rushing to prepare the next day’s music. Additionally, I often spend hours writing, posting, and organizing, but I’ve started questioning the “purpose” of this content. Who does it actually help?

As a result, I’ve returned to quietly journaling in my notebook, steering away from public writing.

Over the past six months, I’ve focused more on exploring school, California, and practicing the guitar. The first quarter of 2024 (September to December) was about settling down. The second quarter (January to March) was dedicated to taking courses and practicing songwriting.

My foundational skills have become more solid.

Compared to other fields I’m familiar with, music emphasizes a thoughtless, intuitive flow state, letting the music pour out through the moment’s emotions. These two semesters made me realize I’m too left-brained. I often “think” while playing, which causes me to freeze up and perform poorly.

Honestly, these experiences made me question whether I’m cut out for music or if I’m forcing myself into something I’m not suited for. Even now, I still have some doubts.

Music is a deeper rabbit hole than I imagined. I can handle pop well enough, but when it comes to jazz or fusion—those intricate improv lines and details—I always feel like I fall short.

That said, another voice inside me says that it takes years for these notes to become second nature. Only then will I have enough confidence. Practically speaking, it might only take a few months to gain initial control and ease with certain pieces.

This past six months, I’ve made good use of my entrepreneurial skills. I organized a few parties, which led to new friends and collaborators. I moved to a nice place and set up a decent living environment. Toward the end of this period, this month, I started thinking about ways to make money and addressing the issue of Berklee’s tuition.

I quickly picked up n8n and developed a few small tools: a workshop creator, a Threads virtual character generator, and I helped organize the Vibe Hackathon. I also started rehearsing with a band and reflecting on why my past projects didn’t become sustainable income sources. Here’s a quick summary:

• I didn’t complete the full cycle. I stayed in the “happy development” phase, satisfied once a prototype was functional.
• I didn’t think from a business perspective or set KPI for each stage, so it became self-indulgent work.
• I didn’t persist long enough. I entered fields like crypto and AI early but lost discipline after small wins, like earning $1,000.
• On a deeper level, I didn’t grasp systems thinking. I saw points but not the lines or the bigger picture, leading to inefficient efforts.

Recently, while sprinting on work, I revamped my website. It’s now more commercial and publishing-ready, not just a blog. With this as a starting point, I hope to become a serious entrepreneur, not just someone dabbling.

Emotionally, I’ve grown a lot these past six months. I’ve interacted with friends, dated, argued, and broken up in ways different from before. I moved away from my usual directness and sometimes played a fully accommodating, reserved role. It was painful, but I learned a lot and discovered that restraint can sometimes be an effective tool for influence.

In the next six months, I’ll continue honing my skills, learning from the best, and hoping to finally produce tangible results. This will allow me to keep pursuing music with joy.

Lots of people are getting into / starting to learn ChatGPT.

The Pro plan costs $200, which I can’t afford. So I did some research: are there people sharing their accounts?

If it’s $20 per person, 10 people would cover the $200. If I can get more people paying and using the same account together, each additional person adds $20 per month.

Of course, there’s a lot of risk in this non-conventional approach.

But I still posted some ads on different forums.

Turns out, many people were looking for the Plus plan instead of the Pro plan. The Pro plan group failed, but I successfully found a bunch of people to share a Plus plan.

$5 per person. I found 8 people in one day. That’s $40, which gives me an extra $20. But I didn’t take it for myself—I let everyone know I’d save that money and put it back for them.

The reason for this approach is simple: $20 (or even $200) isn’t going to make me rich. But this system benefits my customers, and I can earn their trust. One true fan is way more valuable than a couple of bucks.

If I successfully find up to 20 people, that’s $80 of income into the system per month, which means I can buy the Pro plan every three months. And if I manage to get my hands on the Pro plan, it will also become my edge.

This little project is just scratching the itch of my startup blood. Beyond my music practice journey, it’s about being able to create a system that works—one that I can spend just a little time nurturing and turn into one of my tiny successes.

How to Learn Something You Have Absolutely No Clue How to Be Great At?

I don’t mean in a general way, like “you don’t know how to learn.” We have way more tutorials now from sources like Google and YouTube. But beyond these tutorials—how do you execute, how do you internalize, and how long do you expose yourself to something to let “greatness” grow into you? That’s the part no one can teach you.

Fake it.
Usually, you won’t have a clue how to write a good song. But you can make a song. Steal some chord progressions and make up some lyrics with ChatGPT.

The essence is, you have to start from something you truly care about or feel excited about. Like me—I’m really moved by people who keep working even when they’re down on their luck. There’s fire in that situation, even though it’s pure bad luck.

Besides that, I’ve studied 10 songs, and there are parts I really like. So I try to combine them, use them. ChatGPT is really good at learning this kind of stuff.

And for the parts—like melody—that GPT and I may not be good at, I discuss them with my teacher.

With the intentional “fake it” approach, you get an integrated piece you can work on. I also learned that all I need is Chords → Groove → Melody → Lyrics, and that’s enough to make a song. This only came to me because I tried to “fake it.”

This approach gives me an opportunity to find a workflow that increases my songwriting quantity, which provides raw material to experiment with improving quality. Also, the “workflow” I learn in the process lets me reuse it and free up my time from the curse of social media—constant content creation. This gives me time to focus on how to improve instead of being stuck in the fear of “I want to be original, so I won’t steal anything.”

My relationship with A has been growing deeper; as we spend more time together and have more conversations, our trust in each other increases. It feels really good. I appreciate how we’re both clearly putting effort into our relationship.

Today, in my performance class, we played a punk rock song. For the solo part, I played single notes, and the teacher didn’t like my solo. The heavy rhythm that anchored the song suddenly “disappeared.” The teacher said I should’ve used a “Chuck Berry-like” approach, and the drummer instructor recommended checking out the band Rancid. Wow, my approach was completely off this time, which left me feeling a bit frustrated.

This morning, I practiced diligently for three hours to prepare for class, and after returning in the afternoon, I practiced for over an hour more. It’s been a long time since I’ve pushed myself this hard (I need to reflect on that). Since November 3rd, I’ve been keeping a “routine test” sheet on my desk. Writing down my work progress like this seems to make my thinking clearer and provides a more visual representation of what I’m doing.

It’s pretty helpful. It reminds me of an important concept from the Zettelkasten note-taking system: writing is thinking. Thinking only happens when you write it down; if you don’t write, there’s no thinking.

In the afternoon, I attended the “Birds of a Feather” LPW (Live Performance Workshop). I haven’t gone to LPW for three weeks and felt a bit guilty, but I think I needed this downtime to adjust myself.

Professor Ziff played “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish. He’s 71 years old!

Spent some time hanging out with the girls in the LPW. In the evening, I went home, practiced my guitar, and did some reflecting. Later, I met up with A for a little chat 🙂 Then headed to bed. Another normal day in musicians institute 🙂

Photo Dump

a random video when hanging out with Pon.

Morning Journal:

Today’s focus is to simplify and be more intentional in life. The goal is to stay present and immerse myself in one task at a time without feeling rushed or anxious. Let’s see if I can approach my tasks calmly and comfortably.

Night Journal:

It’s currently 3 AM on 9/23. I managed to practice guitar for four hours today and catch up on two overdue journal entries. 🎉 Finally, after a chaotic period, I’ve had a day where everything on my to-do list got done.

In the next couple of days, I’ll need to start packing up my Pasadena place and prepare to move into my new Airbnb. It’s bound to be another whirlwind, but I’m excited to relocate to a livelier area! The suburban quiet here was making me restless; I definitely thrive better in a bustling city like Taipei.

As for my music practice today, I continued with last week’s progress. I can sense that my understanding and retention are improving with each review. This should help solidify my memory even further.

However, I regret not carving out time for more creative exploration in music. I’ll make that a priority soon.

Tomorrow, I’ll finalize my Airbnb orders and get everything ready.

Lastly, I’ve been using the travel cards I brought with me as small daily motivations or sources of inspiration—maybe they can continue to spark some positivity each day.

Today was one of those days… I woke up late and wasted a lot of time playing video games and watching shows, basically doing nothing productive. The only silver lining? I cooked for myself, so at least I saved some money there. In the evening, I went to Lulu’s gig, which featured Mandarin pop songs. I helped him carry and set up equipment since his muscle issues prevented him from lifting heavy stuff. It felt good to be there for him and make sure he didn’t strain and hurt himself.

I was more focused tonight, both at the gig and afterward. The past few days have been chaotic, and I’ve been so distracted, not in a great mental space. Before bed, I did some meditation—something I hadn’t done in a long time.

Lately, I’ve been feeling a strange resistance to doing things I know are good for me, especially when it comes to long-term activities like meditation. It’s weird because I actually enjoy it, so why do I procrastinate?

ChatGPT’s Answer on the resistance of good things.

It’s common to experience resistance to activities like meditation, even when we know they’re good for us. This resistance can stem from several factors, rooted in both psychological and neurological responses.

1. Brain Wiring and Avoidance: The brain, particularly the amygdala and limbic system, is more concerned with survival than with well-being. When we engage in long-term activities that require effort, the brain may interpret these as uncomfortable, triggering avoidance behaviors. This is because our brain is hardwired to favor what’s familiar and comfortable, making change (even positive change) feel threatening​(Earn Learn Thrive)​(Mindful).
2. Resistance to Change: Neuroscience research suggests that resistance often arises from a part of the brain that activates during negative emotions and avoidance. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, is more active when we avoid uncomfortable activities, such as meditation. Over time, habitual avoidance strengthens this response, making it harder to break the cycle​(Mindful).
3. Emotional Avoidance: Resistance can also be tied to deeper emotional factors. For example, some people might resist activities like meditation if it brings up uncomfortable emotions or memories they unconsciously avoid. This avoidance can manifest as procrastination or reluctance, despite knowing the benefits​(Wildmind).
4. Managing Resistance: Experts suggest a mindful approach to resistance—acknowledging it without judgment, and gently observing the sensations or emotions that arise when you resist an activity. By being present with these feelings, they can become less of an obstacle and more of an object of meditation in itself​(Wildmind)​(Psychology).

This type of resistance is universal and not personal, but the key is understanding that it’s normal and manageable. By integrating small, manageable changes or practicing mindfulness around the resistance, you can help reduce its grip on your routine.

Today, we took 寀萱 to the airport. During the day, I stayed home, worked on my Xiaohongshu post about travel essentials. and powered through some notes. I squeezed in some guitar practice before Pon picked me up in the afternoon for the airport run.

On the drive, we had a deep conversation about our musical goals. She shared some great advice, telling me how her first semester was all about figuring out her routine—how much time to spend transcribing, practicing for LPW (Live Performance Workshop), and working on solos. It reminded me of my recent realization about the importance of crafting my own practice schedule. Leaving some blank time for my own sound exploration. Not just practice

Her short-term goal in LA is to get some local gigs, so she’s been checking out performances to gauge the level required. I

Figuring out how I need to practice… understanding how long it takes to master a song and where exactly to start.
If I love groovy music, how do I play in a way that really feels groovy?
And what are my natural talents? How can I bring those out in my playing?

We also touched on recognizing our own talents and how to bring those to the surface in our playing.

Evening Send-Off and Fun Moments

Before heading to the airport, we grabbed dinner with 寀萱 and the crew at Palms, a Thai restaurant. It was nice seeing Betty, Ryan, Diana, 雅筑, and Ethan again, and I’m slowly getting to know everyone better. I had to hold back my urge to talk too much (as usual, haha). A funny moment happened when we were messing around with 寀萱’s suitcase and accidentally broke it. Oops!

After getting back home, Pon and I practiced some classic Chinese pop hits that she’s preparing to sing.

Work and practice filled my morning. The evening was all about a home party with 寀萱 and Pon’s friend. I’m so grateful for these opportunities to hang out with everyone so often before school starts—it’s really helped ease my nerves.

Today’s party is all for 寀萱。 She is leaving the state tmr.

Have some interesting chats with people’s projects in MI. Gives me imagination of the future project I’m going to make. I’m looking forward for the semester to start 🙂

The Airbnb project has been weighing on my mind lately, and it’s brought up some reflections on my decision-making. I feel like I need to clarify my approach—knowing when to play it safe and when to take bold risks. The key is to not get stuck in the middle.

I’m reminded of my earlier investment in Fomo Dog, where I initially saw success but ended up losing around NT$5 million because I didn’t set a clear exit strategy. Greed got the best of me, and I failed to account for the risk-to-reward ratio. In MatchNova, I made a NT$3 million profit but ended up giving most of it back. In the end, I was left with only a modest NT$100k gain. Although it was painful, I managed to cut my losses in time, which felt like progress.

With the Airbnb project, I’ve once again identified an opportunity and boldly secured a room. But the process of finding tenants hasn’t been as smooth as I’d hoped.

Recital

After a bit of work this morning, I went with Pon to watch a recital. It only featured five songs, which wrapped up quickly. Compared to Pon’s usual performances of 30 songs, it felt so short! It reminded me that my own sets usually only have two to four songs… sigh.

In the afternoon, I headed to Javista to get some work done, where I ran into Ryan, Diana, Amy, Boran, and Roger—they seem to be friends of Pon.

Later in the evening, I spent some time pushing out more content on Xiaohongshu, though I’m unsure if it’s helping out to sell my aribnb or not. But I’ll give it a try anyway.. I also started practicing guitar, but I didn’t finish—ended up falling asleep mid-practice. Thankfully, I managed to finish up the next day.

Music Practice and a Mandarin Pop Gig

Pon and I sang a bit at home tonight. He’s preparing for a Mandarin pop gig, and it was fun to join him in the preparation. This day was a mix of reflection, work, and music—a reminder to keep balancing risks, opportunities, and the things that bring me joy.

Today was Pon’s first day staying with us. In the morning, I tidied up the space to make him feel at home. I spent some time in the living room working on Airbnb-related tasks and writing the diary of my trip… My diary has been holding up for a couple of days. I’m going to get everything in track.

Since 寀萱 is leaving soon, we decided to spend the afternoon doing things she’s been eager to do. We went go-karting, which was a blast.

(video)

Afterward, we headed to Pasadena Old Town to grab some drinks and some random stores. We wrapped up the day by returning home to play board games together.

In the evening, I unintentionally indulged in some laziness—ended up playing video games and watching shows until four or five in the morning. It was a laid-back but happy day, a little bit of slacking off that brought a lot of joy.

I didn’t start the day with much enthusiasm. Woke up and decided to drive to the supermarket to stock up on groceries for the week. Back home, I indulged in some fried chicken, played video games, and lazily scrolled through Xiaohongshu. It was one of those mornings where motivation was hard to find.

Lately, I’ve been getting anxious about my housing project. I need at least five people on board to break even, but right now, including myself, there are only two of us. The uncertainty is starting to weigh on me.

Today, I felt especially tired, and my mood was a bit unstable. Despite that, I managed to make a post on Xiaohongshu in the morning and jot down some thoughts in my journal. Told myself I’d start practicing piano later.

In the evening, Pon came back. The afternoon and evening turned out to be fairly productive—I got about 50% of my tasks done. Admittedly, I did slack off a bit, but just a little. Ended up eating too much cauliflower for dinner, which gave me a stomachache. Decided to call it an early night.

4 spots reserved. 2 spots left

Price

$1600 per person for the 30-day stay. This covers accommodation in a 2-bedroom, 1 living room, and 2 full-bathroom property. The cost is comparable to a two-week stay at nearby hotels, ensuring great value even if you don’t stay the entire month.

What You Will Get

Arrival Assistance and Housing

1. 30-day stay: Accommodation for 8 people in a fully furnished property with 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, and 2 full bathrooms. Even if you find other housing early on, many places are only available after specific dates (in my case 10/14 or 10/22), so this stay ensures flexibility.
2. Airport Pickup or Public Transportation Guidance: Let me know when you arrive, and I’ll arrange a pickup at the airport (cost: $10–$30). If a pickup is not available and you choose to take an Uber (cost: $45–$65), please note that Ubers are not allowed to pick up directly at LAX. You will need to take a shuttle to the designated pickup area, and I’ll guide you to the designated pickup area to ensure everything goes smoothly.
3. Location: 1942 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (10 min walk to MI)

Upon Arrival

1. All Basic Utilities: Including toothbrush, dental floss, cotton swabs, hangers, towels, toiletries, shampoo, and conditioner, etc.
2. Temporary Food Supplies: Cereal, milk, instant noodles, etc., to make sure you don’t go hungry while getting familiar with the area. (Some items are limited in quantity, but I will restock them weekly.)
3. Daily Care Items: Lotion, toner, makeup remover pads, sunscreen (the sun here is strong), and perfume (In case you have social events or outings early on.). These are travel-sized or shared among the group.
4. Entertainment: I got some board games, so. lol (Take-6 and Trio)
5. Washing Machine
6. Access to Pool and Gym
7. Local Map: Featuring nearby grocery stores, pharmacies, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Housing and Moving Assistance:

1. Accommodation Recommendations: Nearby housing recommendations, with feedback from friends who’ve lived in local apartments (all of which I can personally introduce you to my experience and my friend’s experience).
2. Roommate Introductions: Most people staying here will also be looking for housing. If you get along well, you could potentially become roommates (Roommates are highly recommended in LA to save on costs, 2B2B vs studio, estimate saving $500~1000 USD).
3. Transportation Guide: I’ll provide details on how to navigate public transportation and introduce you to car rental brands/insurance (if you are planning to go to a trip, this will be handy).
4. Amazon Prime Assistance: I can help you order items through Amazon Prime to save on shipping and ensure faster delivery (2 days fast shipping). It will be handy when you need to buy lots of stuff upon moving into a new place. Also, I have a plan to buy necessities together. Listed in the bottom.

Rules

1. No smoking.
2. Be respectful and quiet after 11:00 PM.
3. Don’t use amplifiers. Use headphones or practice your instrument at school if needed.
4. Clean up the dishes. Don’t leave dirty dishes overnight.
5. If you think your actions might disturb others (e.g., speaking loudly on the phone), communicate and stay considerate.
6. If possible, allow for small inconveniences and try to be accommodating to others. If someone needs a quiet space, speak up. If someone wants to chat, be open to it when you can.
7. Clean the bathroom after use. If it gets dirty, kindly remind others and help clean it up.
8. Since there are both men and women, please maintain appropriate social distance to ensure that no one feels uncomfortable or threatened
9. Let me know if you need anything. I’m here to help.

Additional Rewards (Estimate $245+ Bonus)

I would like to help you save money with all the eligible rewards that I’ve known.

Reward and Cashback and Daily Life

Note: Most programs have expiration dates and limitations, so these may not be eligible all the time.

1. Bank Introductions and Cashback Offers
   For example:
   Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card
   • Bonus: $200
   • Requirements: Spend $1,000 within 90 days of opening the account.
   • Additional Perks: 0% APR for the first 15 billing cycles. (Millennial Money)
2. Phone Number
   Mint Mobile offers a free 3-month phone number discount for one person, and a $45 referral offer for the rest.
3. Doordash (Food Delivery)
   Discounts depend on when you register (e.g., $10 off your first order).
4. Lyft (Uber-like App)
   Expect around a $10 discount for new users.
5. Airbnb (Hotel-like Platform)
   Receive a $50 discount on your next trip.
6. Turo (Car-renting Service)
   Get $25 off your first car rental trip.
7. Cashback Apps
   These apps can give you 1%–5% cashback on future purchases, potentially saving you $100+ a year.
8. More Offers in the PDF
   Additional discounts and promotions will be available in the PDF guide.

Q&A

1. Will it be too crowded with 8 people?

Not really. The space is designed for 8 people with 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, and 2 full bathrooms, so it’s manageable. I just returned from a trip where we had 5 people sharing a bedroom, and it felt pretty decent. With the shared living space and amenities here, it should be comfortable for everyone.

