Ari Koinuma

Music Is Life.

That's why we need to listen.

Welcome, Friend!

I explore an unconventional mix of rock music, guitars, personal development/self improvement, and mental health. I invite you to come with me on my journeys, so I can share what I learn.

Ari Portrait by Amy Colleen

Topics

Music Commentary

As a music fanatic, it means a great deal when a song speaks to me. Good songs are like air and food to me, I need a steady supply of them to fuel my life....

Life Insights

I'm constantly on the lookout for deeper meaning and understanding of life, with a particular focus on psychology and mental health. I'm forever a student of life, and they say the best way to learn...

For Musicians

Music is a challenging pursuit, so I enjoy sharing lessons learned with my fellow musicians. Particularly, I have something to say about songwriting and guitars, but I sometimes touch on arranging, singing, recording production and music...

Your Thoughts Are Your Currency. How Are You Spending It?

I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to think what I want to think about. My mind has a habit of thinking about what’s wrong with my life. Solve/fix problems. Feeling indignant, maligned, mistreated. Yet this is a vicious cycle. Our emotional habit reinforces itself. It becomes …

July 23, 2017 July 25, 2017 Life Insights emotional muscle / thoughts

Your Feelings Don’t Reflect Reality

I don’t know about you, but I find myself making many decisions based on how I feel. When I’m bored I turn to my smartphone, for example. I’m in a particular state of mind and I do something to change that state, or to get more of it. Except my …

July 22, 2017 July 21, 2017 Life Insights decision / decision-making / emotions / values

Unlocking the Mystery: How Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “All I Want” Uplifts

Toad the Wet Sprocket is one of my all-time heroes. It’s hard to put into words what this band means to me, but one quality I admire in their music is relatability. There’s something about Toad’s music that connects to what life feels like. It’s that sense of “yeah, that’s how …

July 18, 2017 July 17, 2017 Music Commentary Dean Dinning / Gavin MacKillop / glen phillips / Kurt Cobain / Randy Guss / reverb / Toad the Wet Sprocket / Todd Nichols

Why It’s Important to Get Used to the Feelings You Desire

I’ve been meditating daily using a guided meditation app Headspace. In the Appreciation series the guide, Andy, discussed how it’s important to become familiar with the feeling of gratitude, because it helps you start feeling that way more often in real life. He didn’t elaborate on why that is, but …

June 29, 2017 June 28, 2017 Life Insights emotional muscle / gratitude / stuck emotions

Why I Choose to Do What I Shouldn’t

It’s curious how our conscious mind can choose actions that we later regret, even when we know it ahead of time. I find myself giving in or getting talked into the “wrong” choices. “Just a little bit and then I’ll quit, it’ll be fun,” I would think, and I’d be …

June 23, 2017 June 22, 2017 Life Insights addiction / stuck emotions