I remember growing up on 18th Pl and Damen. I used to hear people say it was called “little Vietnam. Sometimes I’d sit on the corner of the block at night and watch the sparks of gunshots go off at the park . At the time it just felt normal. Didn’t this happen in everyone’s neighborhood?  It was just another day in the hood. Every so often I’d get threats by the local neighborhood gang to either join, or they’d beat the crap out of me. There were a few close calls, with fists and bruises. I managed to stay out of the way, and not look for trouble.  I am sure everyone had a different experience in Pilsen, but days like this were mine…

There were tons of people you’d hear about that lost their life in the street as a result of gang violence. You often heard street stories of people that were shot, burned, tortured…locked up for life…It was crazy.  But it was just the norm of any sunny day in our hood. I remember playing arcades at the local corner store when someone told me the rival gang of the neighborhood was driving by shooting. I remember exiting  the store  quick and running home as fast as I could, cause that is what you had to do I guess.  All I could hear were cars screatching in the background as I tried to make it home without a bullet hitting me… I look back now and I think it’s crazy and scary. I remember walking to a birthday party and seeing a lifeless body on the other side of the street waiting for police and detectives to arrive. To think this was really happening everyday in the neighborhood I grew up in…I am just grateful I managed to stay away from a life of gangs, considering I was exposed to it nonstop. These are just a few of the stories from the hood…

-fuser+

One day my kids will open up this book filled with stories, thoughts, triumphs, failures,prayers, songs, ideas, photographs and sketches. They will sit around the fire place and tell these stories to their kids. It’s the story of our lives. The memories of their fathers, the lessons they learned and the most amazing adventure we had together. I keep this in mind everyday when I wake up and tuck them into bed at night.

What will your book say one day?

-fuser+

Back in the day, my water-park was the fire hydrant. It was the greatest time ever. The sidewalk gutter filled up with water and there we chilled all day long till either the sun came out, or the firefighters shut the hydrant off.  Back in the day I didn’t have swim shorts, I would take  a pair of sweat pants or jeans and cut them into shorts. Back in the day if you made it to the shower first, you had a full warm shower…the last person ran out of hot water half way thru. Back in the day ice cream(Popsicles)  came to you, a man would shout ” Paletas!!”, you’d run out and buy your fruit Popsicle right in front of your door step. Back in the day .50 cents bought you 50 pieces of gum or 50 water balloons. Back in the day, block parties were the best! Back in the day we played kick the can, hide and go seek ( bubble gum, bubble gum in the dish…”), football, catch one catch all, till late night on the block…we’d come home safe and sound! Back in the day, there was no need for an actual hot dog bun to enjoy it, any slice of regular bread would do. Back in the day, I couldn’t wait to own a pair of British knights. Back in the day, if we got thirsty outside there wasn’t a bottled water, just a water hose.  Back in the day, my birthday party entertainment consisted of my uncles singing and playing their acoustic guitars to old Mexican classics…until the beer started singing then we knew the party was ending.

Back in the day it was about going to the corner store to play arcades.  Double dragon, Ghost and Goblins, Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, Rampage, Contra, Mike Tysons punch out!.. Wow! I’m totally having flashbacks… Back in the day we waited in line just to play these arcades… Back in the day we were in a rush to grow up, sometimes I wish I could go back to them days, just for a little while! I have so many amazing memories from growing up in Pilsen. (a few popular words and phrases that I remember are… “that’s jive”,  “making out to a girl was referred to as, rapping to her”,  “I’m gonna clip you”, ” I gotta jet”,  “that’s bad!!!”-(actually meant something good)…

Do you have any Back in the day memories? or popular phrases?

-fuser+

Not sure who wrote this…but its interesting.

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren’t overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day and we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms…….

