Formulas are supposed to be good

Not the good kind. I’m not really running on full speed. I’m talking about the “out” kind.

I’m a bit burnt out on music. Nothing excites me. I’m not going to complain about Top 40 radio, Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Justin Bieber, the Music Industry, Apple or anything people that people might say is wrong with music in today’s iPod world.

I’m just not excited about music. What’s it say about our world when musicians have to be outrageous to get noticed? Formulas aren’t supposed to be a bad thing. Like in math, I’m supposed to know that when I plug X into a formula the correct answer is supposed to come out on the other side. Something that’s supposed to solve my problem. Not something bad or evil.

So what’s wrong with pop music? Are too many people using the same formula, or are they just using it the wrong way?

Too much of a good thing.

Jack White wants you to stop playing video games

From 1UP

Read the article

I was just having a conversation with my fiance last month about me and video games. I love video games. I love music. I love making music and playing my songs for people. I also love killing goblins with a good spell or a wicked looking sword. Maybe Jack White was playing different games than me, but I find that video games inspire me. Maybe my pixellated friends on the TV or the computer monitor affect my brain differently than his.

People have been discovering music through T.V. and movies for years now, why is discovering new music through Guitar Hero or Rock Band so awful? If anything Guitar Hero and Rock Band are doing a better job of promoting and playing music than MTV ever did. People of all ages are able to interact with the music, even if they aren’t actually playing the notes. A whole new generation is able to connect with the Beatles and other classics that they would never get from Top 40 radio.

If playing video games is stealing all of your time from other necessary activities than you’re taking it to far but that’s also true with all other forms of entertainment. Musicians, play those games that inspire great stories within you, just don’t forget to pick up your guitar or sit at your piano between those raid parties.

Lego Board Room Table = I want it!

So as a kid I LOVED Legos. Yes, LOVED, all caps. I was the freak that didn’t want to mess it up though. I had to build exactly what was on the box. No thinking outside of the box for me. I wanted to build what I bought. So, I always admire people who just buy sets and sets of legos to build something totally random. Like a table for their board room.

TAIWANESE! U.S. Census 2010

All right, on a serious note. There’s a movement going on right now. The stage is being set. Taiwanese all around the U.S. are rallying around this one cause… To get TAIWANESE written into the U.S. Census. As a kid I remember having to tell people that I was Chinese (which is true, by ethnic background) but I wasn’t from China, I was from Taiwan. I’m Taiwanese. I speak Taiwanese, I eat Taiwanese food, I love Taiwanese music and culture. This is especially important in these eight states: CA, NY, TX, NJ, WA, IL, MD, and MA which are supposed to have the largest Taiwanese population in the country. There are an estimated 1 million Taiwanese people living in this country.

Check out the PSA video below and don’t forget to check the “OTHER” box when you fill out your census this year and fill in “TAIWANESE”.

UPDATE: New EPs…that’s right, plural

Friends and Fans, forgive me for I have sinned. It’s been 2 years now since I’ve been talking about an acoustic EP, new songs, new album but 2010 is the year for them. Rather than spend a long time putting together one album and delaying the process of getting the songs to your hands, iPods, computers, and cars I’m going to be releasing multiple EPs this year. I’ll keep you updated as the process goes on, right now I’m fine tuning the new songs and making selections.

This is going to be an exciting year, thank you for all the continued support.

Charlie Chang

Words of Wisdom from the Curbside Prophet

These words are affecting me even as I sit here writing this blog post. I’ll let you know what comes about from it.

“Go be that starving Artist you’re afraid to be. Open up that journal and get poetic finally. Volunteer. Suck it up and travel. You were not born here to work and pay taxes. You were put here to be part of a vast organism to explore and create. Stop putting it off. The world has much more to offer than what’s on 15 tel…evisions at TGI Fridays. Take pictures. Scare people. Shake up the scene. Be the change you want to see in the world. You’ll thank yourself for it.”

– Jason Mraz

This has always been my favorite song from him.

Jason Mraz – “Better”

“Waltz for You” music video & interview on the MYX Channel

Hey Everyone!

It’s been awhile since the music video for “Waltz for You” was finished, but the MYX Channel based out of San Francisco is going to be featuring the video along with an interview where Anders Lindwall (the director) and I will be talking about the process behind creating the video.

The episode will be premiering on Thursday Feb 18 at 8 p.m. and then will be airing on the following days and times:

Feb 19, Friday at 1730 PT/ 2030 ET and 2100PT/ midnight ET
Feb 20, Saturday at  2000 PT/ 2300 ET
Feb 22, Monday at 1200 PT/ 1500 ET

MYX is available on…
Comcast (in San Francisco Bay Area) – Channel 368
DirecTV (in United States) – Channel 2067
Cox (in Orange County, California) – Channel 479
Cox (in Northern part of Virginia) – Channel 464
RCN (in NYC, Wash. D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston) – Channel 474
MCV (in Guam) – Channel 16

Check out a preview here:

The Muppets – Beaker’s Ballad

Who doesn’t love Beaker?! It’s good to see Disney doing something with the Muppets.

The 88 – “The Making of Love is the Thing” (recorded on the iPhone)

I already loved this band’s album, Not Only…But Also but this video sends the band deeper into my nerd heart.

Tetris Paradigm Shift

Tetris, like Super Mario bros and Sonic the Hedgehog will forever hold a special place in my heart as the first video games that I ever played.

Try playing it this new way…http://firstpersontetris.com/

I could spend HOURS playing Tetris this way…It’s as if Tetris got it’s own rollercoaster.