2. Is it really $1600 * 8 for the total cost?

Yes and no. The rent is almost that much, but I’ve also prepared extra services to ensure a high-quality experience. The extra money helps me cover things like buying additional essentials and arranging pickup services.

3. Would living on my own be cheaper?

The rent is close to $1600 per person, but I’ve also included extra services to improve your arrival experience, such as airport pickup and basic necessities. If you were to rent a place nearby, it would likely cost around $3000–$4000 for two weeks, and these options often don’t include a kitchen or laundry facilities. Even if you share the cost with someone, you’d still pay at least $1500 per person.

In addition, eating out in the U.S. is quite expensive, typically costing around $20 per meal. Cooking at home is much cheaper, averaging about $5–$10 per meal. Staying here gives you the option to cook, which helps you save significantly on food expenses.

4. I’m still worried…

If you have any concerns, feel free to talk to me. My reputation and this project are closely tied, and I want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Contact Information

1. Instagram: @theclancyjack
2. Email: [email protected]
3. WeChat: Soulgood777

How to Reserve Your Spot

To secure your stay, follow these steps:

1. Contact Me: Reach out via Instagram or email me at [email protected] to check availability and confirm your spot.
2. Deposit: A $400 deposit is required to reserve your space. This will hold your spot and will be applied toward your final payment. The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel less than 7 days before 9/25
3. Final Payment: The remaining balance of $1200 will be due 7 days before your arrival. You can make payments through Zelle(no fee), or WeChat Pay(currently setting up).
4. Confirmation: Once the deposit is received, I’ll send you a confirmation email with all the details about your stay, including check-in instructions and the airport pickup process.

Refund Policy

• Deposit: Non-refundable if cancellation is made within 7 days of the check-in date.
• Full Refund: You can cancel and receive a full refund of the deposit if you cancel more than 7 days before check-in.

Idea on buying things together.

We can save money by purchasing items in bulk on Amazon for the group moving into new rooms, here are a few cost-saving ideas compared to buying from Target:

To save around $50 per person by buying items in bulk on Amazon rather than individually at Target, here are five high-savings items that could make a difference for the group:

1. Bedding Sets

• Amazon: Utopia Bedding Brushed Microfiber Bed Sheet Set costs $15 with a coupon.
• Target: Similar sets are priced around $22–$25.
• Savings: About $7–$10 per person.

2. Vacuum Cleaner

• Amazon: Eufy 11S Max Robot Vacuum costs $140 (down from $250 during sales).
• Target: Comparable robot vacuums are priced at $200–$250.
• Savings: $60–$110, shared between everyone in the group.

3. French Press Coffee Maker

• Amazon: Bayka French Press Coffee Maker costs $20 (down from $30).
• Target: Similar models are priced around $35.
• Savings: Around $15 per person.

4. Cordless Handheld Vacuum

• Amazon: Drecell Cordless Handheld Vacuum costs $35 (discounted from $40).
• Target: Comparable cordless vacuums cost around $50.
• Savings: Around $10–$15 per person.

5. Pillows

• Amazon: Jollyvogue Down Alternative Bed Pillow (2-pack) costs $20 (down from $40).
• Target: Similar pillow packs cost around $30–$40.
• Savings: Up to $10–$20 per person.

These larger purchases can be shared among all 8 people, making them much cheaper when bought in bulk on Amazon, especially if timed with deals or sales. This can help each person save close to $50 or more depending on the items chosen.

Other Small things to Share

6. Power Strips/Surge Protectors:

• Amazon: A basic surge protector with 6 outlets typically costs around $19.99​(Best Buy).
• Target: Similar surge protectors may cost $25–$30.
• Savings: You can save $5–$10 per person if buying a bulk pack or getting them cheaper on Amazon.

7. Toilet Paper:

• Amazon: A 24-pack of premium toilet paper can cost around $22.
• Target: The same amount might cost around $30.
• Savings: You could save around $1 per person.

8. Cleaning Supplies (Detergent, Disinfectants):

• Amazon: Multi-packs of laundry detergent or cleaning products are typically cheaper, with packs costing around $12–$15 for 100 oz.
• Target: Prices might be around $17–$20.
• Savings: Buying in bulk on Amazon could save around $2–$3 per person.

9. Hangers:

• Amazon: A pack of 50 non-slip hangers costs about $20.
• Target: A similar pack could cost about $25.
• Savings: Around $5 per person if shared.

10. Towels:

• Amazon: A bulk pack of 6 premium towels can cost around $30.
• Target: A similar set could cost about $40.
• Savings: $10 per person.

Other one time purchase when moved in to long-term place

11. Mattresses (Air or Foam)

• Amazon: A queen-sized air mattress with built-in pump costs around $75–$100.
• Target: Similar air mattresses are priced around $120–$150.
• Savings: $25–$50 per person, especially if you need extra beds.

12. Furniture (Desks or Shelves)

• Amazon: Simple desk setups or storage shelves cost $30–$50 each.
• Target: Comparable items cost $60–$80.
• Savings: Around $20–$30 per person.

13. Air Purifier

• Amazon: A mid-range air purifier costs around $100 (down from $150).
• Target: Similar models are priced around $150–$200.
• Savings: Up to $50–$100 when shared.

What I’m Preparing for Your Comfort and Convenience

1. Toothbrushes
2. Toothpaste
3. Trash bags
4. Dish sponges
5. Dish soap
6. Dental floss
7. Cotton swabs
8. Sunscreen
9. Makeup remover
10. Toner
11. Body lotion
12. Lip balm
13. Eggs
14. Soy sauce
15. Milk
16. Cereal
17. Instant noodles
18. Coffee for 8 people for 30 days = 240 packs
19. Snacks
20. Bagels
21. Cream cheese
22. Penhaligon’s perfume sample set
23. Essential oil set (Make the room feel good)
24. Take 6(board game)
25. Pick-up Service

Today was a major slack-off day. Spent most of it playing video games and binge-watching shows—really let myself go. It wasn’t until after 8 PM that I finally got around to doing any work. Sent off my scholarship application letter to my professor; hopefully, he’ll make some edits and submit it soon.

Later in the evening, I practiced piano for a bit—just a little before heading to bed. Honestly, today felt pretty unproductive. Starting work at 8 PM isn’t ideal. Here’s to hoping tomorrow brings more motivation and focus.

Morning Reflections & Farewell to Yellowstone:

Today marks our last day exploring the beautiful landscapes of Yellowstone. Most of our time was spent on the road, as we had a long drive to the airport ahead of us. After yesterday’s chaotic drive with Happy, I was still feeling a bit frustrated. Thankfully, Ya Chun was there to keep me company and lift my spirits. We started the day with a simple hotel breakfast.

A Serene River Stop:

On our way to the airport, we stumbled upon a picturesque river. We decided to stop and take a walk. To our surprise, there were people fishing right in the middle of the river, despite the freezing temperatures. It was both impressive and slightly terrifying!

The Unforgettable Bison Encounter:

We hit the road again, only to be greeted by a massive herd of bison. Luckily, we had started our journey early enough to have time to take it all in. The sight was breathtaking, especially when we spotted a bison playfully rolling on the ground — truly adorable.

• Bison crossing the road video:

little portion of photo dump

must say, the happiest moments during this trip have been these close encounters with wildlife. There’s something magical about seeing these magnificent creatures up close.

From Yellowstone to San Francisco:

After our eventful drive, we finally reached the airport. The rest of the day involved navigating airports, waiting, and resting before our connecting flight to San Francisco. The transition back to city life felt a bit surreal after the vast, open landscapes of Yellowstone.

Love stupid photo LOLLL

Arriving in San Francisco:

Touchdown in SF was met with an unexpected chill. I handed over all logistical responsibilities to Happy — it’s his turn now. He seemed a bit flustered at first, probably because he was suddenly thrust into the role of managing our plans. We arrived at our hotel, only to find it quite cramped. But it’s cozy enough for a good night’s rest after a long day.

Sensing Happy’s slight anxiety, I gave him some space. He even went out on his own to scout the area for tomorrow’s transport. I’m glad to see him stepping up and taking responsibility.

Our plan for Yellowstone was to explore a quarter of the park each day. After covering West Yellowstone over the past two days, today we embarked on our journey through East Yellowstone.

As we drove into the park, we spotted a picturesque picnic area by the roadside and decided to stop and stretch our legs. The place looked straight out of a fairy tale! Yachun hadn’t done her makeup yet, so we cleared a space for her to get ready. She truly looked like a secluded princess from a storybook, doing her makeup in this enchanting setting.

We couldn’t resist a little impromptu photo shoot in the back of the car. The soft sunlight day and fresh air made it a perfect moment to capture.

Scenery, and the fantasy factor of the Yellowstone

After our brief stop, we continued deeper into East Yellowstone. Having witnessed the grandeur of the Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful yesterday, today’s sights felt more understated in comparison haha.

We strolled along boardwalks and took in the serene landscapes. Along the way, we encountered some adorable bison grazing peacefully. Their presence added a touch of wilderness to our journey.

On one of the trails, we met a kindly old gentleman who shared fascinating insights about Yellowstone. He explained that the park is unique because it sits atop a thin part of the Earth’s crust, has abundant mountain water sources, and lies on a seismic hotspot. These conditions won’t last forever, as the tectonic plates shift over time, meaning Yellowstone’s geothermal features might eventually fade. It was a poignant reminder of nature’s ever-changing beauty.

A Hidden Creek and Childhood Games

Later, we stumbled upon an unmarked spot that seemed perfect for a little adventure. There was a narrow path leading down to a creek, and despite Happy’s reservations about safety, we couldn’t resist exploring. After all, who can stop me from venturing into the unknown?

At the creek, we found flat stones and started skipping them across the water. To my surprise, my city-born friends weren’t very good at it, so I took on the role of instructor. Laughter echoed as we all tried to outdo each other’s skips.

Of course, no outing is complete without a quick round of our favorite board game XDDD.

Legends of Yellowstone Lake

Our next destination was Bridge Bay Marina on Yellowstone Lake. Here, visitors can rent boats, take scenic tours, and even go on guided fishing trips. We opted for a scenic boat tour, eager to see the park from a new perspective.

Onboard, we listened to stories that added layers to the landscape around us. One tale that stood out was about a savvy businessman named E.C. Waters and his luxurious steamboat, the Zillah.

ChatGPT filled in the details:

The Legend of E.C. Waters and the Grand Zillah Steamboat

In the late 1800s, Yellowstone Lake became home to one of the park’s most ambitious tourism ventures, thanks to a man named E.C. Waters. Waters introduced the Zillah, a luxurious steamboat capable of carrying 500 passengers, offering transportation nad scenic tours of the expansive lake. The boat was the epitome of elegance and grandeur, promising tourists an unforgettable experience on the high-altitude waters of Yellowstone.

However, Waters soon became notorious for his questionable business practices. Determined to control all lake-based tourism, he set up a near monopoly, much to the dismay of park officials. His boldest (and most bizarre) move was an attempt to create a private zoo on Stevenson Island, located in the middle of Yellowstone Lake. He brought non-native animals, like bison, to the island without permission. This plan led to his downfall, and in retaliation, the U.S. government revoked his permits, leaving the once-proud Zillah to deteriorate along the shore.

While the steamboat’s glory days were over, its legend was just beginning.

Secret Parties on the Abandoned Zillah

After E.C. Waters’ grand ambitions crumbled, the Zillah was left to rot on the shores of Yellowstone Lake, near Stevenson Island. But what was once a luxurious steamboat transformed into something of a hidden gem. As the boat fell into disrepair, it became a secret meeting spot for park employees and adventurous visitors.

Under the cover of night, groups would sneak to the deserted island for moonlit gatherings aboard the decaying ship. These secret parties turned the Zillah into an unexpected symbol of rebellion and camaraderie in the heart of the wilderness. For a while, it was the best-kept secret in Yellowstone—a hidden nightlife amidst the park’s vast natural beauty.

Though time eventually claimed the Zillah, its story lives on as part of the fascinating, untold history of Yellowstone Lake.

The Rise and Fall of Fishing Bridge: A Fisherman’s Dream

For decades, Fishing Bridge on Yellowstone Lake was a legendary spot for anglers from around the world. Built in the early 1900s, the wooden bridge became a gathering place where visitors could fish for Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The fishing was so abundant that on a good day, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to catch dozens of fish within a few hours, with stories of skilled anglers pulling in as many as 50 fish in a single day. The sheer number of trout swimming under the bridge made it a fisherman’s paradise.

However, as more visitors flocked to the area, concerns began to arise. By the mid-20th century, it became clear that the heavy fishing activity was having a negative impact on the cutthroat trout population. Yellowstone’s native fish, a key part of the park’s ecosystem, began to decline due to overfishing.

So now, you can’t fish on the Fishing Bridge, hahaha. It is so halarious.

A Journey Through Rainbows and Frustrations

After the boat tour, we set off towards our accommodation for the night. We had booked a place far on the outskirts of East Yellowstone, and the drive was almost two and a half hours long. Happy took the wheel, but his erratic driving—swerving into the wrong lane and nearly hitting wildlife—had me on edge. I was frustrated and anxious, to say the least.

However, the universe seemed to sense my mood and gifted us with a magnificent, gigantic rainbow stretching across the sky. It was so stunning.

Dinner at Granny’s and a Restless Night

We stopped for dinner at a place called Granny’s Restaurant. The ambiance was that of a classic American family diner, warm and homely. However, our waiter was a bit of an enigma—sometimes friendly, other times seemingly impatient. It made the dining experience a bit odd, but the extensive menu offered plenty of choices, and we enjoyed a hearty meal.

Back at the hotel, I was still a bit miffed from the day’s events and went to bed quickly after a bit of tidying up. Apparently, I was tossing and turning a lot in my sleep—kicking, even. Maybe the day’s stress carried over into my dreams. I heard that Happy was pretty startled by my restless night, which gave me a good laugh.

Despite the ups and downs, today was filled with moments that make travel so enriching—unexpected beauty, new knowledge, and experiences that challenge us. East Yellowstone may not have the grand spectacles of the West, but it offered its own subtle charms that I’ll cherish.

Waking up this morning and stepping outside, I was greeted by an absolutely breathtaking sky and mountain view. We arrived back late last night and hadn’t realized just how beautiful our surroundings were.

After brewing some coffee in our cozy cabin using the provided machine, we headed to the supermarket to pick up supplies for the day—breakfast and lunch to keep us energized for our Yellowstone adventure.

With our provisions sorted, we finally set off into Yellowstone! Even early in the morning, there was traffic, but with the right company and stunning scenery, we didn’t mind taking it slow.

As soon as we entered the park, we discovered the reason for the traffic jam: everyone had stopped to look at a bear! A beautiful, adorable wild bear was roaming nearby. It was unbelievably cute—the perfect start to our day.

Celestine Pool and Mushroom Soup

Our first stop was Celestine Pool. Walking along the boardwalk, we passed several steaming hot springs. The cool morning air mixed with the warm steam felt incredibly soothing. Further along, we came across a turquoise hot spring. Its vivid blue color was so bright, pure and beautiful.

Continuing on, we arrived at a spot we all loved: “Mushroom Soup.” This whimsical area had a unique charm that captured our hearts. There was even a playful recipe sign for the “soup”! It was such a delightful and memorable place.

There is recipe of how to made this.

A random geyser at the same spot.

The Grand Prismatic Spring

After that, we drove slowly to today’s highlight: Grand Prismatic Spring. Due to the crowds, we parked farther away, which gave us the chance to take a leisurely walk along a small creek. The steam from the Grand Prismatic Spring was visible even from a distance.

a cute cloud draw by Pon.

Walking here is hard to describe. You’re completely immersed in nature’s palette—the temperature, the smells, the sounds of the streams and steam, the sparse crowds, and the occasional animal sounds. Surrounded by mist and vast landscapes, you feel your mind slowly transforming, becoming more natural, elegant, and attuned to the beauty around you.

an interesting side story. we met another crew three time lol. it makes us start to say hi and have a conversation.

and, we arrived the Grand Prismatic Spring 🙂

According to what we learned:

“The Grand Prismatic Spring is one of Yellowstone National Park’s most famous geothermal features and the largest hot spring in the United States. It’s renowned for its vivid rainbow colors, which result from different types of thermophilic bacteria living in the mineral-rich waters. The center of the spring is deep blue, gradually transitioning to green, yellow, orange, and red as it extends outward. These unique colors are determined by the water’s temperature and mineral content, making it a spectacular natural wonder that attracts countless visitors.”

We spent a long time here, soaking it all in.

Old Faithful and Serendipitous Moments

Afterward, we headed to our next destination: Old Faithful. The name intrigued us, and we looked up its origin, finding it endearingly amusing.

“Old Faithful got its name because of its consistent and reliable eruptions. Since its discovery in 1870, it has erupted at relatively regular intervals, approximately every 90 minutes. This predictable behavior made it one of Yellowstone National Park’s most famous and beloved attractions. Visitors can watch its spectacular eruptions according to the predicted times, hence the affectionate name ‘Old Faithful.’”

Upon arrival, we explored the nearby hotel and gift shops. Yichen was excited to try Huckleberry ice cream, which is pretty great! We also spotted a cute little squirrel outside. I picked up some souvenirs—a pin I really liked, a high-quality bison magnet, and a set of postcards.

We strolled around, waiting for Old Faithful’s next eruption. When it happened, it was truly a sight to behold.

After the eruption, we discovered a nice trail on the other side and decided to hike up. We found a spot at the top and, in true fashion, played a round of our favorite board game.

Wildlife Encounters and Evening Relaxation

On the way back, we drove leisurely. Along the road, we spotted a large bison—majestic and beautiful in its own rugged way. We even saw a wolf! We were incredibly fortunate to see so much wildlife on this trip.

Returning to the town, we stayed again in West Yellowstone, in the same lovely cabin as before. We picked up pizza and finally tried the special dish we’d seen at the Chinese restaurant a few days ago: venison.

That evening, we played games and enjoyed dinner together in the cabin. Afterward, Yachun and I took a walk outside, seizing a moment in the darkness that belonged just to us.

This day was filled with incredible natural beauty and cherished moments with friends. From the adorable bear greeting us in the morning to the awe-inspiring sights of the Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful, and a perfect romantic night. it’s a day I’ll never forget.

After a fun night out at the club, we didn’t stay out too late and woke up early the next day. After I Woke up, snapping some photos of the stunning views from our room at the Flamingo that I missed capturing yesterday. It’s incredible that we managed to get such an affordable room with these views—I feel so lucky!

Yellowstone Bound

Today is the first day of our Yellowstone adventure. We caught an early flight to Yellowstone Airport, and immediately, the vibe changed. Coming from the bustling energy of Vegas to the peaceful wilderness. The airport had this warm, rustic wooden feel to it. Feeling a bit hungry, I grabbed a cookie cup, which was overwhelmingly sweet—seriously, the sugar intake in America is wild!

We didn’t pre-book our rental car, so we spent some time at the airport comparing companies. Fun fact: Alamo, Enterprise, and another company (whose name I can’t recall) are all essentially the same company but offer different car models. Alamo’s cars had higher mileage but were the cheapest option, so we went with that and rented a 4Runner, which felt powerful and reliable.

Taking It Slow

Still feeling a bit shaken from the recent car accident, we took things slow today. We familiarized ourselves with the car by driving around a bit and then enjoyed a delicious Thai meal—spicy, sweet, and sour, just like how Thai food should be! We’ve got this little routine now where we each pick our favorite dish after every meal, which makes the dining experience even more fun and reflective.

The Beauty of Yellowstone

After lunch, we hit the road. The scenery along the way to Yellowstone was absolutely breathtaking—clean air, wide open spaces, and the peacefulness of it all. I was still a little nervous behind the wheel, so I didn’t drive fast, but that slow pace allowed us to take in the surroundings even more.

