Story and Photos By Armando Dahan
A Piano Reset Session with Roy Dahan
Singer-songwriter Roy Dahan is performing more than just traditional concerts on the Big Island—he’s offering something more intimate. He calls it Piano Reset; a wellness experience where you lie down with headphones while he improvises live music, blending original compositions with spontaneous melodies crafted just for you.
Roy hails from the Bay Area, California, and before that, his home country of Israel, where his music earned him recognition. His debut album, Some of this Life, was released in 2011 and named best album of the year by Time Out Tel Aviv.
Back in the Bay Area, Roy produced solo concerts, taught piano to adult students, and created music in a studio he’d converted from a shed in his garden. It was there that he also wrote, recorded, and produced Roy’s Piano Tunes (2023), a companion album to a series of piano books he wrote during the pandemic lockdown.
After six years in the Bay Area, Roy made the move to the Big Island looking to escape modern suburban life. After his initial work-trade opportunity fell through, however, he decided to stay and discover the island on his own terms. Nine months after his arrival, he’s now settled in the Kapoho area where he’s channeling his piano playing talents in a new direction.
At the Piano Reset, you arrive at Roy’s home off Papaya Farms Road, where warm lighting, soft music, and ambiance welcome you, and a yoga mat awaits—complete with headphones, pillow, and blanket. You lie down, the headphones go on, and Roy plays live for one hour.
His playing is captivating, with melodic riffs that seem to bend and transform from one moment to the next, creating an immersive sonic journey.
The concept emerged from necessity and experimentation. “I practice many hours on the piano,” he says, “but my walls are screens and not walled in and I find it hard to sing because I worry I’ll disturb someone.” Without vocal isolation, Roy turned inward, put on headphones, and started experimenting with music plug-ins and effects. The sonic discoveries he made became the foundation for Piano Reset.
The experience itself is part sound bath, part private piano concert, with touches of comfort and soft lighting that help you relax and hit pause.
Local resident Xin Tan described her experience as a “really beautiful and emotional journey.” James Elston, another resident, shared “[Roy’s] piano improvisations and original melodies are high quality and pair well in a meditation space.”
Sessions are one hour and can accommodate up to 12 people.“No two sessions are ever the same,” he admits. To book your Piano Reset with Roy Dahan, visit: https://www.roydahan.com/pianoreset
Chef Brooks Serves Up Vegan Comfort in Every Bite
Brooks Lee Dean is no stranger to starting over fresh, especially when it comes to building a home. But this time’s different. She’s hoping to make the Big Island her permanent home and to do what she loves doing best: build community through great food.
Hailing from Oregon, Brooks found a sense of refuge on the Big Island in a post-pandemic world and in an everchanging political and social climate. She left her job in the medical field and reconnected with her passion for making food and feeding others.
“I grew up in the kitchen with my grandmother,” she tells me, “I picked up a lot of her Southern cooking and then later in life I became vegan and that meant I gave up a lot of food and connection.”
She decided to go vegan after reading The China Study. “It was science-based, informative, and talked about the direct correlation between colorectal cancer and a high consumption of animal protein in your diet.” She also tells me that modern practices in meat harvesting and animal cruelty played a role in her decision.
During a Saturday afternoon garden party at Josanna’s in Kapoho, where Brooks lives and cooks, I got the chance to taste some of her tasty vegan eats.
First up, I tasted her springy bao buns and steamed dumplings filled with a tofu-mushroom stuffing. As you bite into the bao buns, your mouth is filled with the most flavorful juices and textures.
I asked Brooks about her interest in Asian cuisine. She tells me it’s all thanks to a former college roommate of hers, Jing, a scholar from China. “We just started cooking together,” she says. “She taught me so many wok skills,” she adds, “and about hot pots and we had the most amazing dinners with all of these international scholars.”
Back in Brooks’ kitchen, I take a quick glance at her stove and see a wok filled with the next dish she’s prepared: a Jasmine-fried rice base with a mix of tofu, cashews, raisins, and broccoli served with a scallion pancake drizzled with Sriracha sauce. The fried rice compliments the saltiness of the scallion pancakes and the mild hotness of the Sriracha sauce, so you get a well-balanced bite every time.
For dessert, Brooks serves me delicious sorbet made from guava, lilikoi, banana, jackfruit and maple syrup. Every spoonful is sweet and tart.
As for her recipes, she had this to say: “I have never been able to follow a recipe. It’s all inspiration and ratios.” Well, it’s definitely working.
You can find Brooks serving her delicious food every Saturday from 2 to 6pm at Josanna’s Garden Party located at 14-252 Papaya Farms Rd, Pahoa. Food is served at a donation-based rate.
DJ Open House: The Realtor Spinning House Music in Hawaii
Joshua Dickman is a self-proclaimed “realtor by day, rhythm selecta by night.” The New Jersey native and realtor is bringing his DJ sets to the Big Island, hoping to make it his new home while looking to “move bodies and lift spirits” he says.
He’s no stranger to Hawaii, either. His eldest brother was born and raised on the Big Island, while his father has resided in Kauai for more than 15 years. “I love that since moving here this past summer, I have yet to go above 65 mph,” he adds, “and the overall chill vibes.”
On the dance floor, you’ll find him by a different name: DJ Open House. A clever nod to his realtor status.
When I ask him why he decided to start DJing, he smiles and tells me “to have a good time.” I press him for more and he adds: “It’s actually a love for drumming that inspired me to do it. I’ve been drumming for 20 years, and DJing for two.”
That passion for percussion is evident in his presence at the Sunday lawn drumming circle in Seaview, where he beats his drums amongst the collective of other drummers. He’s even performed a DJ set there, though he admits with a laugh that the outdoor acoustics presented some challenges.
His performance resume includes weddings, parties, festivals, and private events. Here on the Big Island, he’s already made his mark at The Oasis, Koa’s Lounge, Kona Ecstatic Dance Collection, and Hilo Town Tavern, spinning what he describes as “house music with some original tracks, too.”
For Joshua, DJing offers more than just entertainment—it’s a unique way to manage stress. He means that on many levels. People dance to relieve stress, and as a DJ, “you have to make split-second decisions while directing the energy and vibe of a room.”
When I ask about his approach behind the decks, he explains: “I like to select an overall theme or flow, starting at 120 beats per minute and slowly progressing up to 130 bpm.”
Is there a song you like to weave into your sets?
“Martial Simon’s ‘Shake,’” he says.
Joshua hopes to continue booking gigs on the Big Island and beyond. To book him for your next event and to listen to his sets, visit https://djopenhouse.com/
Armando T. Dahan
Armando T. Dahan is a writer, creative writing coach, and marketer who helps brands tell their stories online and inspires writers to tell their own. His background spans freelance, nonprofit, and corporate work. In March 2025, he traded California for life on the Big Island.