CURRENT MISSION

Being of service, making the world a better place for everybody

ABOUT ME

All about me? That's a book waiting to be written. You can learn a lot at my web portal: http://mattkramer.com

My career includes 25 years in the music industry; 20 years as a professional mediator. I provide service helping folks heal from the subconscious consequences of stress and trauma earlier in life: google "voice mapping" to learn more. I'm now a senior in college to support research on a life project; working title "predatory leadership." I seriously believe the research could help end war, poverty, famine, corruption, etc. Ironically spent two years as a corrections officer in a Texas prison to support my school habit.

Update - I graduated college January 2015 with a BS in Psychology; that helped me get a job as a case manager for incarcerated high-risk youth.

PHILOSOPHY

I firmly believe we can retool culture into a paradigm where quality of life for all is more important than getting rich and powerful at the expense of others. I enjoy being of service and I am working on a theory that can contribute in a very large way towards educating people how to recognize the invisible predators among us who perpetuate the status quo for their benefit. As a mediator, voice mapping practitioner, I enjoy helping people improve the quality of their lives.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Networking, sharing the stories, helping whenever possible.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

It's been years - did a lot of world travel in the '60's through the 80's. Some of the folks I met over the years are still wonderful friends. Friends I met in India have invited me to retire there; considering trying to live in the U.S. on social security, it is sounding very tempting.

Interests

travel, good dialogue, human rights, photography, film, music and cool restaurants.

• culture
• books
• photography
• human rights
• clubbing
• traveling
• music
• psychology

Music, Movies, and Books

The Blind Side, Avatar, "The Shadow Effect", "The Horse Boy"; Harold & Maude, Casablanca, Love Actually, Schindler's List, To Kill A Mockingbird, Tampopo, Allegro Non Tropo, The Harder They Come, Groundhog Day, No Country for Old Men, Raising Arizona, Syriana, The Constant Gardner, The Secret Life of Bees

I'm a refugee from the L.A. music biz; I enjoy all kinds of music as long as it is brilliant, not derivative. Folk, blues, world music festivals are heaven. Some favorite performers: Jennifer Warnes, Caetano Veloso, Maria Betania, Dianne Reeves, The Chieftains, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Shang Shang Typhoon (if you know the music of Shang Shang Typhoon, I'm almost ready to marry you), Richard Elliot, Warren Zevon, Chuck Pyle, Dennis McGregor, Jackie Wilson, Louie Jordan, Sarah Vaughan (I was her road manager in 1979), Teresa Tudury, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Janie Cribbs, Rosalie Sorrels, Keith Greeninger, Greg Brown, Ry Cooder, Robben Ford, The Neville Bros, John Hartford, Preston Smith, Everything But The Girl, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Edith Piaf, Van Morrison, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Count Basie, Huun-Huur-Tu, Debussy, Cheryl Wheeler, The Bills, Sam Cooke, Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli, Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, David Lindley, Taj Mahal, Jesse Winchester, Brenda Russell

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I built and ran a nightclub in the 80's and early '90's called At My Place in Santa Monica. It was designed to help musicians showcase their music and advance their careers. A lot of wonderful music was heard there over the eleven years the club was in operation.

Teach, Learn, Share

I have a lot to share: mediation skills, photography skills; my work as a voice mapping practitioner and a lot of storytelling; I also like to hear stories. I've also written a couple of self help books; the first, written after conducting my first 50 divorce mediations, to help people improve the quality of communication in their relationships (Conversations Before a Marriage); the second to help musicians handle conflict in constructive ways (And The Band Broke Up)

Countries I’ve Visited

Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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