When we finally reached the entrance to Yellowstone, it felt like arriving in a quiet little town, a stark contrast to the wide-open spaces we’d been driving through. The sight of the Yellowstone sign brought this incredible sense of accomplishment and excitement. We spent way more time here than planned, taking photos and just soaking in the moment. I love how our group is so chill and happy to go with the flow—we really take the time to appreciate every stop, even the unexpected ones.

First Stop: Devil’s Thumb

Our first stop inside the park was Devil’s Thumb. The colors of this geological wonder are unlike anything I’ve ever seen—rich oranges, yellows, and whites created by mineral deposits from geothermal activity. Walking closer and looking back gives you the best view of its colorful layers. ChatGPT gave us an interesting tidbit: the colors come from the deposition of minerals like sulfur and oxides, along with bacteria and algae that thrive in the high-temperature environment. It’s a paradise for geology lovers and photographers alike.

Even though it was already 8:30 PM, we had the advantage of Yellowstone’s long daylight hours, thanks to its high latitude. That gave us plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of Devil’s Thumb before heading out for the night.

Settling Down for the Night

After exploring, we headed to West Yellowstone to get some dinner and settle into our cabin for the night. We stopped by Market Place for some microwave meals and grabbed some takeout from a Chinese restaurant called Hong Lian Hua just before they closed. We also picked up gin and tonic from the local bar to unwind.

That night, we ate, played Take 6, and drank until the first person passed out—no surprise, it was Happy, who’s not the best at games, haha!

This day was the perfect balance of slow, mindful travel and exciting new discoveries. From the peacefulness of Yellowstone to the fun moments shared with friends.

After dealing with the car crash all night, we finally managed to get a bit of sleep and woke up late. First thing in the morning, I contacted Sixt about getting a replacement car. The response? Absolutely unhelpful. The operator suggested waiting for our damaged car to be repaired, which could take days, or driving 200 kilometers to Phoenix to pick up another car. After an hour of pushing, they finally agreed to cover our Uber from Flagstaff to Vegas! With five of us and all our luggage, we needed an XL, of course.

Before setting off, we ordered sushi from UberEats and enjoyed lunch at the Holiday Inn. It felt good to finally sit down and eat something properly.
(And some card game while playing :P)

Exploring Vegas Again

Tonight’s hotel was the Flamingo, a budget-friendly spot right in the heart of the city. From the window, we could see the High Roller Ferris Wheel and that giant emoji ball! On our way to dinner, we wandered through the hotel and, to our surprise, there were live flamingos inside. Vegas hotels never fail to surprise.

As we strolled through the city, a beautiful pink sunset painted the sky. Every corner of Vegas has its own unique magic—it’s like each part of the city tells a different story.

Pizza and Vibes

We headed to the pizza spot on the other side of Vegas, an area we hadn’t explored yet. Sitting outside, you could really soak in the city’s atmosphere. Yachun was right—there’s something about being outdoors that lets you feel the vibe of a place more deeply. We continued our tradition of playing board games at random spots. There’s something funny about saying, “We played board games at a Vegas restaurant.”

The pizza was amazing, and as we sat on the street, we watched the people go by. Above us, thrill-seekers flew by on zip lines. It was the perfect mix of chaotic and magical.

Cirque du Soleil’s O Show

After dinner, we headed to the Bellagio to watch O by Cirque du Soleil, a show we’d been excited about for a while. Tickets were pricey (NT$6,000!), but it was something we couldn’t miss. Walking into the theater, the grandeur of it hit immediately. The sculptures and art dedicated to the show set the tone for what was about to be a breathtaking experience.

The performance itself? Stunning. There were jaw-dropping fire performances and water displays, but what struck me the most was the sheer perfection of everything. Coming fresh off a car crash, seeing such precision and beauty on stage brought me to tears. It made me reflect on how much time I’ve wasted indulging in distractions like games and other temptations instead of pursuing creativity and excellence. The show reminded me of the beauty we’re capable of creating when we put in the effort.

I couldn’t take photos inside the theater, but here’s a glimpse of the trailer:

Some photo before and after the show.

I was so glad to share this moment with Yachun and Yichen. I know I’ll be back to see O again in the future.

Nightclub and Strange Sparks

After the show, we hit a nightclub, but to be honest, it wasn’t that great. It was free though, so we treated it as a “let’s see” kind of thing. Some of the people with us had fun time adjusting to the club vibes, which made the night interesting.

Oh, and there was a funny twist: every time Yachun and I touched, we got shocked by static electricity! It became a game, like, “Let’s see if it happens again,” and sure enough—zap! Vegas truly keeps you on your toes in every way possible.

This day was a rollercoaster, from dealing with the aftermath of the crash to experiencing the magic of O. Vegas has a way of blending chaos and beauty into something unforgettable.

🙂

A day with a lot of twists… We got a late start—checked out around 11 AM, grabbed some food, and made a quick stop at CVS for snacks. It was almost 1 PM by the time we hit the road. After last night’s clubbing, we planned to take it easy today, but that delay ended up leading to the biggest disaster of the day.

That desert heat we’d been feeling the past few days? Crazy as hell.

First brunch stop was 義美, hilariously named Taiwan Deli in English lol. After gassing up and grabbing food in Taiwan Deli, we hit the road.

The drive from Vegas to the Grand Canyon takes about four hours, so we knew we were in for another long one. Things started off chill—picked up some Starbucks, everyone was feeling good, recharged by the quick break.

magnificent highway stretched out before us. It was a reminder of the freedom and vastness you only get on American roads along the way.

There’s something about road trips with the right people that makes the whole journey feel like an adventure, even in rough weather.

As we got closer, the sky grew darker, and rain started falling. Suddenly, a wall of white appeared ahead of us…

Terrifying!!

We arrived at the park, but honestly, we were a bit lost. The internet recommended starting at the visitor center, so we drove there, but with the heavy rain and fog, we couldn’t see anything. We couldn’t even get out of the car. After some thinking, we decided to try a different scenic road, South Rim, but it was closed off—only official buses could enter.

Despite the cold and the fading light, we stood there taking in the overcast Grand Canyon. The beauty was indescribable. It wasn’t just what you saw; it was how the scale and vastness hit you deep inside. Words can’t capture why it’s so breathtaking, but the sheer grandeur of it leaves you feeling both humbled and uplifted.

With the last bit of light fading, we clung to the final glimpses of the Grand Canyon’s landscape and decided to find a nearby restaurant. Unfortunately, it was completely full—and man, was it cold. The moment we stepped out of the car, the icy wind hit us hard. I felt bad for not anticipating how chilly it would get here.

(Later, I found out that while the temperatures aren’t usually this low, rain causes them to drop rapidly. Definitely a reminder to always pack rain gear and warm clothing!)

We wandered around a beautiful little cabin-like shop next to the restaurant. It had all sorts of Grand Canyon-themed merchandise, from towels to clothes. There were even storybooks full of breathtaking photos of the Canyon. I was surprised to learn you can go rafting here! Seeing these stories and travel adventures in the shop, right in the heart of the Grand Canyon, felt surreal. Next time, I’ll read up on these experiences beforehand and explore through the books before seeing it all in person.

This place is definitely one where you’d want to stay a few extra days—just to really soak in the atmosphere and let the beauty sink in.

Later that evening, we had dinner at a cozy restaurant. The bread and dipping sauce were shockingly good—simple, but one of those unforgettable meals that just hit the spot.

We were all a little chilled by the cold. Sitting down together in the warmth, just chatting quietly, felt incredibly cozy and comforting. Despite the weather, it was one of those simple moments that made us feel really happy and content.

After the meal. we hit the road. it’s gonna take hours to arrive at the hotel we are staying today.

I took a quick nap to recharge, but when I started driving again, it was still pouring rain.

American drivers seem to love using their high beams, even if someone is in toward them. And it’s beyond frustrating. In the dark and rain, all we could do was focus on the lines on the road to stay in our lane.

The high beams were blinding—I could barely see what was in front of us. All I could do was focus on staying in our lane. Then, out of nowhere, the lights were directly on our car. I realized something was wrong, and instinctively turned the wheel. I don’t remember the exact moment, but somehow we didn’t get hit head-on; the impact was more on the side. Both of our speed is pretty fast.

The airbags exploded, filling the car with smoke. It took me a moment (in what felt like slow motion) to process what just happened. I couldn’t believe it—did we really just get hit? I took a deep breath and yelled, “F**k!”

Then I heard Yichen’s voice from the back, calling out, “Stay steady, stay steady,” pulling me back into reality. I gripped the wheel and focused on slowing down the car.

I got out of the car, surprisingly not too scared—maybe I felt like I needed to stay calm for everyone. But my body was shaking uncontrollably. At first, I thought it was from the rain and cold, but after a few minutes, I realized this was something different. This was shock. My mind was clear, but my body was trembling harder than I’d ever experienced.

After the crash, I called Sixt. We were in the middle of nowhere—no stores, no streetlights, just darkness on U.S. 89.

There was no address, and when I called Sixt, I spoke with an operator who had a thick accent, which added to the frustration of the situation. She kept pronouncing “vehicle” as “wee-cle,”so annoyed.

After spending what felt like an hour on the phone with Sixt, we were told they couldn’t send a tow truck without a claim number. Meanwhile, the police were busy dealing with the other party involved in the accident. We wasted so much time just waiting for Sixt to take action and get us help.

Even though we were stuck there for what seemed like forever, we tried to stay positive. We reminded ourselves how “lucky” we were to have all five of us together, and “lucky” that no one was seriously hurt. It was freezing, and we were soaked from the rain, but we huddled together to keep warm, finding comfort in each other.

Thankfully, after finally gathering all the necessary information, Sixt began the process. But in the end, they couldn’t offer us much help—no replacement car, no ride to safety. Instead, they just told us to call an Uber, which, at 4 AM in the middle of nowhere, was impossible.

That’s when Kurt, the tow truck driver from Economy Towing, became our first angel of the night. His company has a strict rule against taking passengers due to past incidents, but Kurt went above and beyond. He called his boss at 3 AM, got special permission, and offered to take us to a nearby café where we could sit down, warm up, and figure out our next move. Without him, we could’ve been in real danger that night.

As we rode with Kurt, he started talking about another accident he’d responded to, and I could feel the trauma creeping in. The moment of our crash kept replaying in my mind, making it hard to focus. It was terrifying.

When we finally arrived at the IHOP café, we were still stuck without an Uber to take us to the nearby Holiday Inn. But the manager was incredibly kind, offering us hot water with lemon and honey to warm up. Then, they went even further and offered us a ride. What a blessing—they were our second and third angels that night.

When we arrived at the Holiday Inn, the front desk staff helped us out by arranging a more affordable room, even bending the rules a little. That person became our fourth angel.

In the room, we were all covered in the smell of smoke. At first, I thought something was wrong with the AC, but then I realized—it wasn’t the room, it was us. We took showers and finally rested.

By then, it was already 5 AM.

Today is a big first for me—my first-ever road trip! Coming from Taiwan, this was completely new. Taiwan is just too small for long drives like this, and you don’t get the same wide, open landscape.

Woke up early, gassed up the vehicle, grabbed some food, and we were ready to go.

Breakfast was at El Moco—so good. At one point, I almost got mad at Happy, but honestly, I can’t even remember why. He’s usually annoying, so I guess it wasn’t worth putting in the diary haha!

After swapping drivers for about five to six hours, we finally made it to Vegas and checked into the Holiday Inn.

With a whole road of Jazz music, a blessing road.

THE TEMPARTURE IS INSANE. 42C…. Dessert, huh?

After a quick rest, we take a photo with the Vegas Sign. it is just like people said. line-up for 30m and 3m photo lol

My hair look so bad LOL

Our first plan, is to tour through different hotel. Vegas is in the middle of nowhere, so there literally got NOTHING. So the venture is inside every hotel.

headed to the Venetian Hotel, walk around to see the beautiful (and a little halarious?) river and sky. and had a pretty expensive buffet. Tbh it not super delicious but there is tons of options. including raw fish to crab to meat. We then wandered through Caesars Palace, spent some time at the casino, and tried our luck at the slot machines. Wendy and Happy were both giving off bad vibes… But I let it slide, they’re still young.

Well… Vegas is not a place for words. Let do photos.

More hotel ventures!

It Vegas, of course we are going to check out the casino.

We pooled together $25 to play the slots. At one point, we were down to just $7, but one lucky spin brought us back to break even. We cashed out right then—no losses, no gains. I took a shot at red or black with $25 later and… yeah, lost it all. Lesson learned, Vegas doesn’t mess around. LOL

(video of win lottery.)

That night, after getting back to the hotel, Yachun and I hit up a nearby nightclub. We pre-drinked, and she asked me a lot about flirting tips. I was so happy with how well my advice was received. She really appreciated my mature approach, and it felt good to share some experience with someone who valued it.

We have a wonderful night together. after the party we spend some time talking and walking to exercise a little to let the alchole fade. A night and a sincere talk like this, make us know something deeper inside us.

After a long night playing together, I fall asleep immediately last night. I stayed in Happy and Yi-Chen’s Airbnb. First night with Truth and Dare, haha. I We all have our step out to know each other a little more.

We started the day with breakfast at Bread & Bunch, an American local breakfast.

we headed over to Hollywood. Check out the famous Walk of Fame… okay it is boring af lol. and we check out the Hollywood sign. We’ve notice there is a small business going on. A man is shooting photos on their phone and printing them out for the tourist! what they all need is couple of batteries and a printer

At the Farmers Market, we grabbed some Brazilian BBQ—nothing beats sharing great food together. We also stumbled upon a shop selling iris art. For the first time, I got a close-up look at my own iris, and it was kind of mind-blowing.

Next stop we explored Windsor Boulevard, a neighborhood filled with luxurious homes. It’s surreal to see Hollywood straight down the street, with people jogging, walking their dogs (especially big dogs), and armed security signs posted everywhere. seems like it is the top, famous, expensive street.

By night, we made our way to the Griffith Observatory. The views of the LA skyline under the Supermoon were breathtaking—romantic, vast, and almost magical. The sky was busy, with helicopters and planes constantly in motion.

Finally, they dropped me back in Pasadena, and I knocked out as soon as I hit the bed. Didn’t even stir until the next morning—luckily, I didn’t oversleep!

it’s a note for myself 🙂

This whole trip came together through a Threads post. Ya-Chun posted it, inviting strangers to join her for an adventure, and I signed up around May. We hit it off right away, chatting back and forth. Do we click? idk. But it’s funny how something as simple as a post can lead to an entire adventure with people you’ve never met.

And Today, It All Begins

Today’s the day it all kicks off. Woke up early, jumped into the rhythm of public transport—bus to metro, then straight to the airport shuttle, finally landing at Sixt. Since I’d just arrived in LA too, it felt like the first real taste of exploring the city’s public transport system. Navigating it was a mini adventure in itself, setting the tone for the day ahead.

We rented a van, a Chrysler PACIFICA. Brand new, super clean. With five of us plus all our luggage, we decided to bump up the budget and go for the van. It was definitely worth it for the space and comfort. No regrets there.

We also maxed out the insurance for peace of mind. No matter what happens, we won’t get charged. But wow, it was expensive—$711 for five days, with an extra $314 just for the insurance.

First stop, Getty Museum

Getty Museum – A Legacy of Wealth and Vision

J. Paul Getty was so wealthy that he didn’t just collect art, he built an entire museum to share it with the world. When I first learned about this, it really struck me—how one person’s success can create something so meaningful for the public. Seeing his collection gave me a new perspective on how much impact personal achievements can have.

Founder: J. Paul Getty, oil tycoon and art collector

Opened: 1997

Location: Set on a hill in Los Angeles, offering panoramic views of the city

Architecture: Designed by Richard Meier, known for its sleek modern design

Highlights:

• Irises by Vincent van Gogh
• Extensive collection of European paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts
• Rare manuscripts and historical photography

Why Visit: A must-see for its incredible art, beautiful gardens, and the experience of seeing how one man’s passion turned into a gift for the world.

We joined a guided tour at the Getty Museum, and it changed how I see art. The guide showed us how to appreciate the details of a painting by viewing it from different distances. Following his descriptions, we moved closer and farther, noticing how each perspective revealed something new. He also added historical context, which deepened our understanding of the pieces. We spent time with two paintings, not just admiring the art but the brushstrokes and the technique behind them.

Afterward, we wandered through other galleries, taking our time to soak it all in. We snapped some photos together. This visit gave me a deeper appreciation for the museum—it was a chance to slow down and really connect with the art. Plus, using ChatGPT to ask questions about the painting. It made the experience even more enriching.

Santa Monica

We drove over to Santa Monica Beach, but for some reason, the ocean didn’t really call to me this time. Maybe it was the cool weather, or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood. Then, we had a bit of a mess-up—I left my phone with the others, and we ended up splitting up. After wandering around trying to find each other, I finally used my iPad in the van to reconnect with everyone.

By the time we were all back together, it was already past 9 PM. We decided to grab some Shake Shack—so good, but definitely three times the price of In-N-Out.

Later that night, we hit up CVS to grab some drinks and headed back to Happy and Yichen’s place. We stayed up late, drinking, chatting, and playing Truth or Dare. Didn’t hit the sack until 4 AM.

Photo Dump

As you all might tell, recently I’m not very productive. this week I fell into the trap of games, girls, and Netflix again. and I have been dazed all day. It might be the result of too much ice cream over five weeks which led me to a little sugar addiction and a recent unbalanced meal also made me more dazed.

inspiring conversation with goal setting.

Ponpon went back from Boston today. And we are all alone in the house so we could have a really nice, long, deep talk. she shared lots of her experience in the class in the Musicians Institute and all the private classes she has been to. and mentioned a really enlightening perspective.

Goal Setting.

She mentioned that she had been in a vocal private lesson, in which the teacher asked her what she wanted to become. what her goal is right now.

She has answered, but the teacher responded: it’s too vague.

if you want a band, how many people should be in? A quartet? do you want a pianist? you are already a guitarist. Do you also want a horn? then it’s not a quartet.

If she wasn’t clear about her goal, then the techer won’t start the class because it’s a waste of time for both parties

after a long conversation, the teacher said

You need to know what you want to become every single day and work toward it. I don’t even mind if you change your goal tomorrow, but it’s essential to have a goal and purpose in every moment of your practice.

With a goal, the class has a purpose. You know what to ask and what to work on, and I know how to guide you effectively, rather than giving you things that might not align with your goal.

Reflection on myself.

For now, my goal might not be that clear. which is the reason why I’m a bit lost after Berklee’s class. I have too much to practice but it also makes me overwhelmed.

I don’t need any complex system or materials. I just need a clear goal of my future and a quite dedicated mindful practice routine.

Having lunch with some Musicians Institute students. Unfortunately, we didn’t really vibe along (I don’t smoke grass, but one of them do.) so I had to seek other roommates. Still, it is better to say stop at this point. If we lived together and really did not get along, there would be more problems.

Having a tour at an apartment nearby. I started to message people on MI housing list to find new potential roommates.

At home all day, practicing and working on my trip. Learn and practice cooking. not a productive day.

Didn’t do much today, spend time on games and Netflix… I finish Shameless. this drama is so long that character already grow up. I cry at the end. I’ve watched this for a couple of months from Taiwan to USA and it comes to a peaceful… no, maybe not that peaceful but an authentic ending.

Watch Herbie Hancock at night. tbh I feel a little bored. maybe we are too far? or most of the time they are just jamming.

Even though I’m kind of bored. BUT! you can feel something when you listen to the legends. the way they play, their vibe, their energy (he is really old but still act like a happy teenager). there is a lot to learn. 🙂

Play badminton with Annie’s friend. Have dinner in Banana Bay where got amazing cheap Thai food!

It has been a while since I worked out and exercised so I got exhausted pretty fast today and slept early.

