Name: Steve Rapp

Birthplace: New York

Currently residing: Japan

Musical past and present in one rambling run-on sentence: Music has always been a big part of my life from self-expression to happiness to sadness to whatever the emotion may be it has helped me cope with life’s issues as they arise and provided a release of sorts from the weight of the World my first instrument was a clarinet then on to the bass later on down the line I picked up the acoustic guitar and taught myself how to play that’s when the real creativity of writing my own music came along I can’t even read or write music I just play what’s in my head but I never did anything with the songs until my Daughters birth then I became inspired to start recording so that I could open some doors for her and have a little knowledge about the business I never intended for me to have any success she’s the one to watch at 4 yrs old she can already play piano and drums she makes her own songs and can mimic Whitney Lyman’s voice on I’m Still Here she can also mimic Frozen songs Anywho I have a good amount of my songs left to do as well as a bunch of collaborations lined up I have enough work musically to keep me busy for the next 10 yrs now if only I could figure out how to make money at it 😉

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1. Who are some of your favourite composers, musicians and bands from the past and present?

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Cold War Kids, Rick Ross, Hopsin, Bon Iver, Rage Against the Machine, Led Zeppelin, Too Short, Westside Connection, Neil Young, Chopin, YoYo, Rush, I can keep going all day…

2. Is there a particular song or musical passage that never fails to move you emotionally?

That could be hard to narrow down It’s constantly changing with my moods and I got a lot of them… I am always quoting phrases from songs just in everyday normal conversation, I just thought how annoying that must be to people, sorry. Yeah, so its living, organic, moving, I’d say right now I’ve been stuck on Bob Marley’s 400yrs… 400yrs and it’s the same, the same philosophy, 400yrs and people hiding from reality… Werd!!!!  That moves me emotionally in a sad way, but even as a child I was always most happy when sad, I would have my Mother sing me a Deep Purple song, can’t remember the name right now, as she put me to bed so  that it made me cry to sleep at least that’s what she says… Boy’s Don’t Cry… see..annoying right

3. How would you describe your perfect day?

Just waking up and having my Wife, Daughter and I all sleeping on the floor together then a nice cup of cheap freeze-dried coffee oh how I miss you Stumptown Coffee Seattle, then walking my Daughter to pre-school, working on some music, picking her up from pre-school hanging out with her until my Wife gets home from work and then enjoying dinner while those two babble to each other in Japanese, which I can’t understand It took me a long windy road to figure out how important Family is, I never knew the secret until now and so many people have lost the way and tend to forget that but that’s what Japan has taught me

4. What would your friends say they appreciate the most about you?

When I leave… I don’t have many friends, but I would hope they would say that I am genuinely kind and peaceful I know for sure they would all agree I’m a lunatic.. lol

5. What is your most valued material possession?

I don’t have any material possessions except my clothes and my guitars, so my guitars when I was leaving the USA to come to Japan I tried to bring all 4 of my guitars and keyboard as carry on luggage and then was pissed off when they said no…  lol  Then they were like OK for $US1,000 you can bring them I was like ok cancel my ticket, my poor Wife, so I didn’t go I had to ship them and ended up missing them dearly 😦

6. Who were you, or would you be nervous to meet?

Just about anybody, but I would have to say any one of The Rolling Stones, True Rock Stars I love the film Martin Scorsese did with them. I could really see them up close and personal and man they are legends for sure intimidating but I also would like to think we would have a lot of fun once the formalities were out of the way and I changed my undies you’re not gonna print that last one right changed my sweaty T-shirt that’s better cause I don’t wear undies aah just kidding boxer-briefs

7. If you could blink your eyes and be in a favourite place right now, where would that place be?

Where I am now other than I’d like to build a little add-on space at Yoko’s Parents house, it’s a little more in the country, less people a nice mountain to walk up, great food and lotsa lotsa love, a Family Temple across the street, real actual rice patties like in the movies, the community literally grows all their own fruits and vegetables amazing stuff, I’ve never eaten so much food right from the Earth, where does a guy get a cheeseburger around here

8. Is there something you would like to do more of in the future?

Just continue making music I love working with different Artist’s and kinda of being more behind the scenes than in front. Continuing to spread the message of World peace and love If I can help one child or help one person through music than that’s worth more to me than any amount of money I can make with music because right now we don’t have much but have never been happier

9. Where would you like to find yourself in ten years?

I would say see question 7, I truly feel content where I am in life right now and that’s broke in the country surrounded by people whom I truly love and who love me back equally as much or at least I think that’s what they’re saying does anybody know what baka means??…