NYT: Renaissance Man

A Golden Renaissance

By Celeste Brown-Thomas, Lifestyle Editor, New York Times

I first learned about Taro Gold reading his bestselling book “Open Your Mind, Open Your Life.” Everyone in my office seemed to have it on their desk. I soon learned Taro had written several internationally acclaimed books, one became an Oprah Winfrey favorite and Book of the Year award-winner, another was a TIME magazine recommended read, and other perennial favorites of every major bookstore chain. Later I found that Taro Gold is a singer/songwriter creating a new J-pop CD. After buying his books and falling in love with them, I wanted to know more about the international Renaissance man behind these little masterpieces of inspiration.

NYT: Hi Taro, thank you for talking to me today, are you still in Paris?

TG: I was in Paris yesterday for the French publication of one of my books, but this morning I’m in Montreux, Switzerland. My family has a place here that I love. It’s a rejuvenating environment in the Alps, by the lake, surrounded by snowcapped peaks, and has the best French food… not to mention Swiss chocolate! I bet I could live on chocolate and Evian.

(laughter)

NYT: Thanks to your family’s international background, you have visited more than 30 countries. What is the most exotic place you’ve experienced?

TG: It’s hard to pick just one. Exploring the Amazon is exotic. I get the adventurous side of my personality from my mom. When I was in college my mom and stepdad were kidnapped while exploring in Africa. I was in Tokyo and didn’t know until after my mom escaped and got help from UN soldiers. She called me from a payphone in some jungle town. It was scary and surreal, but in retrospect kind of funny. Someday I’m gonna make a movie about my mom called “The female Indiana Jones!”

(laughter)

NYT: In addition to adventurer’s DNA, you also have strong entrepreneurial streaks in your genes.

TG: Yes, my family founded some communications companies, which taught me the power of communication to bring people together, educate, and inspire people. One company was bought by AOL, and another VOIP company (a competitor of Skype) was recently bought by Microsoft. So we are a Microsoft family now… although I use Apple, let’s keep that a secret.

(laughter)

NYT: Okay your secret is safe with me and everyone in the world who’s reading this. (laughter) Your grandfather was also a writer and a musician. You’ve written 7 bestselling books that have been translated in many languages. And you are recording your first J-pop album.

TG: Yes, I’m making special Japanese editions of my books to go along with my music. In the coming year more of my books will be published in French, Hebrew and Spanish. Mostly I’ve been pouring my heart into my music, which is a great passion of mine. I’m finishing my first album and it will be ready for release in late 2008 or early 2009. I’m excited about it and believe it will be hugely popular.

NYT: You have lived all around the world, you could choose to work anywhere. Why Japan and why J-pop?

TG: I love Japan. I have lived in Japan on and off all my life. My grandmother was from Kyoto and many favorite childhood memories are times spent in Japan. Two of my best romantic relationships have been with Japanese, and most of my best friends are in Japan. On a spiritual level, creating J-pop has been the most joyous thing I’ve ever experienced. Deep in my heart I feel this is my mission. I was born to do this, in this time, in this place (Japan). I want to spread love throughout Japan and Asia, I want to help brighten up the lives of as many people as possible.

NYT: Your work has brightened up the lives of millions of people around the world already. You are also very involved with charities.

TG: Yes, thanks to the popularity of my books and thanks to my family’s generosity I’ve been able to support various charities in North and South America. My two main focuses are a foundation for suicide prevention in Canada and USA, and I also sponsor street children in Peru to go to school.

NYT: Are you involved in charity work in Japan, too?

TG: I have big dreams about charity development, especially to help children. I want to open charitable foundations in Japan and Asia, and right now my dreams are bigger than I can handle myself. I hope my business endeavors in Japan will be highly successful so I can make those dreams come true. First I will work to make my art the best it can be, to inspire and entertain millions of fans. Second I will give the fruit of that labor back to the world through my charitable foundations.

NYT: It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken with a celebrity about dreams like that. Speaking of celebrity, is it true you live in the Park Hyatt Tokyo? It sounds like the film “Lost in Translation.”

TG: Yes, it sounds funny, but it makes sense for my lifestyle right now. I’m single, I travel a lot, I work long hours. They are so good to me at the Park Hyatt.

NYT: I read that your extended family owns a total of 16 homes around the world and you travel between them writing your books and music.

TG: A friend of mine wrote that in her blog! It sounds super glamorous to have 16 homes, doesn’t it? I should just say “yep, that’s right.” (laughter) In reality my family owns 8 homes. I have created books and music and screenplays there. When I travel, my creative juices flow. I’m grateful to have the blessing to travel around the globe. I am also proud that my family’s homes are eco-friendly. One place in Mexico is almost 100% self-sufficient. We also let friends use them whenever they want and we donate time in them to help raise money for charity.

NYT: Artistic, glamorous, eco and charity all at once. Your family has always traveled a lot, partly because of roots in the aviation industry.

TG: My great-grandfathers and grandfathers were all politicians and bankers. My father and stepfather were entrepreneurs, so everyone traveled a lot for work. Most of the men in my family have pilot licenses. When I was a little boy my family owned an aviation company that merged with American Airlines.