Wonderful day photo dump:::::

a normal day with practice and cooking with Annie. I’m adjusting to my life here. food is really hard to get without a car. It is way quieter than living in Taiwan. should be a perfect place to practice and learn.

Beautiful daily picture dump:

It’s a tiring day lol I sleep at 7 am so…

Rest, Practice, Went to target with Jennie. She is basically babysitting me since I haven’t got a car here.

I’ll skip the errands today.

Ponpon has a show tonight, and all roommates from the house come to support. it was a bless that I hang out with everyone at the very first day I arrived.

Ponpon has 30 songs! 10 on guitar and 20 on vocal. It’s insane that she could handle this amount of songs. makes me really feel I need to work way harder so I could catch up from her progress.

Thanks for Ponpon’s connection, I have the opportunity to be the cameraman and work with Grammy Winning Studio. Studio City Sound’s Tim Weir. He is a really kind and energetic man which trust me on the camera even we just met!

There is some clip’s of Ponpon’s show

These musicians are all legends. Pon always have an unique quality to attract the best players to play with her.

After the show, we had dinner together. Pon went catch a fight to Berklee and me and Annie chill together till morning.

Fly to LA, have Lunch with Pon, go to MI, and chat with Pon. sleep really early.

(video)

I lived in Ponpon’s place, one of her roommate just move out so there is a vacancy. lucky me 🙂

Photo Dump

Last day at Berklee. My emotions are all over the place, and I’m not sure how to process them.

In the morning, I accidentally overslept and missed Theory Class. Then I went to Musicianship Class, which was our last class where everyone just chatted. We played Kahoot to practice our ear training, but my listening skills are really bad—I can’t even identify chords. I kind of have a vague feeling for them, but without something familiar to reference, I can’t get the answers right.

At noon, I had lunch and spent time with Beste, Shirdyl, a new friend, Bella, Edgar, Bella Li, Simone, and Grace.

In the afternoon, I rested a little, then had Bebop class, and then chord lab.

I had dinner with Beste, Kiki, Juliana, Shirdyl, and Vic at 7:00 PM.

Around 9:00 PM, I came back to tidy up and procrastinated a bit. I finished tidying up around 11:30 PM.

I went up to the fifth floor to find Beste, and we went up to the rooftop together. There was an amazing but also terrifying place. It was the first time I felt so scared and in danger while climbing up. We talked, hugged, and shared some intimate moments.

Afterward, we went back to the basement. I chatted with everyone in the basement, and then the music started playing, and we danced. I spent time talking, hugging, and saying a proper goodbye to everyone.

In the blink of an eye, Berklee is over… It’s truly unbelievable. From the first week, meeting everyone, feeling a bit nervous with the small talk, watching Nat quickly gather people for jams, and learning from his way of interacting with others. To the middle of the term, my chats at the caf.

When it was time to leave, I watched everyone at the party, being the first to leave. My heart ached for a moment. Seeing everyone saying goodbye to me, I felt like the luckiest person in the world. I will work hard, make money, and travel just to meet everyone again.

This morning started with my second performance, featuring pieces like “Frankenstein,” “Fred,” and “Beastly.” I think we did it pretty decent :).

Lunchtime was a casual affair at the cafeteria, where I enjoyed chatting with friends.

The afternoon brought a challenge during the Funk Lab session, where I struggled to stay awake. A quick nap afterward helped recharge my energy for the rest of the day. Later, in the Reading Lab, I had a meaningful conversation with Neal, my first and most supportive teacher. Neal has always been a warm and approachable mentor, offering me encouragement and the resources I needed to thrive. His genuine care and easy-going nature have made him a role model for me.

As evening fell, I met up with Maddy and Sasha back at the dorm, and we decided to hang out for the second time! We grabbed dinner together and headed to BPC for a performance. Where I met Ariel, and finally have a chance to chat and start to be a friend of her

(photo and video)

The show was fairly standard, but the highlight was the Salsa Ensemble. The vibrant atmosphere and infectious rhythms made it impossible not to want to dance. The percussion by the instructor was particularly captivating.

The night continued with an impromptu adventure as a large group more than 35 of us headed to the Dock. We spent hours talking, dancing, and enjoying the night view, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

I shared a dance and some conversation with Simone, who is my best friend here. to be honest we didn’t really talk much but we instantly vibe together and feel very comfortable around him no idea why!

We returned around 3 AM, completely exhausted but happy, and I fell asleep immediately, ending the day with a deep sense of satisfaction and connection.

After breakfast, I had a solfeg performance. It was absolutely ridiculous but so much fun—a pure joy.

(photo and video)

It made me realize, when playing music, you shouldn’t be nervous; just maintain this happy mindset.

I had my private lesson after, and it was a solid final half-hour class with my teacher.

Today I have my first ensemble performance. It had the right vibe! Although I did mess up a little in one spot, my solo was much better than during practice!

(video)

After dinner, I went to BPC to watch a show. The performance tonight was truly amazing—it almost made me cry. On the way back, I ran into Bella and Edgar and hung out with a group of Dominicans for a bit. They were all speaking Spanish, which I couldn’t understand, but they were such sweet people, and the atmosphere was great. Deniala was especially beautiful, like a doll. Their family had an aristocratic air to them, with one elegant grandmother with white hair. When they left, I got lots of Dominican-style hugs.

Finally, back at the dorm, I spent another lovely chill time in the basement lounge with everyone. I think I might cry when I leave the day after tomorrow—for the first time ever due to a separation (I’ve never cried at graduations or camps before). (Oh no, I’m already tearing up just thinking about it now!)

photo dump

Practice all day long! last week I spent too much time doing random stuff..

Practice with Idil and Myra. and have a Mini Tiny Desk which host by another summer program student. pretty cool idea!!

Record Madi’s stuff at night, spend way too much time. work on my theory homework.

Photo Dump

(photos)

a fairly simple day. sleep late, have lunch, have a show at the super jam, practice. Today I talk with the red hair girl that I’ve been notice for a while. she is gorgeous and I always thought that is natural red hair, turns out it not lol

(video)

Photo dump

(photos)

Since I got there, I never partied for a long time. I hang out with people a little and then switch to another group or get back to the dorm to practice. today I finally have a chance.

Today is my awesome party day with 270.

I have a yoga class in the morning since it’s the last class, I spend some time having a conversation with Maddy and Sasha. and I think it’s the first time we start to really know each other. I had lunch with Idil and Ruhi in caf, and spent some calm and happy chatting with them. and then I head to 921. show some support for my friends that auditioning today. Rehearsal with Kiki, Gigi and some new Chinese friend. They sometimes fight and argue a little which makes me a little annoyed bt generally it is good! Have dinner with some friends, chat with Eva, Shirdyl, Zoe, Bella..

Beautiful Night with Beste and Shirdyl

At night, I went to the dock with Beste. We haven’t shared time together that just us for a couple of days. She shared a secret dock place with me. It’s a fine night with aesthetic river and ducks.We have a nice chat about our past.

(photos and videos)

After that, we have a late night dinner with Sherdyl. it the first time we have dinner outside.

(photo and videos.)

When we head back to 270, we continue to have a party! we learned differed danced till 5 am. We learned Mexico dance, some left foot slide right food slide dance,

then I head out to the dock with Sherdyl, Mena, Beste, Bella, Alexsandra. with have a wonderful morning.

Photo dump.

(videos and photo)

Almost late to the class today.

These couple days I’m not really in good shape, been too lazy. and being late a lot. I clean my room up today, Filled up all the diaries that I missed, worked on errands.. hotel booking, MI tuition, F1 Visa all that stuff.

Have a nice lunch and dinner, spend time with Simone, Grace, Miklos, Daniel

get distracted a little today.

Photo Dump

Feeling so tired in the daytime, end up sleeping from 11 am to 3 am and miss my musicianship class…

Really upset at night. We are supposed to perform at the Jam session. However, the host randomly wants people to “check in” which no one knows that a thing, and then other people start blocking people out and saying we are in order. We wait for a couple of hours and are in line the whole time and then we are still not performing, but the one that creates chaos ends up performing.

I’m almost losing control and shout at the host. They don’t know how to manage a Jam session or maybe they are just too lazy to get things in control.

Poorly managed.

Feel very upset and slept early today.

Still happy to see some of my friend performed.

Class, Practice, Nothing Special in the daytime.
Dinner Party at Caroline’s place with Daemin, Sally and Jack. 🙂

Photo Dump

Theory, Musicianship, Private Lesson, Ensemble. Two hard classes today. not doing really well today 🙁 last week, I spent most time preparing for auditions and messing up the practice routine of these classes.

Work till late and chill with Beste. After we have some rest, keep practicing for tomorrow’s ensemble.

Been a little tired these couple of days, sorry for keeping it so short.

Finally, woke up and caught the class today. After I shifted my mindset from “finishing the work” to “I want to make my guitar skill better,” It became less struggle to wake up.

Spend some time in the Bank of America to make sure I get all my Credit cards and debit cards and then practice, then rehearsal.

Spending sometime in the basement, having good time chatting and hangout with 270’s ppl.

Writing my theory and musicianship homework with Bella, we end up spending a wonderful time together.

Practice all day! I have been so laaazy for a couple days. Today is the time to start hustling again.

Work on blues almost all day. Then practice with Spy and Wyatt for our ensemble class. They are 17 but both have over 10 years of experience 🥹. Freaks me out a little.

We had a nice time practicing and decided to sign up for a jam session.

I practice the whole night until 3 am and work only on blues so I get a little distracted. should plan the practice schedule more clearly next time.

Sad I didn’t get the photo in the rehearsal today! just a bunny when I walk with Beste.

Have an Audition at 13:00 today. Plan to wake up at the morning and practice, but I end up sleep straight to 10:30 am… feel a little tired and unmotivated today.

Have my Audition and interview all done today, not exactly very good, i could do way better at the sight reading and ear training. But i did my best right now 🙂

Have a great chat with Eva today. It has been a long time since we chat last time.

End up watching Rick and Morty at night, ah!

Breakfast with some beautiful people 🙂

than we switch to another table to join our friends.

and than we got more silly photos lol

While the fight kept going, Bella drew me on my iPad

We went to a salsa night at night 🙂

me and the drawing haha

I should practice at night, but end up watching Rick and Morty ……..

There is nothing Much Today, Take classes and practice for the Audition on Saturday.

Have a wonderful experience watching 270s to have a great performance. I really want to play with them. It is inspiring and really want to develop a style so I can be needed in the future.

FINALLY, WAKE UP EARLY TODAY!!!

I feel very good and happy today.I wake up early, practice, and have a nice breakfast.

Today’s Schedule is:

• Musicianship
• Ensemble
• Funk Lab
• Reading Lab
• Practice at night

We made significant progress in our tune in the ensemble class. Today we have another tough teacher to fill in. and he pays attention to coherence and how we sound altogether. Felt I learned a lot from his teach! This ensemble class is really a great one.

(video)

In my last class, Reading Lab, had time to witness how Ezra to crazy things on chords. he is so good and I feel fortunate to know him and learn from him 🙂

After the class, I practice at night, prepare for my audition on Saturday.

Beautiful Photo Dump

Nothing Special today, hustling through all the work, practice, and perform at the Recital hall. Glad to finally make it up on the stage.

Still have some confidence and nervous issues I need to work on. I’m looking forward to the day that I can enjoy and “play” music, not be nervous through it 🙂

Oh! and I learn some Turkish today. A Qing Kuen Qin. it’s “gibberish”??? lol

Photo Dump, Food, Ice Cream, Beste, Idil!

Overslept and miss my elective class 🥹 Glad that this teacher didn’t take attendance, but still 🥹

Guitar Survey we talk about how to compose, what to do when you get hired, how to hire, and how to collaborate with different artists. All very practical stuff.

in the afternoon, we have “Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science” at the Berklee Performance Center. Singer, Guitarist, DJ, and Drummer all have distinguished qualities that get you hooked immediately.

(video wait to be update)

Practice with Ayberk, Oz, Edwin, and Ruhi, We are performing Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers tomorrow. I’m very happy that I got a chance to perform and practice with them. They are way more mature in music than I am.

by the way, I really like our version of CWEAL. Everyone has a chance to solo 🙂

At night, work on my August trip a little bit, and than sleep a little bit earlier 🙂

It’s Sunday. a fairly simple day. Have a nice breakfast with Simone, Beste, Zoey. Three of my very good friend here.

Practice some tune with Myra, Gili, and Miklos. It’s interesting to play with very different people.

Walking to the dock with Zoey, and spending some quiet time with her.

At the end of the day, learning Ableton and try to make some beats with Beste. Simple cozy day!

Pick up my computer today 🙂 Finally, I can have a decent recording on Ableton without any cracking!! I’m so happy. Upgrade from Intel chip to M chip is a game changer and I finally got it.

Yoga class in the morning with Professor Allison. I can’t seem to calm down today. So it is the perfect thing for me right now. Every time I finish the yoga session, I feel my take speed slow down a little and my senses are enlarged. I love this feeling.

Teaching Simone some Chinese.

我要冰淇淋 = I want icecream
Pronunciation: Woˇ Yaoˋ Bing Chiˊ Linˊ

我要大波霸 = I want big b00bs(in a more elegant way)
Pronunciation: Woˇ Yaoˋ Daˋ Buo Baˋ

And I found Chinese to be such an elegant language.

“I can’t seem to calm down today”

the word I’m looking for is 躁動

躁 means you are in a hyper-energetic state.

動 means move.

so 躁動 means you feel too energetic to calm down and you can’t start moving.

We plan to go to a Live Salsa today, but it’s end before we arrived. so we switched to the dock. today we hang around at a really chill spot. sitting here watching the river and surrounded by the most beautiful people, feels like a dream. I can’t express how much I love these people and how much I fell in love with my current state of mind.

There is not much time left in Berklee. I feel I’m in my best possible version right now. Practice, hang out, eat, sleep, watch shows, practice, hang out. Routine without distraction, with 270s people who are mature and beautiful.

If I look back after years, I’ll be surprised how Aspire bring us together. the diversity of people, the acceptance of different cultures, and the openness and focus when we talk to each other. People are interesting, talented, and beautiful. Boston is also an elegant, comfortable place. The dock nearby is cozy and good for deep talk. It’s a really beautiful city to explore.

There is no more one could ask, for a place to feel belonged.

After that, I spend some time setting up my computer and go to the basement to practice Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers at night. 12 am – 3 am lol so sleepy. However, it’s a productive and focused practice session 🙂

Practice my homework at the basement. Accidently meet Beste and we are focused + working together in the basement! Such a nice session working together.

I’m also upgrading my mac for better one, so i did some homework on the prace and went to Apple Store to check out the color. At first I really want the Space Black one, but silver looks so nice in this version! its insane. I used to feel silver will be my last choice because it is too basic. but this version’s of silver look shiny and doesnt leave fingerprint on it! its looks nice.

Today morning, there is a bomb threat at 150 and 160… it is insane. and i have been locked out my dorm AGAIN and i couldnt find anyone to help me lol.

Photo Dump!

Don’t have much class today. Theories and ear training.

Having a free coffee at the local coffee shop. Nero Cafe.

Checking out Berklee’s Library, Practice in the dorm, and check out several jam sessions at night. There is not much today 🙂

Photo Dump

Finally have more energy today. I have all my tough classes today. This ensemble teacher is strict. And picky about the things we played.

I really enjoyed Funk Lab. We are talking about triad development in grooving, interval resolution, and notes resolution. It’s really hard to understand sometimes because these are new and a little hard for me (I’m so bad in chords).

Watching Klemer Trio at night and hang-out with people at basement today.

• Musicianships
• Ensemble
• Funk Lab
• Reading Lab.
• People are making things in basement.

Still not feeling too good today. But still have a nice day 🙂
I have an exciting Theory Class today. our homework is to work on 8 bars chords progression that includes the technique we’ve learned in class. Secondary dominant, deception dominant, subsitute, modal, etc.

Mine is relatively simple. just using substitute to create E -> C chromatic movement, and borrow a I VI II V from Eb Maj (Cm). but deceptive at the end, II V does not go to Cm but C Maj. at last, used a secondary dominant to go back to the first chord E-7. although its simple but it sound beautiful and key-vagued in the middle which I really like.

Other people in the class got some serious stuff. like Simone have borrowed a chord from Phrygian mode.. and used some backdoor dominant which I have no idea what that is.

also, this guy’s piece is insane. we are all doing II V I but change it a little, he almost breaks all the rules. you can’t find any II V I inside but it sounds awesome.

After Theory and Musicianship classes, I have my Private Lessons. Professor John Baboian gives me some interesting stuff.

My current weakness is chord variation, so Professor Baboian gave me an assignment to get used to different inversions and play diatonic tones through them.

At night, Playing “Skate” with Sherdyl, Simone, Miklos, Edwin, and Bella. I fugged up, ah… I’m playing cautious so I hope people didn’t notice, but i didn’t do well.

It reminds me of what my teacher told me before: you should always respect the stage and be alert and prepared.

Not feel too comfortable today. got a little late on the scoring class. ah! every time I have a slight slip, things will start to fall apart.

Sleep a little in the daytime and missed the Performance Perspective class 🙁 Although they don’t take attendance, it’s a really good class that you can see different artists.

Went to the dock with the 270s. Happy to hang out a little. Saw the beautiful sunset, and swam in the river (they said it’s dirty but I dot car)

Woke up a little late in morning, shower and get my cloth washed. I hand washed most of my clothes here becasue most of moy cloth are new and i dont wnat them to get dyed from others.

After a slight work, I go to berklee caf to have some brunch. I met Indara at the front desk and finally have a chat with her. (we just saying hi and bye and never really chat before.) They just finished a hot yoga from nearby fitness center. and they said there are already 5 people sign the same fitness center lol its halarious.

Have some great time in the caf with Indara, Isabella, Bella, Grace, Mora, Edgar, Alexandra, and the people I met 🙂

After that, we practice a little with Shirdyl and others. the vibe is great

After that, a little rest in the dorm and dinner, than a beautiful beach trip 😎

(a video wait to be edit)

Beach Photo Dump

Post Party Photo Dump

Very tired today. sleep at 12.

Finally Saturday. Yesterday was wonderful and makes me a little tired today. wake up late at 8 (should be at 6 QAQ)

Have an instrumental audition today. I fugged up :\ didn’t get the volume right and the performance was not in shape.

Have a good breakfast at the caf and hang with Diego, Ian, Eva, and Caroline. We randomly meet at the caf and just start sharing stuff. I love the vibe 🙂

After that, I have a Yoga class. It has been a long time since I meditated last time. This Yoga class bring me back to a deeper state and makes my pace and heartbeat slow down a bit. it feels good.

Taking care of my flights and hotel booking for the trip at Aug. Ran into Eva AGAIN LOL at the caf. Start to feel happy to see her at caf. Feel like we can talk and chill in a similar vibe.

Practice inversions at night, resting, and sleep early today.

Yesterday I got tired and a little frustrated. I guess one reason is I fell off the schedule. Blog posts haven’t been done, and morning practice has been dropping out because I went to bed too late. etc.

Sleeping early yesterday and taking a long, good shower helped me recover a little. spending. Bringing my MacBook to Caf, and spending 2 hours working on all the stacked blog posts and chilling a little with Eva.

After socializing so much this week, I feel a little burned out. However, I did know some great people! Zoey, Milla, Ayberk, Edgar, Grace, Eva, Bella, Audrie, Oz… there are too many to mention (posting every person on the Name Wall 😎) I LOVED THEM. they all give me lots of support and inspiration.

I love the openness of Berklee, people embrace every kind of music and are able to just jam around even though we don’t have shared any experience before. we open our ears, listen, and appreciate others’ sounds. It made me determined that I want to study at Berklee and I know I could build a decent career around these people.

