Media
Sailor Moon Sera Symphony Concert, July 2017
Sera Symphony put together a symphonic concert to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the US version of Sailor Moon. The following video showcases original Sailor Moon vocalist Jennifer Cihi performing a medley of fan favorites.
My Only Love
My Only Love was one of the favorite songs from the Sailor Moon TV show. DIC, the show’s producer, got quite a few requests for sheet music as people wanted it for their wedding song! This is a great version of the song performed by a string quartet.
Sailor Moon Songwriter Panel
The Sailor Moon songwriter team participated in a Q&A panel at the end of the concert.
First photo: Jennifer Cihi and I.
Second photo, from left to right: Michael Benghiat, John Miyagi Author, Lois Blaisch, Jennifer Cihi, and Sandy Howell.
Early Days
Mid-1970s pic, probably from junior high school.
I have no idea whose guitar that was…
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My first band! Alcatraz band rehearsal, c. 1975.
John Albert (bassist) was a model who appeared in many ads,
including his smiling face on a toothpaste box.
We rehearsed in the living room of his mom’s house, and unfortunately, that house was destroyed by the Palisades fire of 2025.
Our first gig was at the Palisades Park Rec Center, which was also destroyed in the fire.
This is why I decided to be a musician and not an artist…
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Misc.
Classical guitar recital, UCLA, June 1983. With Lisa Clearman.
Mitsubishi orchestral commercial recording session, 1994
John Miyagi Author, Bruce Ablin (engineer), me
Playing the LA Clubs!
My first “real” band was Tran de Flaunt.
This pic is from about 1982-1983.
We had not yet hit headliner status at the Troubadour, but we eventually did!
Our very first gig was at the Music Machine (at 1 AM on a Tuesday).
This could well be the first gig!
Jamming onstage at Madame Wong’s West, c. 1983-1985.
I was playing a 1973 Strat through a Peavey Classic amp, the first real gear my mom bought me. I should never have sold the Strat!
Again at Madame Wong’s West. This was the upstairs stage.
Notice the large doors behind Tim’s drum kit. The building used to be a funeral home, and those doors led to an elevator built to handle coffins.
The stage where we played was the viewing room!
From L to R: me, Tim Day (drums), Kelly Coleman (vocals), Amy and Sander (keys).
I’m playing a Roland GR-800 guitar synth…
My Studio Through The Years
Early bedroom studio, Santa Monica, early 1980s.
Vinyl only in those days!
Recording the song “Words To Say”, home studio, Santa Monica, 1985.
(Song lost to the ravages of time!)
Looks like the studio moved out from the bedroom to the living room.
My table looks like a modified ironing board, lol!
Love the rabbit ears on the TV!
Hollywood Condo studio, early 90s
Note the Mac Classic and lots of floppy disks!
You can see a 3/4″ video deck hiding behind the right side of the chair!
The studio would flood every time it rained – not good when clients were coming over!
Hollywood condo studio, early 90s
The gear had grown quite a lot from the earlier Santa Monica studio.
Notice the tape decks!
I’m pretty sure my neighbors hated me…
Valley Village, CA studio, late 90s
I now had two Mackie boards, plus an actual iso booth behind the glass.
Note the first appearance of the red chair, actually two of them here!
Woodland Hills, CA studio, 1998-2002
Check out the giant cordless phone! I was probably calling to order more huge computer monitors!
Also notice Emily the studio cat on my lap.
And the red chair is ready for action!
Yet another studio, 2002-2008.
Less gear but more powerful than previous incarnations.
Looks like one red chair met its demise. But I still had one!
Custom designed studio, 2008-2020.
More room for toys that all studios must have, including a candy dispenser and a slot machine.
The red chair – yet again front and center!
Current studio, Ventura County, CA 2025
Digital only now but with some nice analog outboard gear!
No more red chair!
Jojo Kitty, current studio cat
Relaxing after a long session, 2022