NYT: I saw a photo of your new plane online.

TG: Yes, it’s a Cirrus. Just traded it for a Cirrus Turbo. I am not licensed to fly it by myself yet, but I’m working on my license now.

NYT: These days you live mostly in Japan?

TG: For the past few years I’ve spent half my time in Tokyo and half abroad.

NYT: When you are not in Tokyo, where do you spend most of your time?

TG: When I’m not in Tokyo, I’m mostly in Las Vegas. I record there at the new studio in the Palms Casino. It’s one of the best studios in the world, and it’s easy to get everyone to come record with me since it’s in Las Vegas!

(laughter)

NYT: You have had a lot of experience in music since you were a child, performing in Broadway musicals. How did that start?

TG: I started taking violin lessons (the Suzuki method) when I was 7 years old, and performing professionally acting, singing, dancing when I was 8 years old. I was fortunate that my first major job was in the # 1 touring company of “Evita.” I spent almost two years in “Evita,” then starred in “Peter Pan” after that. I also did some work for Disney Channel and TV commercials.

NYT: How do your early musical experiences influence your current music?

TG: The foundation of music in my life is musical theater, which is raw compared to studio music. The style of music I create now is pop, which is not usually made with many real elements. These days, pop songs are mostly artificial sounds generated by computers, and often the producers don’t understand music history, culture or philosophy. So the end product might sound catchy for a month or two, but people get tired of it fast. That is why pop music is suffering.

NYT: Sales for music continues to decline everywhere.

TG: The root cause is that current trends in music lack depth, solid content, foundation. As a result, pop has lost much of its voice and message. Where are the artists with strong social messages today? There are so few. Well, I will be one. I have much to say, and I have the background and foundation in my life to do it well. My mix of pop with “real music” is one of my hallmarks. I put together a 50-piece orchestra for some of my songs. I’ve been told this makes people feel like I’m a new Jamiroquai.

NYT: Jamiroquai have always had strong social messages, and a strong mix of real music with pop sounds. I read that you know Jamiroquai, don’t you?

TG: The guys in Jamiroquai are friends of one of my producers, so I was honored to have them play on my album. I think their music is genius. I’m glad that some of my music, especially my song “AISEI — Love Star” is compared to their sound. Some people say that type of sound is from the past, but I believe it’s actually the sound of the future. It’s real. It’s timeless. It’s eternal.

NYT: Critics say a big problem today is that pop music has become “throw away” entertainment. It is made for the moment, and has no power to last. People don’t want to spend on music they know they will be sick of hearing in a month. What’s the remedy?

TG: For the pop music industry to survive, we must go back to basics and supply people art that touches their hearts deeply. I want to provide people with pieces they will love more and more as time goes by. The more you hear it, the more you love it. That is true art. The way to create this kind of art in pop music is with real musicians, real instruments, real lyrics. That is what I’m trying to do. Stay tuned.

NYT: Even though I can’t understand Japanese, I enjoy your music. When music is of quality, anyone can relate to it, even in a different language.

TG: When music is universally appreciated, you know it’s good. People are thirsty for good music. It’s as if they’ve been in a cultural desert. Now it’s time for a revolution in pop culture, time to unleash a wave of new art. “Future art.” Time for artists to create value with everything we do – for me this is through my books, my music, my acting. One of my musical mentors told me: “Be thoughtful in everything you do. You never know how your simple actions, an idea written in your book, a line in your song, is going to touch someone you may never even meet. Because one person was moved by your art, that person may be inspired to do something that changes the entire course of history.”

NYT: Reminds me of the “butterfly effect.”

TG: Exactly. Artists have the opportunity to speak to countless people, so we have a responsibility to be thoughtful about how we create, to think deeply about what kind of energy we put out in the world. It’s about becoming happy, and helping other people become happy. That’s the ultimate mission of an artist. That’s the ultimate mission of every human being, I believe.

NYT: How did you become so wise? I feel like I’m talking to the Dalai Lama now instead of a pop star.

(laughter)

TG: I’ve been through a lot of adversity. When you read my biography it can look sweet and simple. But my father suffered from bipolar depression, and we underwent terrible financial loss from his inability to run his businesses for a while. My father and I were in car accidents with drunk drivers. My father broke his back, and eventually died from a combination of depression and physical problems. I broke my neck and was almost paralyzed. My mom also suffered from chronic illness, I saw her on the edge of death. All of these experiences taught me to go inside my heart and figure out what’s important in life, and help others do the same.

NYT: Your grandmother in Kyoto was a very important part of your life growing up. She helped you overcome many of the hardships you faced.

TG: Yes, my grandma in Kyoto took my mother and me under her wing and protected us during the hard times. She is the one who showed me how to live a joyful life. I am forever grateful to her, I pray in thanks for her everyday. I wish she was still here to see how far I’ve come. I’m sure she’s still watching over me. My song “Diamond” is in memory of my Kyoto grandmother.

NYT: The word “Diamond” conjures up so many nice things. High quality, rare, valuable, strong, beautiful, pure, clear… and everyone wants it.

TG: Hopefully this will be the case with my music too.

NYT: I have a feeling it will be. Thank you, Taro.