There is no way to express how blessed I felt to be a part of this community.

I got my blog post done today, had my guitar sent to the repair center to fix some issues, asking Ayberk (he is my hero here.) to play Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers with me. And have a nice Ear-Training class. finally feeling some good progress today!

It is time for me to focus on jamming and practicing. I’ve known enough people, that I feel others that I don’t know are just in reach. I can start to focus more on my own sound, and bounding the existing relationships 🙂

(a quick note, these diaries really help me reflect on what my progress is right now. and get out of the chaos real fast. I genuinely encourage everyone to reflect and write anytime they feel chaotic.)

Notes on having a chat with strangers.

Small talk is not a thing in Asia culture. It’s been a little embarrassing for me to talk to strangers at first. but I’ve found some interesting psychological phenomena (not sure if it’s the right way to say XD)

In the first week, people are open to know each other. they don’t have a certain group yet, are interested in knowing new people, the feeling is still fresh, and most important. people are terrified to be left out. Due to these reasons, if one can say hi, and show interest in them. They are willing to know you as well.

Another good trick for me is to genuinely feel interested in others. when you are open and deeply care for each other, you will want to know how people’s day is going. I love what the professor said in the guitar department orientation. “You need to be your favorite guitarist.” the moment you favorite yourself the most, you are not a “fan” to others anymore. When you meet legends, you start to appreciate and ask, “Hey! I love your sound and performance, do you have any advice on how can I try to achieve the state you are in?” because you love yourself the most, you know you have to ask others and open conversation for “the favorite guitarist, yourself.”

Let’s get back to the social in the camp. Once you truly care for each other, you can say hi to them, ask them what instrument they played, what they are up to, etc. There may be some basic questions but it helps me start knowing people and gives me another opportunity to bond with them in the future.

I’ll say, that everyone around you is an asset to build your own skills, having more connection to others, and a chance to be offered (My self-value depends on how much I could offer to greater people)

The third one is, this might be controversial, be alone. I don’t stay with a certain group. I may hang out with people but I don’t stick with them all the time. for me,in the group will slow down my pace and make it harder to know new people. It’s almost impossible to find your pack on the first day or week. so why bother? I like to walk alone, or walk we different people every day. Sit and eat with different people, jam with different people. That’s what I’ve done this week. and I’ve known lots of people and been inspired all the time.

just to be clear, these tips and advice are from my own experience, it not rule and no one will ever have to follow them all the time. so I hope you are inspired and figure out your own way to connect with people 🙂

Diary Continue

After the musicianship class, I have a simple lunch, and chat with Caroline. finally have some time to have a decent chat with her. we both come from Taiwan and even go to the same school lol what’s the coincidence?

Solo Practice from 2:30 to 4:30 get dinner, and then Jam a little with Bella and her friend. try to play a bass line and found out my tempo SUCKED.. Jaming and practicing from 6 – 8 and another practice with Shierdel, Simon, Ezabell, etc…….soorryyyy names are hard. We have a great time 🙂

We might be able to jam over some talking, that will be really cool.

Time to sleep. before that, tour a little 😛

Photo Dump

tiiimeee tooo sleeeppp~~

Today I have Theory, Musicianship, and Chord Lab.

Yesterday, I went to bed a bit late, ended up feeling so tired today, and didn’t practice in the morning. I have a LONG break between classes, I feel so tired I end up sleeping at the dorm for two hours.

I have booked a rehearsal room today and ended up teaching Eva som music theory. She is a bit nervous about the audition, so we jam a bit and have some theory class lol I really enjoyed it and it was fun jamming and helping out each other.

At night there is a jam night, Ayberk, David, Idil, Philipo, pianist, bassist (sorry I don’t know your name), they are CRAZY.

I don’t feel quite well today and had earlier sleep today. Too many things stacked up and it starts to make me overwhelmed. May need to spend my weekend practice, and deal with booking flights, and hotels, for the August trip.

Go to bed earlier today, 22:30. Heard that their were some fun in the basement after, whaaaat~~

Busy day again. I practice early at 7 pm. Have class at 11:00 so I practice for 2 hours.
Today, I got Ear Training, Ensemble 2, Funk Lab, and Reading Lab.

The ear training class is like usual, practicing solfege, singing some songs and tunes to train on our relative pitch.

My second ensemble class plays more fusion stuff than the first one, we try out John Scofield, Vulfpek, and Alan Wholeworth. At first, those tunes were a little boring for me, but the Allan Holdsworth one is Fred! my favorite tune.

At the funk lab, we do some Hard Stuff….. Jim teach us different various on a chords, not just inversions but also chords change like cm7 you could change it to -> EbMaj7 because they have same notes.

At last, reading lab. Neal is the professor that audition with me. So we already know each other before. We start with some diatonic horizontal arpeggio. And than work on reading on “It’s a New Day”. and start to jam a little.

My classmates in this class are friendly and chill. We share a lots of our favorite tunes.

After back to the dorm, I jam a bit with people (no recording qq should record!) there are some other peoples playing!

Ayberk is going crazy on Chromazonn Damn, he is so good

Photo Dump

Today is the first day of actual class. Start to have serious theory and homework. It is a bit hard for me in theory class, I count the scale degree really slow and people seems to get it fast.

I start my day by face caring, shaving, brushing, etc. Practice for an hour, half an hour practicing basics, and half an hour practice for songs. After that, taking a bunch of classes. Throey, Ear Training, Private, and, ENSEMBLE. Ensemble class is the best, playing and jamming with bunch of random people.

My biggest weakness right now is I can’t spice the chords up. simple bar chord is SO BORING and never enough in a jam band.

At night, go to the jam session with Casey. We almost have a band right on sight. but sadly we didn’t find a bass player 🙁 After that, I go back to my dorm and write some homework 🙂

and of course, some late-night jam in 270.

That’s it!

Morning Practice a little. runinng some squence and practice on blue bossa. from today going

Today is mostly orientation schedule, having some interesting theory with Professor Lissance, Professor Greenblatt, etc.

Catching some food in the caf with Grace today. It looks good and it’s “okay”. Taiwanese food is so good that American food has no chance to make me feel tasty.

Performance Perspectives has invited Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, and Kenny Aronoff. Bring out a group of 1 drum, 2 bass! they went insane in their solo and went into their zone. The performance is wonderful.

after that I finally success in finding a room and jam with Teresa, Diego, and some people that I pick up on the way.

I’m glad I finally have the courage to ask people to jam with me. met so many great jazz players here I feel I’m just stumbling into others’ ways lol.

this jam session is fun! but I feel we all played our own stuff and didn’t really listen to others. it’s something we definitely could work on. looking forward to see us gradually get into place. and hope to record something real soon.

After a hour short jam, I go grab some food and check out the singer-songwriter open mic. seems like they are all performing their own piece and covers! so different with a jam session. the audience is a little bit noisy, feel like people are treating this open mic as a “club” thing to hang with people

I’m lucky to coincedently catch loo-ci’s performance! who i met yesterday. love her performance, she really catch the audience soooo much.

later at night, got some fun jam with aonther group of people. forget to take photo!! shoot. I play with Jack and a drummer that i have hard time pronounce his name. going to ask him next time i meet him.

some short clips of others playing!

that’s it! after this I go take a shower and sleep. Got morning practice tomorrow.

Good night.

Okay, my notes failed me. I got a bunch of names on my list but started to forget who was who !!!

This wall will help me remember everyone. If you want to change your photo (or even remove it. please contact [email protected] )

No schedule for this morning, finally have some sleep all the way till 9 am. I might use one day per week for my resting day so I won’t burn out too fast.

First, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it or not, but I loved it here. the energy and the diversity are CRAZY. I hope I have more time to spend with all these amazing people. start collecting people’s photos today lol (please don’t be scared by me.. I know I’m weird af😗)

Today is a BLAST again. having breakfast with Milla, Alexandra, Nat, and a bunch of new people. It is a new normal now. After that, I walked around the city and checked out apple store. Ran into Zoey All day. She is cute and funny lol.

Afternoon is the opening celebration, and it is hilarious lol just a random table game on the table.

Playing drawing games with some random people.

and than 2nd floor start dancing. Trying to make it my new normal XD but i have a hard time. lucky enough some people that good at dancing started teaching me.

another today’s new friend! Michaella and Kinley.

After the opening celebration, there is a welcoming concert by Berklee Snarky Puppy and it is CRAZY. They play a fusion band with so many people and still be so balanced.

one that impressed me a lot, is a guitarist using microcosm and some delay effect that is so distinguished and showy that I feel it is hard to balance in a band. but he blends it perfectly. Eye-catching but not overshining from the band.

that’s it for today!

One another exciting day in Berklee, I met a lot of people that I already had a hard time tracking.

Morning practicing from 7 am to 9 am met some morning practice crew in the practice room.

Some of them I met yesterday, and I started to take selfie with the people I met several times 🙂

There are so many names and I have a hard time remembering them. ah!

I met Grace on the way to the Audition, and we end up chatting and running into each other whole day! She’s from London, got a really interested England elegant.

My placement audition went really well, I felt very calm when I played Mike Stern’s Little Shoes. I appreciate the lot that NTU Rock Club gives me the experience to have a show with this song, gives me the opportunity to be well-practiced and memorize the whole solo.

I’m also very lucky to audition with Professor Neil, who is also really into Mike Stern’s. He spotted my solo and instantly knew that I transcribed WHOLE Mike Stern’s solo, and said he’d place me into the best class, and give all the good stuff.

I’M EXCITED!!

After the audition, I head out to the optional audition. I really like the vibe in the salsa audition. I want to get in SO BAD. Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience in salsa so they can’t have me. I hope I can have some time to practice and immersed in salsa in the future.

Not just students, I’ve met some really nice staff. One named Cindy, from China, and one named Mikella. they both helped me more than they should, and were very friendly to me which I’m so glad and appreciate.

After all the auditions, I’m EXAUSTED. but there are several jam sessions going on at night. I take a quick 20-minute nap and head out for dinner, then Jam Session!

I went to the fusion and jazz jam session, tbh I enjoyed the jazz jam session more. I feel the energy is more chill and people are SERIOUS about their improv which really impressed me.

Some clips of the Jam session, all from Dorm 207 Crew 😎

Will:

Daniela:

Nat

After Jam Session on the way back to the dorm, I met some new friends: Milla, Daniela, Sally, Sherdyl(met her first in the early morning practice), Spencer, Juliana, Alondro(met her first at the salsa audition), Diego, Ian, etc. to many people to check out.

that’s it! I fall asleep immediately after I get back to the dorm..

on the first day, I’m already sure I really want to come and study here.

I’m really lucky to get a single room! I have lots of things so it is nice that i don’t need to share space with others. and there really got lots of talented people here. many of them dedicated themselves to music since they were really young. I’m fortuate

When I chat with my family, they say the State really is my place, seems everything goes well wth me. However, the truth is, I have ran into TONS of tiny accident. but nothing couldt overcome 🙂

-> notes: update a practice clips here.

I split with my taiwanese friend today, ad met lots of people. I’m glad that we decide to not sticked together.

Nisha and her friend: a really young pop vocalist from Thailand. have good vibe are funny.

Faaiza, another vocalist from Arab

Emeliano, my “fake” roommate (because I ran into wrong building). a Mexican now live in Chicago two years ago, also a really nice guy

Ruhi. a really groovy and easy going drummer

Kjersti and Jada, two girl that sit next to me and the first and second people receiving taiwanese snacks that I bring. I’m kind of nervous to start a conversation with two people together but they really helped out and gives me a good conversation.

Almp and Bret. random guy on the hallway. onne of them looks like Tom Misch

Zoey, a vocalist who has amazing, friendly, good-quality energy. a little frightened by her but I wish I knew her more.

Daniel, another vocalist that a similar vibe to Zoey. very chill

Zay and Nat, Natasha. they may be the most important people i met here. they really know how to connect with people and bring up a gig together. lets me know Sami and Oren.

Sami and Oren, are two guys that I jam with first! they are both BAD. very lucky to play with them and learn from them

Conor, a tall London guitarist, very friendly and easygoing, will be a good mate to just hang around with, haven’t played with him yet. I hope to play with him real soon.

I’m going to update their photo really soon 🙂

First day is all about sweating and check-in. looking forward to this five weeks.

I woke up at 6 am, having a great breakfast at CitizenM.

Setting up phone services, working on banking errands, and shopping for a work computer. Also started to spend some time chatting with friends, sharing my life in Boston, and helping them out with some stuff. not sure if I should block my morning chat or not. I’ll keep it right now but focus on the people I cherish more.

Most of the essential errands have been settled. I’m proud of myself 🙂

Having a pizza picnic with my friend in noon. although I have lots of work to do, i believe living is always first. You only get good music if you have a loose, chilled life.

Practicing guitar in the afternoon. Still working on a better routine that gives me challenges but does not stress me out to achieve a longer consistent practice schedule.

Also, today is forth of July. Really appreciate my friend got me out and go see the fireworks. happy to be part of this major event in Boston!

Still, haven’t worked on Buildspace’s project. 🙁

Every time moving to another place is a good chance to build habits. According to Atomic Habits, habits rely on environmental cues. A totally different environment will get rid of all old cues. Therefore, I am more careful about what I do in a day. I was facing some boredom time, waiting for the next plane, tired in the bedroom, waiting for the restaurant, but I didn’t try to download any games. instead, I try to replace it with reading.

On my second day in Boston, I gradually started to do some work. I have started practicing guitar today, writing blogs, and working on small stuff.

Doing facial care in the morning, brushing my teeth, washing clothes. Haven’t found a time slot for exercise yet. But have taken a long walk these two days.

Photo dump for today!

I finally arrived in Boston where I’ll spend the next 5 weeks. On the flight, I’ve study most of the Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Which is definitely an inspiring piece on how to interact and socialize in a civilized way. I’ll recommend this book to anyone who is contemplating how to balance the temperature of interactions with others, whether they should be a bit tougher and stand firm on their positions or be softer and try to avoid conflicts as much as possible.

This book provides a solid argument on why the latter is better. Most of time I’m tougher on my position, so this books inspired me a lot.

One last information I want to give you, dear reader, is to imagine you are running a marathon in a forest. You might encounter lots of obstacles. you could “man up” and chop down the woods, swim over a lake, or take any shortest way that seems logically the best. or you could always bypass it and take the long way but eventually keep everything in place and even get to the destination even faster. This book takes a good point psychologically and example on how you should avoid any kind of conflict with great empathy for others.

Flights to Boston

After 9 hours of waiting in Korea, finally got on a flight to Boston. The clouds scene on the fight is more gorgeous than any trip I have taken before. the sea and the city make me think a lot.

City scene before landing

For some people, the State is their home. and Taiwan(where I came from) is an island for vacation. For me and my friend, this is a land with the unknown. A huge unknown.

We came here with different kinds of expectations, curiosity, and frightened. Wishing out a new life here is better than we used to.

There are some random pictures of my first day in Boston 🙂 Sleeping a lot today haha.

CitizenM is a really interesting and detailed hotel brand. I must say, I’m obseesed.

It has a sense of ritual to start the first day with a nice view of the city.

Walk around the city and visit the famous “The Daily Catch” nearby. it is delicious and the store feels wonderful. It is a great choice to live in uptown.

We have stuffed calamari and black pasta 🙂 that lobster is not ours lol.

That’s it. tiny wrap up of my first day in Boston.

2024/07/01, the start of the latter half of the year, also the first day of my new life.

🙂

in Atomic Habit, it mentioned that the environment plays a great part in your own habits. this time moving to a new place is a great opportunity for me to shape my life.

fighting the urge to play games or do casual things in spare time, replace it with reading books. Reading How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie today.

Some photo dump. Lucky to make a friend during my layover at the Korean airport. Made my day :0!

Finally, get everything into the suitcase and weigh under 23kg(it is so easy to over 23kg)

There is not much to update today. Cleaning up my room, saying goodbye to my cat, get things into order.
tomorrow is the flying day 🙂

Another prep day! Buying some clothes, new shoe, and start to pack them into the suitcase.

Spend time with family. Chatting with them.

have completed 60% of the preparation today. I am buying all the stuff that is needed. Get glasses, get eye contact, medicine, etc.

going to pack these all up tomorrow 🙂

What I’ve Done Today

I’m kind of worried about my n&w project.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and Practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Buy all the things I need, glasses, eye contact, luggage case, medicine.
   • ✔️ Unpacking package that I send back from Taipei.

Have booked a hotel at CitizenM at a really good deal, I used some tiny hack 😆.

Lots of small important things today.

1. Set and buy new glasses for backup. it seems really complicated to buy glasses in the USA.
2. Apply and get my international driver’s license.
3. Looking for a new suitcase and going to buy it tomorrow
4. having dinner with my cousin
5. buying new T-shirt.

outside all-day. tired but have take care of lots of things 🙂

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
   • ✔️ Jam around.
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Applying for documents, buy necessities.

Giving my place back to the landlord. Traveling back to my family house. Spending some time with family and receiving things I send back from Taipei. Jamming around with some old gear in Kaohsiung. Start to have more feelings about my n&w project.

There is not much today, all traveling, packing, cleaning and chilling 🙂

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
   • ✔️ Jam around.
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Travel, Hand over the house, Pack and Unpack.

Cleaning and packing all day. sending my stuff back to Kaohsiung.

before

after

I will miss you very muuuuch.

just realized don’t have very many photos of me and the room. next time should take some photographs in place!

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ BuildSpace, Lecture #02
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Packing and cleaning day.

After deleting Squad Busters and spending all my money on the game, finally have less accidentally starting the game and getting sucked in for hours.

Keep packing my stuff for moving back to my hometown (and then traveling to the USA). spending way more time than I thought. But i eventually finished 80% right now and I i think ill be finished packing everything before I go to sleep.

Today is the final day of submitting n&w‘s w1 update. have been procrastinating for so long this week. but finally quiet down spend time working on it, and finish it. Another burden offload! happy.

some random reflection

Maybe I set my goal too far and too big. eventually, it becomes a shackle instead of a direction.

saw this interesting stuff today, and I really like his bio:

After setting my n&w goal to experiment and learning journey, I felt excited about music again since a very long time. 🙂

happy!

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ BuildSpace, Nights and Weekends Update #01
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Packing up my room (almost whole day)

Have been thinking a lot and cluttered by different ideas.
Should I just do a song? Make it really easy but put more work into it. Or should I make this as close to my dream as possible (but a smaller version ofc.)

Writing down these thoughts and still didn’t figure it out.

(you don’t need to read these, just a screenshot of my thoughts stream)

the struggle is real though…

How about a simple EP and having fun with it? no pressure, don’t feel you need to accomplish anything. Let’s face the reality, you need to learn to produce interesting stuff, right? just focus on this

just make your buildspace project around this.

Final Idea Decision.

this is my final decision of n&w project.

Have thought over different options but right now I’m lack of skills and experience. So I’m making this project as small as possible but still able to get feedback.

tbh, it is more like a toy, but I’m making this more effortless (still needs hard work), so I can enjoy and explore more.

Update to Sage

what’s your one-liner?

don’t forget — your one-liner should be a short, catchy sentence that describes your project. it should be super easy to understand.

Six musical reels using diverse instruments and styles.

why do you want to work on this? tell us a little about the story / why.

1-2 sentences is good.

train my production technique and in the meanwhile testing audience reactions, 30-second reels can minimal the efforts but diverse the training and testing.

what domain are you building in? ex. ai, content, d2c, web3, etc.

content

what stage is your project at rn?

✅ just starting…

◻️ created the first version of my idea already.

◻️ working on getting mt first 100 fans, downloads, users, etc.

