“I came back to the states in January 2020 as tour manager for an all-girl math rock band from Osaka, Japan, named Paranoid Void. Although it was short-lived, it was one of the most fulfilling tours I’ve been on. So many people turned out in Texas and California.

“But by early February, we all realized that because of COVID-19, we were not going to be able to continue the tour. So I came back to Baytown to be with my family, and the band returned to Japan.

“For quite a while after that, I lost touch with a lot of people. Then shortly after the George Floyd incident, I saw the most wonderfully resonating thing on Facebook. The girls posted this video saying that they wanted to help raise money for Black Lives Matter. In the video, you could see the anguish on their faces. Through their words it was like they were saying, ‘We went to the U.S.A.. We met so many people. We love them. We know they love us. We recognize that you are struggling right now. And we want to help.’

“I have never seen an instance like that, where cultural exchange is helping work toward a solution. Right then and there, my life’s work, my dream, was validated. It didn’t matter how much money I made on that tour, which wasn’t much. It’s a matter of what was accomplished.

“For the girls, it wasn’t a political debate or anything like that. It was so simple. It was just them saying, ‘We want to help you.’”

— David Isaac

Prior to COVID-19, David spent the better part of seven years in Japan as a tour manager, booking agent and promoter for various musicians through his company, Dead Foxx. In the post-pandemic world, he hopes to bring more bands from Japan to Baytown.

Through the sale of band T-shirts, Paranoid Void members Yuki (bass), Meguri (guitar) and Mipow (drums) helped raise $455 for a Black Lives Matter support fund.

Related:

• David Isaac: His world is a mix of music and politics

The post Japanese band supports Black Lives Matter appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a blooming author, I guess you could say. I actually have published two books, the first one in 2017. I had the idea for it back in sixth grade and wrote it then. I kind of lost focus with the project for a bit. Then in 10th grade, I picked it back up and rewrote it to completion, edited it, self-published it, and put it out there. It’s called ‘The Magic Discovery.’ It’s about this girl, and she’s introduced into the world of magic. She discovers that there are two main groups of magicians. They’re neither good nor bad. They just have different beliefs on how magic should be used. And she discovers that there’s a deep divide between them and … sorry, no spoilers. I feel like as I was writing, I was unconsciously creating a metaphor to represent America today, how divided we are.

“My second book, ‘The Fall of Magic,’ is the continuation of events in the first book. And I’m almost done with the third book, which is the final one in the series. It’s about 500 pages, last I checked. The writing itself is done. It’s just the revision that’s taking a while.

“Another thing about my books is that I have mixed elements of Japanese culture within them. I’m studying Japanese at the moment, and I’m going to take a trip to Japan soon. I hope to eventually move to Japan and work there.”

What do your parents think about that?
“They’re probably worried. But they support me.”

— Madilyn Lawrence

Madilyn, 18, is a student at IMPACT Early College High School. She was born bilaterally and profoundly deaf. Her books are available on Amazon.

Related:

• Perseverance helps student overcome deafness

The post Young author mixes magic, Japanese culture appeared first on The Baytown Project.

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• Dad didn’t know why music had to be so loud

The post They meet, they marry, they move to Japan appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I met her on a Friday. We were engaged the following Friday. Married a month later. Two weeks after that, we were living in Tokyo because I already had a job lined up there to teach English to Japanese businessmen.

“When I interviewed for that job in October, they wanted to send me right away. I said, ‘No, I don’t think I should go over there single. I need to be married.’ They asked if I had somebody in mind. I had a girlfriend, but I knew we weren’t going to get married. So I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ Then they asked, ‘Well, when can you be married?’ So I just picked a date out of the clear blue sky. I told them Feb. 1. I was close. I met my wife during Christmas break. We were married on Feb. 6.”

What did she think about all of that?
“She was super cool about the whole thing. When we first met I asked her, ‘What would you think if you met some guy and he said that we’re going to get married and go live in Japan?’ And she said, ‘I think it would be exciting.’ That was the right answer because I had asked other girls, and they all said, ‘Are you crazy?’”

— Keith Dick

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• They meet, they marry, they move to Japan
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• Paul Revere had ‘a really big personality’
• Dad didn’t know why music had to be so loud

The post Whirlwind romance, move to Japan ‘super cool’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“When I left for Japan in 2011, he seemed mostly normal. Maybe a few forgetful things, but I kind of chalked it up to age. Then when I came back to visit in 2013, he was so much worse. I was only here for three weeks, and I didn’t come back again until 2015. By that point it was pretty much full-blown. It was 200 percent obvious that something was wrong.

“I learned about it from my mom. Of course, she’s a nice lady and she tries to watch out for my feelings. So she was like, ‘OK, don’t get sad about this. But here’s what’s happening.’ Learning that my dad has Alzheimer’s was a real shock. It took me a long time to get used to it. I’m not totally used to it even now, but I’m getting better.

“He’s 73. He’s doing all right, but he has to be told to do certain things. Sometimes if you don’t tell him that he needs to go get something to eat, he doesn’t eat. He needs to be told to take his medicine, to brush his teeth, to shave, to take a shower, that kind of thing.

“It’s not easy. At some point my mom’s going to have to stop working so she can spend all her time taking care of him. When that happens, I want to be able to support them as best I can.