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

-author unknown…

One of the many reasons I came to Nashville was to make music and write songs. I can’t really imagine my life not doing that, it’s encoded in my DNA…Whether it be professionally or not, it will be something I do till the day I die.  It’s been tough surviving here In Nashville so far… Landing a job has been a constant mission. With a Communications Degree and proven experience in the creative and broadcast world, it’s still challenging? Though I have landed random temp gigs and promising interviews, I am yet to land a solid and stable job. I’ve done a few acting gigs in town that have helped make ends meet, but as you know, in the world of entertainment  it takes time and lots of patience. Yeah times are tough, but it all comes with the package of the journey right? Nevertheless, writing music doesn’t stop, dreaming and planning doesn’t stop, our joy doesn’t stop.  It keeps going no matter what. Reina and I constantly remind each other, ” no matter what happens, we keep going”…I look at my two boys and the passion burns even more inside my heart to go for it. We are humbled by the constant support from our close friends and family! I am looking forward to taking a design class starting next week at Watkins,  courtesy of our friends…I have no words to express our gratitude!!! Sometimes other people believe in us, more then we do  ourselves… I have recieved random emails from people believing in us and in our journey…It’s awesome.  Reina returns to school this fall with a full ride! That is a HUGE blessing! Soon she’ll be designing homes for the world…  It’s awesome to see many things fall into place, while we work on getting the rest of the pieces together and finally make this city our home… So now what? Well it goes like this…1. I am finalizing some of the songs I have been writing for my solo EP, in preparation to hit the studio this fall with this amazing song writer/producer. I am super excited about it! This will be the first EP of a few in the making. With works in Spanish and some other cool stuff to follow…I won’t spill all the beans.  I will share this though, me and the fellas in TSP are taking off a weekend and heading to Atlanta for a writing session, stay tuned for updates and the scoop on that!

As far as the solo EP goes, this will be the first time that I venture into a music project as a solo artist without a band. The creative process will be an adventure in itself. This project is going to mean tons for me and my family.  It will reflect this journey we have taken, in pursuit of our passions. It will also be my  first project out of  Nashville, and a road towards becoming a better songwriter.   I am reaching out to all my faithful supporters to thank you and hope you guys will join me on this musical journey that has begun and will build up some momentum.  I have tons of music for you. Now the task is to get it recorded and out to your ears. We’re working on raising support for these projects and  many other creative endeavors.  We’re Looking for designers, film makers, photographers and more…If you want more info and feel you wanna be part of the creative chaos and help us with support and get this first of many rockets off the ground, please feel free to email me at jessesantoyo1@gmail.com. Thanks again.

Yours truly,

-fuser+ and the crew

“hasta la victoria siempre”

So here are a few of the pros and cons of relocating to a brand new city that we have experienced and are experiencing. Some say we’re crazy and honestly I agree… It just feels so right in our hearts. Erwin McManus said it best, “when we are passionate about God, we can trust our passions”.

(negatives)

We left everything and everyone we knew behind, so we didn’t have a whole lot of people in this town, or at least no immediate family. We had to learn our way around. Find the right place  and area to live in. Trying to plug into a brand new social pipeline, in our case the arts pipeline…music, design, film, etc… Finding jobs! Dang has it been tough! Finding the right schools, daycares, babysitters for our kids. Make friends. Make a life  in this town, from square one again. Finding Good pizza and Latin food. Finding things to do. Find a church we can call home.

(Positives)

Meeting new people, making great friends, meeting new families. It’s a new town. So we get lost very often, but in the process we discover great things in this town. Networking more then ever to collaborate with other artists, film makers/ talent agents, designers, Songwriters and more…Our communication and network tools have improved for both Reina and I. Jobs? it’s been tough, but we’ve had strong leads and opportunities are here, just need to be consistent on knocking doors and refining my resume and bio’s etc… Schools? they’re here and they sound great. One more year and Diego starts pre-k. Babysitters…Still working on that. Our dates consist of bring the boys along…Watching late movies=the boys sleep…we love this town and really wanna stay here and grow super old here…Once the jobs and school kick in, it will feel a little more secure. Good pizza? It’s not Chi town pizza but we’ve become huge fans of Pie in the Sky pizza. Latin food?…maybe we’ll open one…LOL. Church to call him. Check!

Overall the things that seem like negatives turn out to be positives. We’re growing in so many areas of our life. We’re growing closer as a family. We’re appreciating more and more the things that matter. Faith in God providing is our one and only vital sign keeping us alive. It’s an awesome journey that’s been worth it. In no way has it been easy, but it’s paying off in ways we never imagined. At the end of the day, no matter what happens, we’ve grown, we’ve learned, we’ve lived, we’ve taken the chance to pursue our dreams, and we’re diggn it. CONSISTENCY, INTEGRITY, PATIENCE…remedy for success. What may not make sense right now, will soon…Hebrews 11:6

-fuser and the crew”

“GREATNESS isn’t determined by fame,wealth,talent or education but by how much it takes to discourage you. Refuse to give up!”-Rick warren

It was 1979, my mother was working in a factory in Chicago. My parents came to this country in pursuit of a better future for their children as so many others in this country do.  Sometimes it may seem there is no plan in our lives and we’re part of this planet by chance. It feels like we are no more nor less then an insect. We merely exist for the sake of existing. But I truly believe  that isn’t the case.