◻️ i have my first 100, working on getting more in n&w.

link your tweet, linkedin post, or insta reel w/ your idea slide. prove to us you shared it somewhere.

if you did more than one platform awesome, just hit “+ add another link” and if you didn’t post online just give us any link proving you showed your idea to someone else and got feedback

submit three screenshots showing us the feedback you gave other ppl on their ideas.

upload your idea slide here. this is the slide you export from canva or figma.

cool. anything else interesting happen this week with you or your project you wanna mention?

for me, this idea decision is facing the gap between me and my dream. i have been stuck in the same place for a really long time, only because the fear of making that dream project is too big and every time i start, it’s a struggle.

this time i spend time quietly thinking it through and decided to make some helping blocks and slowly approach my goal.

interesting project I found

https://www.llmfight.club just go and play with it

TLDR, thought i could suppress my urge to play game, but no, still play games in almost every spare time. SO I DELETE IT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

this has been my favorite song for a while. the lyrics is so beautiful

Beyond the window, there’s a temple fair.
Fluorescent lights, they fill the humid air.
I sit in silence, watch the people jive.
“So this is how it feels to be alive.”

OMG the image and the story that speak from the heart, just touched me deeply.
And the end.

The strays, the gods, I’ve seen the lot.
They’re out there screaming; “We didn’t grow up the same, please don’t judge me by the name of my neighborhood. Should our thoughts not align, you can politely decline, it’s okay, we’re good.”

Today I go to watch Phum Viphurit! Finally have a chance to really feel his vibe and music in person. He and his band feel so mature make me thinking, “so this is what a really experienced but young artist looks like!”

Love how they enjoy themselves and even dance a bit on the stage.

First song is my favorite “Temple Fair”.

Even though he forgot the lyrics a little bit but this part I just love it XD

Also this part, cuing people to sing is smoooth!!!!

Another highlight for today is KB playing Naruto…. Hilarious LOL.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Products, packing

Still spending way too much time on games.

today I almost stopped playing the game. But the whole room cleaning process is too stressful and I ran away to play games so many times.

I feel I need to stop focusing on what I feel, the stress, the fear. just focus on small things and make progress. that it. focus on the stress will enlarge the stress

BUT THE TRUTH IS, JUSt CLEANING BIT BY BIT AND IT WILL BE DONE BY A DAY??

WHY ON EARTH I’M STRESSING OUT????

I ran into this video today. The content taking about how to have “confidence” by making small progress is really helpful.

I feel I need to get ahead of things, I need to finish the thing upfront to gain a more calm mind. Maybe I’m a control freak?? lol

buildspace update 1 is ending on Monday. there is not so much time for me to do the research and decide what I’m going to build.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase: buildspace idea.
   • ❌ Research and learning: Research on produce possibilites
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Products, packing
   • ✔️ Meet old friend

I thought I was clear on my music journey. I’m not! I want too much and have a dream that is too big which makes me really frustrated. After a night searching for project ideas, I don’t even know where to start. However, figuring out the blind spot definitely helps a lot.

While researching on music project for buildspace, I just realized how different it is between live performance and produce. the whole mindset it same, and produce seems way.

just check this out

and this one

Aren’t they genius af.. never thought there is such a “random” way to create music.

and yes, One Thing from Ableton live is a genius channel that have amazing content!! Almost every video surprised me.

also check out this one.

definite spark some ideas for me.

What Should I Do?

At first, I really wanted to just get started to make a prototype. There is my note in Hepta

This prototype will test run the scenario of collaborating with different types of artists, e.g. visual artist and a cloth designer. One of them will be a product owner so I could represent his/her work in the video. and end up generating several sales.

However, I even have no experience in producing. All my experience is playing live gigs. Should I shrink down the project and just create an mini album? than try to blend in different kinds of art?

or just practice to produce?
or just make a song and a video, but try to be as collaborative as possible.

These options suffocate me. Tomorrow I will make the decision.

SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON GAME

Posting this to scare myself. Should eliminate this distraction ASAP.

Yesterday:

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ✔️ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing thought progress in HeptaBase: buildspace idea.
   • ✔️ Research and learning: Research on produce possibilites
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Products, packing

Hand out my table as soon as I wake up, which leaves my place in total chaos lol. A big table always be the core of my room. Handing out my table is another big step and feel realistic of leaving this place.

Been addicted to Squad Busters 囧… Supercell is really good at making high-quality party games. What is interesting is, I believe the idea of this game came from 8 person 1v1 of the previous game: Brawl Stars.

Take the Berklee Assessment at night, nothing special, get 60/64 on the music theory part and 18/21 on the ear training part.

BuildSpace Lab #01

Today is the part Farza reviews people’s ideas (assignment for the first week.) The point is not whether the goal will “work” or not. Who knows what the first idea will lead you to. But review if the one-liner is clear. A 10/10 will be the one that immediately gives you an image in your mind 🧠.

And still, BuildSpace’s live stream gives a unique vibe. I really admire their own vibe.

I’m… never mind.

Still feel that I’m “stopped” but something, and there has been a pain inside me recently to keep everything going. this 6 weeks is a chance for me to just get to work, turn off any anticipation, be calm, and work. and get over whatever struggle in my heart once and for all.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning:
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ buildspace s5 lab
   • ✔️ Admission Works: Berklee Assessment
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Products, packing

omg.. it is Day 100.. can’t believe i keep this journal up to 100 days.

Also meeting with friends today. yesterday I didn’t sleep well.. and feel very sleepy today. after I got back home, I’ve start studying “Tuesday” part of The 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists. Tuesday’s practice is about modal. it’s harder and more interesting than I thought. using different mode on a same chord.

at night, I work on buildspace’s “this is me” post. made a cover photo for it. and it feels fun 🙂

Not much working today, more spending time with friends and doing random research.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ✔️ Guitar Learning and Theories – Studying and practice with 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
   • ✔️ Making and posting “this is me”
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ meeting and having a conversation with friends.
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Product

I have several appointments to hand out my secondhand stuff. Practice guitar in the middle. Since I don’t know what it takes to get good at guitar, I started reading “The 7-Day Practice Routine For Guitarists” by Craig Smith. the book is easier than I thought, bo bs and get to the point real quick. I’m going to experiment with it for a while, hope I find some insight in guitar practice.

Having a great meal with my friend tonight.

After that, at 1:30 am I got Buildspace’s lecture 1, idea.

buildspace lecture 1, idea

This week is all about locking down our idea. we are spending the rest of 5 week to work on this single idea, so they give us a week to really think through our ideas.

“If you never commit, you’ll never end up working on it.” this is the core idea of this lecture. After that, Fraza share a lot of story about what role this idea is taken.

“no good or bad ideas, ideas are starting points.” the fact that we are going to find out different insights and gain different resources, there is no need to overemphasis on the first idea. actually ideas should be “changed” in some way over every week. so it is important to set the direction to something you are passion about, and kind of tweak this along the way.

→ this idea is more a direction and action guidance.
→ the main point is more about getting you start the work, momentum + weekly iteration = somewhere different

Since it is impossible to have an idea at the beginning, even along the way, Fraza said “You never ‘figure it out’ once you do, the goals have changed. your ideas change. people change. you change.”

The key and tricky mindset will be: get comfy with never figuring out.

Idea for me

Creating a unique music brand is all about having leverage and creating beautiful things that I’m proud of. However, there is always a sound that makes me feel shit about this. do people really need this kind of content? will I just create content that no one will ever like?

I know it is weird to think like this since I have lots of experience on creating things and make it work. I have no idea why this time I have such a big struggle.

Also, I’m so stuck at the beginning, I’m spending so much time trying to play but never recording or making something. I feel I’m so afraid of recording myself. I think my guitar, my music sucks.

I DON’T KNOW WHERE ALL THESE CAME FROM.

To critique myself in a third-person view, I may have stalled these things for way too long and it makes me feel powerless and ashamed.

This lead to the second problem.

I’m bad at being my own coach, this is my current bottleneck. I’m able to practice(be a student), find resources and self-taught (be a teacher) but I can’t and too lazy? or afraid to try to critique myself. I need to let myself know: “You should set a clear time limit”, “you should need a clear sentence describing what you are doing”, “you need to start in a week.”

ahh. still afraid.

Some Notes for The 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists

Monday’s Schedule was all about picking and left-hand strength. The first 4 notes sequence (green column) surprised me, though it is really simple at the “1234” sequence, “1243” or “1423” sometime I make bad sounds! This simple practice has take those minor muscle memory under review.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Basic Training(1hr) – Left hand training
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ✔️ Guitar Learning and Theories(1hr) – Reading “The 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists”
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: analyze Tom Misch’s isn’t she lovely
   • ⏸ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ buildspace lecture 1(1.5hr)
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room(2+hr): Delivering Second-hand Product
   • ✔️ Dinner with friend (3hr)

Today feel a little tired and depressed. still lack confidence and purpose when I wake up—spending too much time in bed.

After I get up, I realize it is almost too late to sell my second-hand product. I’m about to move back to my original home. I have set today as my “Get Things Done” day and aim to finish posting all of my products.

It came out to be a really focused and productive 3 hours. I keep hustling and keep working even when I feel tired in the middle. This has been a really amazing three hours.

I have also sold lots of stuff including my plants and furniture today. which give me a sense of sentimental

After that, I spent an hour randomly jamming and transcribing Jim Hall’s Beija-Flor which is such an amazing and beautiful tune. the melody is very simple, and seems to be on a harmonic minor with a 7 (not b7!)

I’m really good at some tasks, like selling stuff. but I’m really bad at practice guitar which didn’t show a clear, measurable destination. The unmeasurable quality of the practice makes it really frustrating in the process. still thinking what to do and how to learn music so I could be constantly empowered and motivated.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Basic Training(0.5hr) – Picking Technique
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Random Jam with Beija-flor (1hr)
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: analyze Tom Misch’s isn’t she lovely
   • ⏸ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room(3hr): Selling Second-hand products

Today is more like a … soul-searching experience? I’m still not very sure what my focus structure should be.

Random Jam on this music, try to imitate the sound, the chords, and melody lines.

Making some notes along the way.

I don’t think I accomplished much today. But I feel very peaceful and have make some progress.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Random Jam on several songs (2hr)
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission Works(3hr): Applying for scholarships.
   • ❌ Clean up my room: Second-hand Product

sell a bunch of stuff today, about to leave this place need to speed up my cleaning and selling process.

Stucked, but another step.

still feel very stressed about not knowing what to work on. randomly jam for a bit and I feel my melody sucks.

after stressing out and not working on anything for several hours, and calm down and start analyzing the song I like, making notes, and thinking about how to recreate, and what to learn. when the goal is set, everything speeds up really fast.

still in a really slow progress on my music journey today.

buildspace s5 kickoff

the buildspace kickoff event is there!

tbh, I just randomly ran into their reels and just sign up to experience the whole event’s user experience. But the more I get involved, the more I love this event and brand. Not to mention the smoothness of the process, I love their vision to make people create the things they loved.

This presentation is interesting and got my full attention. let me break down the structure of this kickoff

0. At first, they release very little, all you know is “spending 6 weeks of nights and weekends to do something you truly love.”

1. very cool first-person view of Farza’s entrance
2. chill chat
3. opening: “You guys all came across this random brand, random event, we don’t even say much but you came. LOL” (they really got a bunch of humor)
4. farza’s introducing himself
5. talking about, great things is also came from a simple idea from a simple person. (17 years old pre malons video)
6. their two products: a yearly movement called Night and Weekends. and sage.
7. his starting project, mood.gg which is a playlist for League of Legends.
8. buildspace one-liner: “This is six weeks where you take your idea from nothing to something.”
9. examples of s4 product. “you can do a lot with little”
10. sharing irl event for finisher
11. weeks progress:
    w1: ideas.
    w2: build a toy.
    w3: getting others to care.
    w4: iterating with others.
    w5: how to grow your work
    w6: the perfect demo.
12. every Tue and Thursday. a lecture and a lab.
13. talking about no exclusive groups, no slack or discord. most of the time you just need to do your work.

15. estimate time spend. 6-10hr a week. and some examples
16. the weekly update. the only requirement of this project
17. I really like this quote: you’ll meet each other in the wild (maybe by sage’s help?)
by doing the work, you attract the right people. (story about him and Sharif)

really like this part!

18. INTORDUCING SAGE! an AI for finding same minded people.
19. introducing the Grants
20. irl event rules and camp
21. introducing 4 houses
22. graduation, a 1 day pass to HQ
23. Always there for graduates.
24. introducing a campus for 100.
25. buildspace os. countdown and assets for demo day.
26. Their OST.

okay, sum up for the buildspace universe.

buildspace universe structure

1. Motivation kick-off
2. Do work, and give updates each week
3. Sage. place to find people or be found.
4. Grants: for people that do work consistently and publicly. several $100-$500 for up to 100 people. a $5000 winner at the end of the season.
5. Email: the main communication place.
6. Demo Day, the grand show of the work.
7. IRL event
8. a 3-month camp for 100 people

a little critic

• the wallpaper looks sucks on my phone

• I don’t like the OST. I feel there isn’t any soul in it. I believe no true analog musician is participating in this song.

goal and rules for this game.

• keep producing work and gain publicity. it’s your portfolio.
• working on Sage’s page. thinking from the perspective of what kind of people you want to attract. make sure their keywords can find you. (sage SEO XD)
• be consistent and plan out your work with weekly updates. → you should have weekly progress so the update can be legit af.
• prepare for the demo day. set an image for your perfect demo. if you want to have an impressive launch, you could plan it out and start connecting with the people you need in the journey. it is easier to stand out if you have a team and make an integrated work.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Random Jam with So What
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Research and learning: analyze Tom Misch’s isn’t she lovely
   • ⏸ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ buildspace s5 kickoff
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Selling and emailing Second-hand Product

Today, I’m aiming to break the obstacle between me and my dream. I’m stopped by an invincible force preventing me from creating music. I feel I’m sucked and depressed all the time when it comes to creation.

First, I cut out all the easy addictions. I deleted my games on my phone, and decided my life would be focused only on “Music, Brand, Life Building.”

I have to cut out all easy pleasure, cause creating an aesthetic music brand is way too hard for me right now and it is too easy to give up, to switch to cheap pleasure if I still have access to them.

These actions and mindsets have built up a calm, successful progress for today.

Build up the cornerstone.

I write down my goal and the image that I want to become. this brand is just a leverage for me to earn money and support my music live. what I want to be is create unique and really melodic music like Tom Misch, FKJ, and those old Jazz Legends.

Analyze the key point of their success or the key quality that I want to obtain. and than I ran into this video.

It’s such a great video that several people taking about their study on FKJ and his musicianship. Not endlessly praise him but truly try to study by their observation.

There is an interesting insight that caught my eye. “FKJ only release 20 songs in 8 years and maybe just 11 or 12 videos. but each one is curated.”

yeah, this method can be disagreed. but it’s a way to see how he gets to his place.

Of course, your music must be good and unique in the first place(which is not necessary to be hard.) But most importantly you have to own a viral video.

His video and his shots are very cinematic. it can be planned and it might be a low-hanging fruit to grab. you could bring your gear and music, rent an aesthetic place, and really curate your film.

Aside from these things, music is still core and the topic of how to produce good music is all over YouTube.

Observation on my Own Obstacle

I have been learning marketing, coding, and business for a fair amount of time. som I am able to assemble a project fast. however, music production is something that I’m totally not familiar with. if I don’t pay attention to this gap between me and a fine-tuned piece, the abyss there will consume me.

I need to be patient, slow down, and pay for 5~20 hours at least to learn the basics, mad a fundamental map for myself to navigate. If don’t, I’ll constantly be stressed and lost in all aspects of producing.

Today’s 2-hour research has already given me a clearer path that the past few months haven’t given me. and it is thanks to my dedication, clearing all the easy pleasure off so I could really calm down and make that 1st learning step.

I’m proud of myself today.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Guitar Exploration(1.5hr): Jamming for a bit
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ✔️ Guitar Learning and Theories (0.5hr)- Studying and playing Temple Fair
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and Research in HeptaBase (2hr)
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Selling Second-hand Product
   • ✔️ Finalize my plan on Vegas trip (2.5hr)

Watching Inside Out 2 today with a friend, and just keep rethinking about this movie. there are several perspectives that I want to share.

1. “Teenage emotions can often seem cliché and limited, but this movie breaks free from those constraints! The art and story express themselves with such imagination and freedom.
2. While the film does follow the classic structure of chapters, with conflicts and resolutions, it never feels boring.
3. The character ‘Anxiety’ isn’t the main focus, but the depiction of struggles, tears from overthinking, storms, and panic attacks are both stunning and relatable. The movie brilliantly transforms feelings into epic visual expressions, which I found fantastic.
4. The core of the film revolves around emotion. What’s truly remarkable is that although the story centers on a teenager, the emotional conflicts portrayed are universal. This quality took me by surprise and is key to its success, as it frees the story from being limited to a specific target audience.
5. The film is rich with metaphors, leaving me with endless aftertastes.

Overall, It’s an interesting movie that contains depth in a baby-understanding way.

My Music Production Still Stuck.

I’m working on it. Will have better plan and research tomorrow. today it have beat me to the ground.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ✔️ Clean up my room: Second-hand Product
   • ✔️ Watching Inside-Out 2

Start cleaning up the small things that stack. include:

1. Insurance for Berklee and MI’s class
2. LA and Vegas trip arrangement
3. Hotel for early arrival in Boston.
4. Cleaning my old project database and initiating the work of my music brand project.

Yep. That’s it for today. Making sure all matters have been taken care of.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission Works: Insurances.
   • ❌ Clean up my room: Second-hand Product
   • ✔️ West Coast Trip Planning

Today we have our show for the semester. I don’t think I did well today, I messed up too many notes and I feel so nervous due to the lack of preparation. This is so bad and shouldn’t happened.

However, today I believe everyone still had a good time and I’m really happy.

After the show, I drink with my old friend and talk about our lives. These chats and different perspectives refresh and give us better information about how to live well.

.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Show!
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book
   • ✔️ Spend Time with Friends

Preparing for the show tomorrow. Spending way too much time playing games.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice
   • ✔️ Orchestra Rehearsal
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ❌ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book

Nothing special, spending all day practicing. this time I started practicing the song too late. and everything got stucked.

When I didn’t feel like practicing, I go do the task on the scooter-sharing platform “GoShare” which I use a lot. earn 30 USD credit today.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book
   • ✔️ Hair Cut

a little distracted today. mainly preparing orchestra’s song.

yesterdays solo I feel it’s not good in slow tempo. so I found another one and did my best on it the whole day.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice (6h)
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book

Working the Whole day on Night and Day’s solo. it spent way more time than I thought. Maybe it’s because of the language? there is so much weird note and rhythm inside it which makes it so hard to learn and internalize.

Stan Getz’s solo

Overall today is a really focused day. I’m glad I finally been able to focus and work again.

Several Approaches to Metal Stability

Due to the last failure in my working routine, I pay more attention to my mental health. I have several approaches:

• Meditate 5 minutes before every work.

Set up the mood and calm down the chaos inside me.

• Co-work with close friends, not some random hook-up girl.

Close friends cool me down and make me focus. random girl makes me nervous and drains my energy and focus.

• Meditate before sleep.

It’s an old habit however I drop it somehow. Pick it back this time. having a meditate before sleep always gives me better-sleeping quality.

• Dinking Energy Drink

Yes, It’s a weird one lol but I feel if I’m tired physically, I will give up fast and seek dopamine from my phone. The last few days have not been in good shape, coffee alone is not enough so I drink coffee, energy drinks, hot chocolate, and lots of water throughout the whole day. and guess what? I feel so much easier to focus!

• Constantly think about FKJ’s concert and the people I want to meet.

It set a clear goal and gave me a big reason to focus on myself instead of others.

NOTES to myself: Put some photos on the wall to remind me of my goal when moving to the new residence.