“My mom’s not saying anything. But I guess I’ve always been the type of person to put that kind of pressure on myself. To do what I believe is right. To take care of things.”

— Jennifer Challenger

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The post Daughter ready to step up to help with Alzheimer’s appeared first on The Baytown Project.

In his younger days, David Isaac’s idea of fun was reading almanacs. If he wasn’t learning about the presidents and how political parties work, he was studying different countries and cultures.

There also was music. With his sisters, they would record over tapes to create their own radio shows. And on holidays, they did their best Temptations impersonation at family gatherings.

Today, David’s world is still filled with music and politics. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Talking politics

Let’s take politics first.

At age 29, David is considering running for U.S. Senate. That might seem like a pipe dream for someone who has never held public office, but he doesn’t mind playing the role of underdog.

“I’m exploring the possibility of running in the Texas Democratic primary to motivate youth and black voters,” he said. “I know it sounds kind of crazy. I’d probably be the youngest person, and the only black person, to put their name on the ballot.”

But David has never shied away from the political spotlight.

While attending Lee College, he won the race for student body president. Holding that position as a 21-year-old in 2009, he also ran for mayor of Baytown.

“I wanted to give a voice to people in the community who might be afraid to stand up and speak for themselves,” David said.

Then, in 2015, he was among the candidates for Lee College Board of Regents.

“Overall, I feel that people just want a seat at the table. If at least that much can be achieved, then I think a lot of us will feel better about the political system,” David said.

“There’s a movement taking place. I really think the structure of politics will change drastically in the next 10 to 15 years, and I want to be there.”

The music scene

Then there’s the music.

When he’s not visiting family and friends in Baytown, David is working as a “music impresario” in Japan.

As president of his company, Dead Foxx, he is a music promoter for bands from Japan and the United States.

David also manages bands and works as a music producer. On occasion, he even performs as a freestyle rapper.

After putting together shows in Baytown involving local bands, David became more serious about the music business when he created Dead Foxx in 2011. He expanded to shows in Houston and Austin, before making the leap to Japan.

Currently, he’s putting the finishing touches on plans for a summer tour in Japan for The Fall of Troy, a mathcore trio from Mukilteo, Washington. They will be joined by Hikes, an Austin-based band.

“This will be the first time for The Fall of Troy playing in Japan, and it’s definitely the biggest show of my life as a promoter,” David said.

“They are a very important band to me. Their music has meant so much to me for years. I feel extremely blessed that they are putting their faith in me as their guy in Japan.”

And why the interest in the Japanese music scene?

“Japan has a very rich culture, a very rich history. It has always appealed to me as a country,” David said.

“What many people don’t realize is that it’s the second largest music market in the world. I knew there was potential there. I just wanted to see it for myself.”

While he enjoys introducing U.S. bands to Japanese audiences, David also likes to bring Japanese acts to the states.

“Not only is it cool to expose people here to the Japanese culture, but they quickly learn that they also play really badass music,” said David, who has managed the Japanese band, The Otonana Trio, for several years.

Standing out

When he’s in Japan, David calls Machida, Tokyo, home. And as a 6-foot-5 African-American, he tends to stand out.

“Because of my appearance, I get a level of attention there that I would never expect here in America,” said David, who has been interviewed a number of times on TV in Japan.

“I never experienced that before. In fact, being African-American in my hometown, in my classrooms or anywhere really, it sometimes felt like it was a detriment. Or there was something for me to be self-conscious about. But in Japan, it’s completely opposite.”

With his work visa in hand, David will return to Japan ahead of The Fall of Troy’s tour kickoff in June. While continuing to try to make a living promoting and managing bands, he also will seek additional employment.

As a freestyle rapper for about 15 years — he uses the stage name David Isick — he has his eye on a job in Kyoto teaching a hip-hop class.

“As someone from the Houston area, where rap culture is so strong, I’d be more than happy to teach them how to rap,” he said.

While he has a girlfriend in Japan and intends to continue working there for the foreseeable future, David doesn’t plan to ditch his Texas roots. He still considers Baytown his home base.

Public service

On the education front, David is working toward a bachelor’s degree in public service leadership development through University of Houston-Clear Lake.

“In the near future I would like to open up the Pumphrey Foundation and use it as a vessel to help foster talent, especially for those who are disadvantaged, and shape them into new leaders,” he said.

“Pumphrey Elementary closed down several years ago. It was a school I attended in first and second grade. Their thesis was largely about inclusion and diversity. Their message was: Together we can. That’s a message I’ve used in many of the political campaigns I’ve been involved in, and I want to bring that back.”

David has come a long way since moving with his family from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to the states when he was about 4 years old.

As he reflects on those early years when his nose was in almanacs, learning about the world and all of its possibilities, a mantra of the 1990s streams in his head: You can be anything you want to be.

“I recall hearing that all the time as a kid, and I still think of it as a privilege,” David said. “It’s still something I am pursuing. It’s still something I am trying to live up to.”

Related:

• Japanese band supports Black Lives Matter

The post David Isaac: His world is a mix of music and politics appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’ve been selling these bonsai trees for almost 15 years. My whole family grows them in a greenhouse.”

Why are bonsai trees popular?
“You check the Internet, you’ll see. Bonsai brings good luck. I’m from Japan. I consider myself very lucky.”

The post Need some good luck? Buy a bonsai tree appeared first on The Baytown Project.