So my mother tells me, at that moment and time she was  9 months pregnant. She was only weeks away from her due date.  My mom tells me that many great women as well as relatives worked at this factory to provide a better life for their children, but on that day, life would take a different turn for everyone.  My mom was working at this factory in order to help out my Dad with the bills and everyday necessities.  It just so happens that on this day, the factory would be raided by immigration. Many of her friends would be  arrested and deported, including other women from other countries she did not even know. My mother shares with me that  she patiently waited in a room to either be arrested, interrogated, or deportation. She admits being a little scared, especially being 9 months pregnant.  At the time my mother was still in process of finalizing her US citizenship, so all this made it so much more nerve recking.   All she knew was that she had to do whatever necessary to survive and provide the promise for her kids and her husband. It’s sad how this affects so many people all over the country today…We’ll leave that topic for another day.

The officer walked into the room and saw my mother. My mother recalls the woman looking at her,  she was dressed in her law enforcement attire. The woman looked at my mom’s belly, made eye contact with her and told her to leave and go home. My mother didn’t hide, runaway, nor retaliate. She grabbed her things  walked out the front door and went home. I can’t help to think  God must have had a plan for her, our family and  those women that were arrested and deported.  2 weeks later after the raid, I was born.  31 years later I am here, on a journey towards my destiny.  It’s real stories like this that give me so much hope. It’s stories like this that I enjoy sharing. It’s because of heroes like my my Mom and Dad  that had the courage to take a journey towards a better life that I am here. What maybe seemed as a misfortune at the time, has become a stepping stone into greatness.

From time to time I ask my mom the same question. Just to make sure I got it right… I ask my mom, what her job was at the factory back in 1979?  Her job was to  Sew the inside lining of Guitar cases…

-fuser+

misfortunes make giants

Maybe I should’ve waited for Fathers day to write this, but I had him on my mind. I can’t go very long without talking to my Dad.  I am learning more and more that my time with my Dad is super valuable.  I can’t say I had a really close relationship with my Dad growing up.  He worked alot and yeah from time to time we did spend some quality time together. Every Saturday morning as a kid I had the breakfast of champs. My Dad would bring me a cheeseburger from this amazing diner in my old neighborhood called Don’s grill and a fruit punch. It never failed, every single Saturday morning while I watched cartoons.  There was something about that burger! You could eat it anytime of the day and it just made sense to. I am now 31 and I feel like me and Dad have a closer bond. He keeps it real with me but is so freakn encouraging, especially in those crucial moments. He constantly reminds me I am on my way to greatness…Nothing like a father who believes in you…That’s why I do what I do!

My Dad came to this country with a dream.  A dream to make a better life for his family. He worked his butt off to do so.    I am sure he picked up any overtime he could just to keep us in good schools, keep food on the table and keep the lights on. I remember one summer he took me to work landscaping with him, I quit the first week I was there. The work was so freakn tough! It helped me appreciate so much more about him and so many others that do the same.  I know my Dad wasn’t perfect and probably could have done so many things differently, regardless he did what he could and I love and respect him for it. My dad often shares stories with me of missed opportunities and not taking certain risks…out of fear. He says   “fear paralyzes you. Doubting yourself leaves more room to fail and believe into existence you won’t achieve what you are going for”…  My dad’s greatest advice for me was ” Sometimes you just gotta close your eyes and go follow your dreams”. “Speak into reality what is still just a dream, and watch it come to life”.. I love my Dad and I finally had the courage to tell him!..Growing up, showing affection was a sign of weakness. So it wasn’t too popular to tell my Dad I loved him… Somethings in culture just don’t make sense… I am grateful for my Dads  journey and what he has accomplished. He has a remarkable story… I am now a Dad establishing a new foundation and a new culture in my boys. Love God, dream big and Live with wings!