A passage I found that inspires

“I have a version of ‘I take care of you, you take care of me.’ That is, I take care of me for you, and you take care of you for me. imagine how our relationship will be if I’m more disciplined, more successful, have more access, and more influential.”

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice (8hr): Frankie and Johnny Review and Night and Day Solo Practice.
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission Works
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book

I’m more calm and focused today. working on the show for next week. Have created a blog for a friend, made it a test of collaboration, and created a service for friends.

However, I got stuck on an idea: having an animation background and then accidentally spending 2+ hours on it. shouldn’t spend this much time :\

Overall, today has made good progress. time flies, I tomorrow need to practice in the structure so I can have good performance on next week.

Study solos for show

I have a two-chorus solo next week. I don’t have good improv or composing ability now so I’m studying Stan Getz’s solo and it is absolutely genius. If you are reading this, I highly suggest you spend some time reading the notes and listening to what he is playing. It’s absolutely interesting!

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice(4.5hr) – Frankie and Johnny, Night and Days
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing today’s and yesterday’s blog and building new WordPress features. (5hr) → Spending way too much time… :((
   • ❌ Post Threads content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Meeting With Agents.
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book

Finally, today, I have overcome the struggle bit by bit. Meditate before working and manage to control the destructive chaos.

Not really focused on every minute, but definitely keep forwarding all my projects and affairs.

Started by cleaning up another part of my room, blogging to clean up my documentation, and that read emails, and cleaning up the to-dos for traveling, visa, and school work. After all these chores, start to practice for the show next week.

I’ve run into a brand called buildspace, they are hosting a 6-week program for creators to finish their work! a thing that I really need right now.

What’s more interesting is their sign-up process. they’ve got an AI bot that helps. and the process is just smooth! Big credit to the UX and RD!

They have rapid content posting to different types of target audiences.
and the whole video and project just made people so exciting. Even though it’s just building a creator community like everyone else?

It definitely a case to study. I love all the vibes and the content, cool af. Not sure how it all started, but the UX and the funnel are:

Cool and engaging Reels → DM for register link → Sage Signup AI → Email for further content and ideas. → Scholarships/funds for commitment.

I hope I have a chance to meet and talk to the team

They even put investor updates in the mail! which makes me instantly more engaged and knowing what this team is doing.

I hope I get into the project 🙂

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Songs Practice(1.5h)
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes (2hr): Make Arranging Experiments on Autumn Leaves.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ❌ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works (2.5hr): Collecting VISA Documents, trip information, insurance, and placement information.
   • ✔️ Room Cleaning, Second-Hand Goods Posting (2.5hr)

“Environment decides your behaviors”

Automic Habits mentioned that cues surrounding us trigger most behaviors. This indicates I have to learn up my room, my it is better to focus on practicing instead of pure chaos.

Maybe yesterday was a soul-cleaning experience for me, when I got back home, still felt a strong pulse of destruction

I want to be an inspiration like FKJ. I need to clean up my environment to meet the goal. today I spent time and successfully cleaned up the majority of my place.

Orchestra Practice

I suck in today’s practice. Lots of pieces I could practice better however I didn’t. It shouldn’t happened. I should be more responsible.

This week is the last chance to get prepared.
I am focused, I am disciplined. I am responsible for the task that have been gave me.

Cheers.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes (2hr): Make Arranging Experiments on Autumn Leaves.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Meeting With Agents.
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book
   • ✔️ House Cleaning

Went to the Concert of FKJ, one of my favorite contemporary artists. He loops and programmed his song mostly. so there aren’t lots of chord changes but he uses melody to build up and create something between cool jazz or modal jazz? It reminds me of Miles Davis “So What”, when people are chasing complex bebop lines, he creates something simple yet impactful.

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m in horrible shape now. I feel chaos inside me and my heartbeat consistently goes fast. I don’t know where to go, what to pursue, and what I want to become. I’m totally lost.

this show has definitely reset my inside tuning. the audiences are all crazy gorgeous and Interestingly have a consistent vibe. They are the people I love to be with in a normal live. people pursuit aesthetic and genuine live.

I feel I spend too much time looking at bad things. like those who cheat and succeed, who get laid a lot in clubs. Like Nietzsche once said, “When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks into you.”

I may been eaten with those darknss.

What I’ve Learned in this Concert

• Soul-Cleansing Power of Music: FKJ’s music reminded me of the pure joy and emotion that music can bring.
• Elegance of the Audience: The concert-goers were elegant and confident, representing the type of people I want to connect with in my future projects.
• Impact of Lighting and Sound: The stunning lighting, sound, and visuals reinforced the importance of well-designed sensory elements in creating a powerful experience. This is also why I want to be “Good”, to collaborate with different artist.
• Meeting Inspirations: Seeing familiar faces and the music-making process emphasized the importance of simplifying my life and focusing on creating music.
• Personal Grooming Reflection: Observing the stylish audience made me realize the need to take better care of my appearance.
• Organizing Life for Creativity: The experience inspired me to declutter my life, remove unnecessary relationships, and design my living space to foster creativity and music practice.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ❌ Orchestra Practice
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes (2hr): Make Arranging Experiments on Autumn Leaves.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Meeting With Agents.
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book
   • ✔️ Attending FKJ Concert

Sorry (to myself), didn’t properly observe my own feelings and fall into the addiction of games and clubs. Should spend more time on meaningful relax.

1. Pick your own fight. don’t complete in random places, stick to the place that got you an edge.
2. Don’t overlook the value of rest and having fun. If it’s out of balance, the daily routine will blow up (like these two days..)
3. Be Prepared.. Doing research upfront will give you plenty of advantages.

What I’ve Done These Two Days.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes (2hr): Make Arranging Experiments on Autumn Leaves.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ❌ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Meeting With Agents.
   • ❌ Hand out my second-hand book

Since yesterday, I decided to spend most of my time creating a tune/cover for my brand. Facing the challenge has forced me to make decisions. Including:

• Autumn Leaves (I decided to use this standard as my first video) is a bad material for looping. I should record different materials separately, no need to stick with live-looping. So I experiment with another type of intro.
• I don’t have enough language and variation to enrich the tune. So I start to analyze others’ work.

Today I’ve spent most of my time on these two.

I’m not really in a great status of focus, but I’m glad I still made progress.

What I’ve Done Today

I thought today was unproductive, but weirdly, I have the scheduled tasks all checked.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Basic Training – Transcribing
   • ⏸ Basic Training 2 – Arpeggio over Songs
   • ⏸ Guitar Learning and Theories – Books
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Research and learning (2hr): Analyzing Autumn Leaves Opening Transcription (learn a lot!)
   • ✔️ Make Tunes (2hr): Make Arranging Experiments on Autumn Leaves.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Threads: Book Content.
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works: Meeting With Agents.
   • ✔️ Hand out my second-hand book

I have to slay the demon.

The main reason that my brand is stuck, is because creating a piece music of music all on my own is an unknown territory for me. The unknown gives me a lot of stress and prevents me from getting started. even though I start from a random place, I don’t have a clear map telling me where to go or what to prepare.

I’M UNTRAINED! AND NAIVE!

but only at this current state. My inner calling has guided me: don’t focus on making anything fabulous. Create inside your own limitation first. maybe the result sucks, but create and figure out the boundaries, the obstacles, then break them or refine what you’ve got so it shines within the boundaries.

Phase 2: Creating Music, has been going on for 50 days, however, I have created nothing. I’m planning to spend the rest of the week, all the hours to create a simple piece. so it could be the fuel, the ignite, the seed of the rest.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training (1hr) – Transcribing Stella by Starlight
   • ✔️ Basic Training 2 (2hr) – Arpeggio over Songs: Autumn Leaves, Blue Bossa, All of Me.
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories (1hr): Searching for books and making plans with ChatGPT.
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
   • ✔️ Make Tunes (2hr): Practice Autumn Leaves Walking bass.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Selling and posting second-hand stuff.

“Perfect Blue” is a very interesting movie. The opening scene, a continuous shot, mimics the filming technique. This movie depicts the fear of obsessive fans, sexual violence, and so on. It amplifies this fear into dual personalities and dissociation. At the same time, each character has a strong and distinct personality: from the protagonist of “Perfect Blue,” Rumi’s scene where she couldn’t bear to watch the rape scene and walked away crying, mentioning that she was also an idol before, which serves as foreshadowing leading to her believing she is Mima Kirigoe later. The movie being filmed in the story has a similar plot. Despite having only a few characters, there is a strong pull among them.

Here are some parts I found great:

• Although it’s an animation, it simulates movie-like camera techniques.
• Continuously uses different times and scenes edited together, and the first-person perspective lets us feel the fear of memory blur and personality split.
• Many hints about Rumi: she used to be an idol singer, she cried during the fake rape movie scene(the main character is an actor),
• Uses the movie to implicitly explain parts: explains personality split, explains the murderer is imagined, and projects the role onto others.
• Uses a repetitive and catchy idol theme song to create a contrast between glamor and fear.
• Uses nudity and sexual content to strongly outline emotions.

the whole movie is highly integrated. Definitely a movie that need to remembered.

Spent all day meeting with 2 separate friends. Rest day.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Basic Training (1hr) – Transcribing Stella by Starlight
   • ❌ Basic Training 2 (1hr) – Arpeggio over Songs: Autumn Leaves, Blue Bossa, All of Me.
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories (1hr): Searching for books and making plans with ChatGPT.
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
   • ❌ Make Tunes (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Selling and posting second-hand stuff.
   • ✔️ Watch “Perfect Blue”
   • ✔️ Chat with old friend.

“A Baby Step at a Time”, keeping the idea and momentum from yesterday, there are several approaches I’ve done.

Habit Stacking

First, implementing the framework from Atomic Habits, especially the technique of “Habit Stacking” which is a framework to construct cues for important habits.

There are several habit-link that I constructed:

• Once I scroll on social media for 10min -> Put down my phone.
• When I start my daily work -> Open Heptabase and start everything on paper.

The reason for second link is I feel frustrated when there is a lot of work. I often can decide which to start. Start from fundamental training? or start from the showpiece? or creativity work? By making this link, It forces me to get into a working mood, check my own blueprint, start from the most important things, or change any priority if necessary.

Another handy technique is “Identity Change,” which consistently gives me a map on how to become a better musician.

Identity Change

“There are three level of change: outcome change, process change, and identity change.”

Automic Habits

When I constructed an identity of “A detailed-oriented jazz player with solid fundamental training,” I came across an action: “This jazz player will focus on every touch when he practices. He will pay attention to the clarity, the touch, and always play in gentle.”

This mindset guided me today, and the reminder of better touch has reminded me multiple times without any effort.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Basic Training (1hr) – Transcribing Stella by Starlight
   • ✔️ Basic Training 2 (1hr) – Arpeggio over Songs: All The Things You Are
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories (1hr): Searching for books and making plans with ChatGPT.
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice (2hr)
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
   • ❌ Make Tunes (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post Threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Selling and posting second-hand stuff.
   • ✔️ Reading(2hr) : Atomic Habits

“Try to create from what you got.”

Recently this idea kept appearing in my head. Most of the time my project stuck because I was aiming too high and didn’t have the path to achieve. So it prevents me from getting deep work immediately and gives me frustration in the meantime.

Today after I wake up, I focus back on my Digitakt, trying to recreate the jazz brushes sound I need in my first Jazz Standards performance video.

(The video demonstrates the original sample and mixes my Digitakt program into it.)

It went quite well! didn’t achieve much but it’s an undeniable baby step. I’m going to use this dumb way, one step at a time, to keep making progress.

What I’ve Done Today

Today I try to push some limits and accomplish as much as possible. however still got a bit stuck. Something needs to change.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Basic Training (1hr) – Transcribing Stella by Starlight
   • ✔️ Basic Training 2 (1hr) – Arpeggio and Ear Training Over “All The Things You Are”
   • ❌ Guitar Learning and Theories (1hr): Searching for books and making plans with ChatGPT.
   • ❌ Orchestra Practice (1hr)
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Research and learning (1hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
   • ✔️ Make Tunes (1.5hr): Digitakt Jazz Beats
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Threads content: Digitakt learning process
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Selling and posting second-hand stuff.

Spend time with family today. Searching for Guitar Books and routinely practice today. Haven’t made progress on my brand.

After re-studied Atomic Habits, I realize it’s time for me to take action and implement routine and habits principles. I started to search for guitar books for a better understanding of practice routine design (which I have wondered and struggled about for a very long time)

I have found 14 books, listed below. And I’m planning to construct my practice routine with them.

14 Books for Guitar Learning References

1. “Guided Guitar Scale Practice Routines” by Levi Clay

this book offers a structured, insightful approach to scale practice

2. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

this book delves into the science of habit formation, which is critical for developing a consistent and effective practice routine

3. “The 7 Day Practice Routine for Guitarists” by Craig Smith

The book provides a structured seven-day practice schedule that ensures balanced improvement in various aspects of guitar playing, from technique to music theory and improvisation.

4. “Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar” by Troy Stetina

This advanced technique book is essential for guitarists looking to improve their speed and picking technique

5. “Advanced Rhythmic Concepts for Guitar” by Jan Rivera

Dive deep into the complexities of rhythm with this comprehensive guide. Covering topics such as metric modulation, ratio polyrhythms, and complex syncopations, this book challenges your understanding of rhythm and timing.

It is ideal for those interested in progressive music styles and advanced rhythmic theory.

6. “Creative Guitar 1: Cutting-Edge Techniques” by Guthrie Govan

This book offers innovative techniques and insights from one of the most respected modern guitarists.

7. “The Advancing Guitarist” by Mick Goodrick

This book is a treasure trove of advanced guitar techniques, theory, and practical advice. It covers topics such as efficiency in playing, understanding chord progressions, and improvisation. Mick Goodrick’s unique teaching style encourages deep learning and continuous improvement.

8. “Music Theory for Guitarists: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask” by Tom Kolb

This comprehensive guide demystifies music theory for guitarists. It includes detailed explanations of chords, scales, diatonic harmony, and rhythm. The book features quizzes and worksheets to reinforce your learning, making it a practical tool for mastering music theory.

9. Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within by Kenny Werner

“Effortless Mastery” focuses on the mental and spiritual aspects of being a musician. Kenny Werner shares his personal journey and provides exercises to help musicians overcome mental barriers, achieve a state of relaxed concentration, and find true joy in playing. The book emphasizes improvisation and self-expression, guiding readers to connect deeply with their music.
(“Effortless Mastery” is primarily concerned with the mental and emotional barriers musicians face.)

10. The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer

Focus: Comprehensive guide on guitar playing, covering basics to advanced techniques, equipment, and history.

Strengths: Practical advice on playing techniques, maintenance, and theoretical knowledge. Ideal for building a solid foundation and enhancing technical skills.

11. Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo

Focus: Philosophical approach to playing guitar, integrating mindfulness and Zen principles.

Strengths: Encourages a holistic approach to learning and playing the guitar, focusing on the mental and spiritual journey similar to “Effortless Mastery” but tailored specifically for guitarists.

12. “Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony” Author: Bert Ligon Genre: Jazz Guitar Instruction

This book offers a comprehensive guide to mastering the linear harmony technique. It explains how to connect chords using linear movements, which is a crucial skill for jazz guitarists. The book provides detailed exercises and examples, making complex harmonic concepts accessible and practical for everyday practice.

Why This Book Fits Your Needs:

Jazz-Specific Focus: Unlike more general guitar practice books, “Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony” is dedicated to jazz. It addresses the unique challenges and techniques that jazz guitarists need to master.

Comprehensive Harmonic Understanding: The book delves into the intricacies of jazz harmony, teaching you how to move smoothly between chords, an essential skill for improvisation and soloing in jazz.

Practical Exercises: It includes numerous exercises that help you apply theoretical concepts to your playing, ensuring that you develop both your technical skills and musical understanding simultaneously.

Foundation for Improvisation: By learning to connect chords linearly, you’ll build a strong foundation for improvisation, allowing you to create more fluid and coherent solos.

13. Jazz Guitar Soloing: The Cellular Approach” Author: Randy Vincent Genre: Jazz Guitar Instruction

This book teaches you to break down solos into smaller, manageable “cells” that can be used interchangeably. It’s a unique approach that simplifies complex solos and helps you integrate these pieces seamlessly into your playing.

Why This Book Fits Your Needs:

Innovative Approach: Randy Vincent’s method of using “cells” makes soloing more approachable and less overwhelming.

Practical Application: The book provides practical exercises to apply these concepts directly to your playing.

Enhances Creativity: By understanding and using smaller musical units, you can become more creative and spontaneous in your solos.

14. Chords for Jazz Guitar: The Complete Guide to Comping, Chord Melody and Chord Soloing

This book provides a thorough exploration of jazz chords, covering essential topics such as voicings, progressions, jazz chord theory, comping, chord melody, chord soloing, and voice leading. It includes 98 full-band demo tracks accessible online, which feature a multi-functional audio player allowing users to slow down tracks without changing the pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right​

Little Tweak on the website

I have created a shop page today. which will be the hub of my future services. I’m thinking of having some side hustle in LA. start with basic string changing to help my classmate with their guitar. will bring some revenue for me, before the brand get running.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Basic Training (1hr) – Transcribing Stella by Starlight
   • ✔️ Basic Training 2 (1hr) – Arpeggio over Songs: Autumn Leaves, Blue Bossa, All of Me.
   • ✔️ Guitar Learning and Theories (1hr): Searching for books and making plans with ChatGPT.
   • ✔️ Orchestra Practice (1hr)
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Create Shop Page
   • ✔️ Research and learning: Korg Volca FM2
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post a couple of threads of content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Selling and posting second-hand stuff.

Back to hometown, spend time with family.
Reflecting on my daily progress today, finding some framework in Atomic Habits to critic on my daily schedule.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Practice Orchestra’s song
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post threads, book’s content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ✔️ Spend time with family
   • ✔️ Reading Atomic Habits and take notes to implement

Recently Taiwan had a social movement that against the laws of contempt of Congress. Taiwan’s version of the law has too many flaws and the proposal process is highly faulty.

I didn’t really understand the details, I’m here to learn. Also oberseve what a musician can do in this kind of event.

I have come to these conclusions,

• Having a show on the side to entertain the crowds.
• Playing backing for the host. most of the time I feel there can be some music in the background. Those contents will be more persuasive and not boring.
• Similar mind gathers, there are lots of collaborate opportunities on the site
• the topic is urgent and emotional.

Practice on fundamental

I was blown up on Wednesday, witnessing how the players’ improvisation from the jazz club can be interesting, and the bass player can play anything he heard, I felt excited and fell behind.

These two days I have been practicing walking bass so I could hear chords better and reviewing arpeggio through it.

Also, spend some time just transcribing different improvisations from standards

What I’ve Done Today

Hate to say, still falling behind on my brand. Haven’t build a good system to keep going. this is something to reflect for.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Fundamental Training – Walking Bass on Autumn Leaves (arpeggio through chords)
   • ✔️ Fundamental Training 2 – Transcribe
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post a couple of threads content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ✔️ Renting Korg Volca FM
   • ✔️ Attending Social Events

Today I have dinner and chat with my travel-mate to the State. we are planning and scheduling our trip. We also discussed on our goals and different values. My friend study in journalism which give her lots of knowledge about society. I could learn a lot from her.

Also, today I finally got refund for that faulty Korg Volca fm.

What I’ve Done Today

✔️⏸❌

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Technical Training – Learning Walking Bass
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Analyzing Blue Bossa & Autumn Leaves
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post a couple of threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Send email to agency
   • ❌ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.
   • ✔️ Planning the USA Trip in August.

Today spend most time with the Jazz club. Arguing with a seller with the broken Korg FM his send.

Not a productive day.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Jazz Club Jam
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post a couple of threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works: Scholarships
   • ❌ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

My teacher invite me to the show, and it’s absolutely incredible.

