Computer tech gets a taste of pop star's life on tour to Japan

Brian Prestowitz calls himself the "Mac surgeon" where he works as a computer technician at Sierra Tech Center LLC in Truckee, but after returning from a concert tour in Japan he may soon be the music doctor.

Prestowitz said he's been writing music since 1989, playing piano and using a synthesizer to create songs people of all ages can identify with. At concerts his trusty computer "Cedric" accompanies him on stage to provide some of the background parts of his music, he said.

Prestowitz, 29, said he had a friend named Cedric who died in a car accident and that's how his laptop got its name.

"He (computer) acts just like my friend," he said. "A real smart-ass."

His music career is a part of his life he prefers to keep separate from his job, but having computer capabilities does help him when it comes to songwriting, he said.

Prestowitz just returned from a concert tour in Japan, from Aug. 25 to Sept. 7, where he played two shows. It was his first trip to Japan, he said.

Getting on stage in front of more than 1,000 people at a "jam-packed auditorium" of college students wasn't the nerve-wracking part of the tour experience though. It was the 10-hour flight with a fear of flying that had him anxious, he said.

He said his Japanese fans love his music, as he combines some of his beats with Japanese singers on songs like, "Sakura Fubuki," which translates to "Dance of the Cherry Blossom." He said he doesn't sing on any of his songs because his voice is "too low and husky."

His soothing blends of jazz, pop, and classical tunes are inspired by Prestowitz's changing moods from one day to the next, he said.

"I write music for the people who need it," Prestowitz said. "Just to be there for anybody - I love to help people."

Prestowitz has written 162 songs and has compiled 21 albums since 2000.

"It sounds unbelievable," he said. "I would spend maybe about three hours a day working on a song."

Prestowitz said he admits he hasn't really tried to find his niche audience in the United States.

Prestowitz was born in Sendai, Japan, but grew up living on the East Coast near Washington, D.C. He only started learning Japanese four years ago.

Happy to be back home from touring, Prestowitz is already busy writing new material. He said he enjoys the anonymity of living in Truckee.

On the Net

For a photo gallery of his trip to Japan, check out Brian Prestowitz's Web site: http://www.angelfire.com/mac2/ bprestowitz