Check out this Link of my Dad sharing a bit on his journey…featured in the Immigrant Archive Project.

-fuser+

Seasons… So currently we’ve ventured into a new season in our lives. With new seasons come changes, new beginnings, new roads and new risks. My family and I have been living here in East Nashville since December of 2009. Since then I have been writing new material. I’ve had the honor of writing with some great people here in the city. Plugging into a new scene is not easy and requires moving in, connecting to the culture, becoming part of it, and adding to it…I’ve been away from many great friends and family, which has been tough, but it makes you cherish and value them even more, and it has pushed me and my family to grow in so many areas of our lives.   I’ve been away from my fellow band mates as well. For those who don’t know I am the frontman for the Chicago based band “the saturn project”, which you may or may not have heard of. If you haven’t then you must! HERE. The guys are doing amazing things you guys should be aware of. Alex my bro is part of a killer band in Chi-town “the killer moons”, creating quite a buzz. Brent manages an amazing recording studio in ATL, Matt is the worship leader at LPC in South Fl…( FYI- TSP is not  breaking up!!! We’ll get to the 2nd record soon.

For now, I am taking the new months or so to continue writing and do something I never thought I would. Venture off and record a Solo EP. I’ve talked about it on several occasions but to be quite honest I am terrified of the idea! The more and more I thought about it I figured, why not? Right? I was born and raised in Chi town, 28yrs…left that to be part of a terrific vision in South Florida for 2 yrs. Now we are here in Nashville pursuing our dreams, making life, raising our kids, and living life to the fullest…Solo EP? Might as well!!! I am really excited about the idea. I won’t ramble on and on about it. I will be announce the amazing producer I will be working with very soon!!! and video producer. Not only will there be music, but a video/blog of stories, thoughts, creative elements that I hope YOU will enjoy. For all those who have supported me for years, thanks a ton!!! I really hope to make a difference with my music, my thoughts and every other thing else…

I feel like a part of me has died. I know it sounds devastating, but it is really great. There are alot of things inside that I have gotten rid of, which I blame for the growth I feel as a follower of Christ, a husband, a father, a friend, and an artist. In order for the new and the fresh to come in, we need to let the old die away… This journey so far has inspired alot of new tunes, stories and thoughts I have been writing on an old beat up guitar I just can’t put away. Stay tuned here on the weekends for updates on the project, my songs, videos, NEW PICS and all the other great chaos in the making…If you read this far, Thanks friend!!! Help me spread the word about -fuser+, and hope to see you soon. So what do you guys think?

-fuser+

photo and design courtesy of reinalisa.

So one of the reasons for being here in Nashville was to work on becoming a better song writer. I’ve never been musically trained. Nor do I have the best formula to write songs. I learned in the hood. From 18th place and Damen in Pilsen to the Southside of Chicago. I wrote down my thoughts, my everyday experiences. I listened and continue to listen to many artists, bands and composers. My greatest musical hero is Ruben Blades. He’s a story teller and puts music to his words. He is brilliant in how he communicates thru the art of music.

I grew up listening to Depeche Mode, U2, the Doors, and many latin artists. One day I decided I’d give it a shot and I would write a song. Whether it was a good song or not, I wrote what I called my first song. I picked up and old guitar figured out how to play it and bam!! There was no stopping me after that. Since then I’ve been writing. Trying to get better, trying to learn better ways to communicate what’s going on in head in beating fast in my heart. I don’t know too many songwriters here in Nashville yet, but I am hoping to eventually collaborate with some artists and hope they will invite me into their world of song writing. I have lots to learn so I have my pencil and notebook ready to write and begin.

HERE is some of the stuff I’ve written. Take a look around, listen and let me know what you think. I’ve got tons and tons of ideas and songs ready to be crafted and produced.  Any song writers out there wanna hang and write? Hit me up on facebook or follow me on twitter and drop me a line.

-fuser+

As a songwriter, if you can touch people and make them feel a little less alone in the world, then you’ve done your job.
Tom Cochrane

Today is our 5-yr anniversary!!! We’ve been dating since we were teenagers…Now we have a son named Diego Alexander and are expecting our second son Zion Max in about 3 weeks. It’s been quite an adventure and journey, and I look forward to many more with you… Love you Reinalisa!!! “WoW, five yrs babe!!! Who would’ve thought…LOL!!!

and so it continues…

-fuser+