Their touch is incredibly gentle. It’s not just about hitting hard; there are many wonderful details involved. The drummer has a beautiful progression from soft to strong.

The bassist can play like a synthesizer and uses loops to create a stunning and delicate opening.

The keyboardist’s lines are splendid yet don’t overshadow the others.

I overheard that the pianist composes a piece every day. It seems that talented people have this kind of daily practice.

In the middle, everyone’s skills and techniques are unparalleled. The key takeaways from today should be: the tone is very gentle, and combining instruments (or even materials) in unexpected ways.

Janek Gwizzdala Loop work w/ Band, It’s amazing.

Back home

Collecting sold books and mailing them. After that, I was a little anxious and depressed about all the financial failures. Losing money in crypto and am not able to support my own living right now. I have this and that going on but most of the service and product have been stopped. Feeling really anxious and spend some time healing, get back to my logic brain, and keep working.

What I’ve Done Today

✔️⏸❌

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Analyzing Blue Bossa and different tone
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ❌ Post a couple of threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works: Send email to agency
   • ✔️ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

Rest. Causal packing second hand book and brainstorming on projects.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes: Learning Digitakt to be my base of drum
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post threads content (book content)
   • ✔️ Study on Threads Marketing
   • ❌ Posting Music Content
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ✔️ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

Today is my last time performance at NTU Rock Club. Feel a bit sad and happy. I love everyone here and they give me really big support and luv.

I’ll miss this place. (May write more story tomorrow.)

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ✔️✔️✔️ Performance Night and Rock Club Friends Night!
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ❌ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ❌ Make Tunes: Learning Digitakt to be my base of drum
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Book Threads content and collect book recommendations.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

Interesting day. feel productive and distracted at the same time.
I didn’t plan it out in advance, or spend lots of time on the work that was most urgent (performance for now). I simply spend a small chunk of time and do everything I need to do.

Today have big progress on Digitakt, finally started to understand this tool (have spent around 5 hours since I started learning this.)

Also, spend some time practicing tomorrow’s performance. In this recording, I start to focus on the sentence instead of the notes. The expression has been a lot better.

Also writing threads and keep taking about books.

Also making progress on my other new LA Connect project, may introduce in future posts. There is a document been written.

What does it mean to do all these projects?

Instead of focusing on one thing, I feel I’m experimenting and assembling dots from my past. It seems a little distracted to do various things in a day. But it feels right. And for now, my planning map has guided me to the “experiment” state. So I’m going to stick with it for a couple of days, to see what outcome and result I could get. and find a more focused route on my Hepta map.

I hope this map can grow and be a strong foundation for my life and work.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase (my project map!)
   • ✔️ Research and learning: Digitakt! make big progress, and almost finish the basics.
   • ✔️ Make Tunes: playing on Digitakt and listen to jazz standards.
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post threads contents, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ✔️ Handling my second-hand books order.

Yesterday stayed up too late.. today got a bit tired. Feel distracted. Practice Digitakt and

Threads Post:

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ✔️ Make Tunes: Learning Digitakt to be my base of drum
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post a couple of threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ❌ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

Using Heptabase to anchor my process helps a lot. It is tough to explore the unknown. When it relates to money, it’s even harder.

Writing in HeptaBase helps me focus on the next steps without losing the big picture.

I have trouble creating my own content. In my cards(notes), I decided to create 7 music videos with no excuse and no overthinking. No niche is aimed, and no goal is set for these videos. Only serving for a purpose, getting better at making music and content.

In my first video, I decided to produce a cover of a Jazz standard. in my note, I decided this project would include only three layers: Drum, Bass, and Guitar.

I have a Digitakt that hasn’t been learned. I’m spending a week, about 20 hours learning the basics and creating the drum part of this standard.

The learning of produce will also be casually documented in my threads.

About Reading and Writing

Books are another important aspect of my life. It enlightened me. I decide to restore the reading habit. So I also start to write in my another threads. I hope it could develop into another business someday.

What I’ve Done Today

Efforts today feel really accurate! It saves time and feels good. What changed? Planing the action in advance in Heptabase. Focus on the little outcome that served future goals.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing and making progress in HeptaBase
   • ✔️ Research and learning: Digitakt
   • ✔️ Make Tunes: Learning Digitakt to be my base of drum
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post a couple of threads content, including book content and music content.
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ✔️ Mailing my second-hand books for customers.

Very Productive Day. Have spend more time in my brand. Doing research on youtube video creation process and reflect on my own process. Something is stucked. I still can’t produce any music, any content. These day will mainly work on this. Trying to make the wheel start running.

I believe, when it start rolling, everything will be on track.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • Performance Song Practice – ✔️ Mike Stern – Little Shoes, ❌ Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ❌ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ✔️ Research and learning -> Youtube Video Mindsets
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Writing Threads, Book Post.
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works: VISA Interview
   • ✔️ Organizing Second-Hand book form and my plants for sale
   • ✔️ Daily Read: The 48 Laws of Power Chapter 4.

Meeting with agent to work on my VISA, and simple guitar practice day.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ✔️ Orchestra Rehearsal
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning -> 1 Production tutorial, and write notes & Structures.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works: VISA interview preparation.
   • ✔️ Deliver Books, handling payment.
   • ✔️ Reading, Writing thoughts on threads

After working on second-hand books selling for a week, I deeply feel it’s a really bad market and business. Even if I’m just selling things because I’m moving, the profit and work is unbalanced. Lots of hard work, tiny profit.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning -> 1 Production tutorial, and write notes & Structures.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Sold my 49″ Screen! Move to their place, Second-Hand Book Selling
   • ✔️ Reading: The 48 Laws of power

Shooting for F-1 Admissions. Re-organizing my Notion database, turn my Xmind book documentation to the Notion database.

Should practice for show, spend too much time talking with friends and listen to their stories…

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ❌ Research and learning.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Contacting Second-hand book clients and schedule time.

Rehearsal at 樂悠悠之口, Practicing Wah Pedal. Spend Whole night(around 6hrs)
Scanning books and contacting buyers at midnight. (spend around 4hrs.)

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ✔️ Research and learning -> 1 Production tutorial, and write notes & Structures.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Selling books, scanning the books I need, Contacting buyers.

Main of the time are sorting my book collection. Also Today I have write some imaginary story for my brand. to imagine what will happened, to discover different opportunities and flaws.

Prepared for traveling to the State, have a long phone call with friends in America.

Sorry for not spending more time documenting. Still organizing everything in my life..

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ✔️ Research and learning -> 1 Production tutorial, and write notes & Structures.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Selling all my books, and scanning the books I need.

Collecting customer lists on my books selling and re-planting my plants for better sales.
Practicing Guitar. Borrowed a wah pedal!! happy!!

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – ✔️ Little Shoes, ❌ Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ❌ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Posting 3 second-hand products.

After calming down and start writing my life down, I got a clearer life. I have a map in front of me, highlighting current practice, chores, and most importantly: the threshold of the current project.

Our mind tends to choose easy tasks unconsciously. Writing provides a critical eye without bias.

Today I start to work on the producing part of my music. it’s a really big obstacle that stands in my way of recording.

Keep practicing 🙂

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song Practice – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ✔️ Research and learning -> 1 Production tutorial, and write notes & Structures.
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Practice Civil War in the afternoon. Spend nights rehearsal with Riot Orchestra and Band (for civil war).

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n’ Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Orchestra Rehearsal
   • ✔️ Civil War Rehearsal
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Posting lots of second-hand products to different platforms

Simple Practice day. spending my night at the hospital to get immunization.

Working on

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n’ Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Posting lots of second-hand products to different platforms

Watching all my books that wait to be sold gives me emotion. I wish I have more time to read them!!

Reorganized my life, started to write down my planning in cards, make my thinking based on writing.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n’ Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Posting lots of second-hand products to different platform

Back in hometown, eating a good dinner 😎
These two days only do basic training for the show, mainly spending time with family and transportation.

On the High-Speed rails, I start reviewing my own recording and posting second-hand stuff, it gives me a sense of moving forward. I feel these couple of weeks I’m stuck. However, today’s fully immersed in the work, and getting things done (not just progress, DONE), gives me a big boost!

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Mike Stern – Little Shoes, Gun n’ Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Posting lots of second-hand products to different platforms

Today I performed at NTU Artfest, my first outdoor, onstage experience😎. There are so many people, make me so nervous lol! Overall it went really well, and my tone is very fruitful and beautiful, I’m very proud.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️⭐️ Performance ⭐️ – 美波 – 聲嘶力竭「カワキヲアメク」, Halestorm, I Miss the Misery, VH – Waves
   • ❌ Performance Song Practice – Little Shoes, Gun N Roses – Civil War
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ❌ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Practice and Rehearsal day. Have a happy and rewardful practice session.

There is the practice record.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes, 美波 – 聲嘶力竭, I Miss the Misery, VH – Waves
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Little Shoes Rehearsal
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Yesterday nights, I’ve post several post on different forums. One post at /jazz forum on Reddit, one on skool.

First jazz forum post about how to properly learn improvisation, have received several useful ideas and feedback. It cures me a lot and makes me more calm. I’m glad I got out of my comfort zone and get help.

Another one I posted in a SKOOL community to ask for feedback about startups and money making, which also got good feedback.

This review below gives a very straightforward answer to a solution of how to make money quickly and also fuel my future business.

overall, today’s feedback and ideas all need time to consume and take action.

Today I also composed and recorded a piece for my 5/3 show! We made a slight change at yesterday’s rehearsal, so now there is a blank chorus that needs to be filled. I composed this solo and really like it!

What I’ve Done Today

Didn’t accomplish much today, distracted to the social media.

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Performance Song – Little Shoes, 美波 – 聲嘶力竭, I Miss the Misery, VH – Waves
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Composed and wrote a solo for VH – Waves
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Practicing all day and rehearsal with different groups today. overall its a really productive day.

However, my brand got stuck. I’m not building anything again. I feel I lost control and have too many things to handle. The worst part, I don’t even know how this happened, or how to prevent it.

I’m slowing things down and writing notes in my notebook, hoping to think with writing and find a way out. It is not the first time, it keeps happening, like the goal I set means very little and no logic. I don’t know why.

I need help.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes, 美波 – 聲嘶力竭, I Miss the Misery, VH – Waves,
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Orchestra Rehearsal
   • ✔️ ArtFest Rehearsal
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Writing, Sorting Thoughts.
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Nothing Special, just keep record and train for fast lick.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Shooting photos for my second-hand product (I’m selling all my stuff to prepare for moving abroad.)

Still a resting day for my back, spend more time researching Skool platform and administration work

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Posting 3 second-hand products.

Rest Day. My back got a little hurt due intense guitar playing. Spent my time cleaning up my room today. And Researching Skool system.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ⏸ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Sorting up my room and second-hand stuff.

Edute progress:
For my daily Edute, instead of creating random lines, I feel it’s better to set limitations and goals. for example, arpeggio only? guide tone? Charlie Parker Style?
It’s a really good chance to study from the greatest. Not just random creating.

Daily Etude:
write a solo on a 12 bar chord progression to practice improvisation.

Notes for reel ideas.

Set a goal, for example, 10 days of charlie parker line. learning a series of lessons each day, and making documentation and explanations.

Also, I can provide a list of good improvisation learning materials! to gain followers.

For example, Rick Beato’s class for Charlie Parker is a really good video to see how others analyze.

If it is too complex for you, there is a really simple video that teaches about the basic “Guide Tone”, “Target Notes”, and “Forward Motion.”

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…

Went to a Jam session with NTU/NCCU Jazz club, connected with other musicians. and kept working on Little Shoes solo.

My work for the next 5-7 days will be focusing on Little Shoes fast lick training. After I’ve learned that new technique, I’ll start creating music.

A Chill happy day.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Practice “The Chicken” Tune for Jam Session
2. Brand Building
   • ⏸ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…

Performance today. spend my 3pm-10pm at NTU. Reading The 48 Laws of Power
Maybe I should do some other things in the morning and night. However, I have wasted that time on scrolling social media. Write this down to remind myself that there is space to improve.

These three days aren’t productive. However, it feels good and necessary… maybe I have been pushing myself too hard and didn’t have enough balance so I constantly need a couple of days to rest?

Watching my own performance, I’m moved by my own growth. This past half-year has been really stressful, whether it’s the demands I’ve placed on myself or the external challenges, whether I succeeded or hit a wall.

In my first performance in the middle of last year, I was shaking so much on stage, I totally didn’t know what I was playing. Even during rehearsals, I couldn’t grasp whether I was practicing enough.

From the first contest to combo, combo+, weekly band practices, performances, and Berklee interviews, I’ve been breaking through walls and learning new skills in each event. Though I’m not yet mature on stage, I can definitely bring a relaxed vibe now… 😭 I’m starting to have good control over my hands, and while my tone and tempo is still a work in progress, it’s reached a stable quality.

I’m especially grateful this year to my bandmate (I’ve known her nearly a year now! Time flies), who helped me quickly get to know lots of talented musicians in the club. Otherwise, being the social slacker that I am, I definitely wouldn’t have met anyone.

Though I’m not leaving just yet, I want to thank NTU Rock Club and Riot Orchestra for all they’ve brought me this year. 🫶

I hope to meet more kind people in the coming year, to practice music together, and enjoy the stage together. 🫶

Today I spent most time practicing Little Shoes.
There is a specific line that I need more time to work out.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️✔️✔️✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ⏸ Technical Training – Arpeggio / Scales
   • ⏸ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
   • ✔️ Big Band Rehearsal
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ⏸ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ⏸ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Admission works
   • ❌ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…

Pure rest day.. not feeling so good today.

The Goal of 2nd Phase

Build the skills to create small music pieces (mvp)

• ➡️ Produce Short Pieces of Music.
  • Task 1: Experiment with what kind of music I want to produce.
  • Task 2: Figure out what style should I focus on in the early stage.
  • wish, Task 3: Experiment with my vocal.
• ➡️ (optional) Start Posting Daily Content for at least 30 days.
  • Task 1: Collect practice pieces and write down a posting plan/schedule.
  • * may need more planning on this one, this is more marketing relative. and it is not a crucial task now.

Let’s set the next phase to 30~60 days.

Goal Outcomes

• 4 music pieces, with different styles or approaches to experiment my favor.
• another 3 music pieces, dedicated to a style. should be the outstanding one from the previous experiment.
• 1 video content, my final project of this phase. should be very similar to the video I want to make in the future.
• (optional) 2 more experiment video

THE ESSENTIAL 20%: Every popular artist has their own sound.

Today’s Content Starts here

Spend the morning jamming and create a piece today. Produce this short piece 🙂

After I spotted my vulnerability in produce and composition, things got clear. I have to keep learning and practice these two categories.

a bit exhausted today, giving myself a soft working day. watching podcast and masterclass of the greatest.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ❌ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ✔️ Technical Training – Min 9th Arpeggio
   • ❌ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ✔️ Make Tunes: Etude 001
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Admission works
   • ✔️ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…

• ✔️ Watching Justice Der’s interview and Allan Holdsworth Masterclass

Goal of 2nd Phase.

Build the skills to create small music pieces (mvp)

• ➡️ Produce Short Pieces of Music.
  • Task 1: Experiment with what kind of music I want to produce.
  • Task 2: Figure out what style should I focus on in the early stage.
  • wish, Task 3: Experiment with my vocal.
• ➡️ (optional) Start Posting Daily Content for at least 30 days.
  • Task 1: Collect practice pieces and write down a posting plan/schedule.
  • * may need more planning on this one, this is more marketing relative. and it is not a crucial task now.

Let’s set the next phase to 30~60 days.

Goal Outcomes

• 4 music pieces, with different styles or approaches to experiment my favor.
• another 3 music pieces, dedicated to a style. should be the outstanding one from the previous experiment.
• 1 video content, my final project of this phase. should be very similar to the video I want to make in the future.
• (optional) 2 more experiment video

THE ESSENTIAL 20%: Every popular artist has their own sound.

Today’s Content Starts from here

Practicing Little Shoes high-speed solo.

this is my practice in 70% speed… still have 30% to go

After doing video research(below), I’m doing my best to go through the fear of creation. Working on this tune, studying it.

I hope today’s work will be the flame to ignite the skill of music creation.

Music Piece Reference

Today’s reference is just a simple starting point, will not be a deep research. Going to focus on actual production.

1. Learn and analyze the touch and structure. He has a unique touch to it. Learn in.

Try this beat, make it to a guitar version

2. Try cover Popular songs

or

3. Try solo guitar on jazz standard

4. I really like Tom Misch’s Quarantine Session.

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ✔️ Technical Training – Phrygian Scales
   • ✔️ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ✔️ Make Tunes: 黑人問號 Re-imagine in Progress
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ❌ Applying for Visa…
   • ❌ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…

Yesterday, I decided to separate my task to three categories.

1. Guitar Practice: Daily training and performance preparation.
2. Brand Building: Building a 7-figure music business.
3. Brand Marketing: Fuel up the gas of growth.

The purpose of this change is to gain a clear visualization of how much time I spend on each and make sure I’ve spent enough time on building.

Setting Goal for the Next Phase

Last month, I built up my website, re-learning video editing through several practice vlogs and a Bangkok vlog video. Finish the process of Berklee admission and have been rejected, and have applied for MI. Have finished a performance and prepared for an upcoming performance.

• ✔️ Fundamental of the brand
• ✔️ Video Editing Experiment
• ✔️ School Admission
• ✔️ Performance

Overall, I have got decent tiny success even though there have been lots of struggles time.

Next Phase, the goal will be set to “Own the ability to create minimal viable product.” Which means I have to get used to producing. and generate ideas in a musical way. The chase of visual creativity will temporarily stop. Wait until I have enough good music content and variety.

• ➡️ Produce Short Pieces of Music.
  • Task 1: Experiment with what kind of music I want to produce. Beats? (Tom Misch), Arrangement? (Some fellow youtuber), Cover? (Lots of people do it), Practicing clips? My future goal is to collab with different kinds of artists, so “original music” and experimental sound may be crucial.
  • Task 2: Figure out what style should I focus on in the early stage.
  • wish, Task 3: Experiment with my vocal.
• ➡️ (optional) Start Posting Daily Content for at least 30 days.
  • Task 1: Collect practice pieces and write down a posting plan/schedule.
  • * may need more planning on this one, this is more marketing relative. and it is not a crucial task now.

Let’s set the next phase to 30~60 days. Need to have several outcomes:

• 4 music pieces, with different styles or approaches to experiment my favor.
• another 3 music pieces, dedicated to a style. should be the outstanding one from the previous experiment.
• 1 video content, my final project of this phase. should be very similar to the video I want to make in the future.
• (optional) 2 more experiment video

THE ESSENTIAL 20%: Every popular artist has their own sound.

Style Research: 3 Instagram reels.

(these are more marketing content than the actual product of my brand)

Goal: Set a style that has the potential to recreate.

My old research has way too much video editing. those are great, and definitely a future plan, but for now I need to focus on pure music content creation.

1. Learn from the well-known song: Link
   this could also increase my musical library.

2. More edits, but still focus on “learning song” first. Link

3. This one has an even complex story going on. Quotes, music, story hidden in the movement. Link

Bonus: This account is absolutely a masterpiece. I could learn the concept and set the goal to this level of aesthetic. Link

I’m ready to start creating music tomorrow!!

Research Queue

• Research: 3 Guitar Youtube
• Research: 3 Dream Collab

What I’ve Done Today

1. Guitar Practice
   • ✔️ Performance Song – Little Shoes
   • ✔️ Technical Training – Phrygian Scales
   • ✔️ Technical Training 2 – Pat Matheny Etude 1
2. Brand Building
   • ✔️ Research and learning
   • ❌ Make Tunes
3. Brand Marketing
   • ✔️ Writing Blog
   • ✔️ Post Daily Instagram Reels
4. Life Chores
   • ✔️ Applying for Visa…
   • ✔️ Upload 3 second-hand products to sale…