Addie lives his life with music. But he has two other things to share:

Being trapped in a traffic jam traumatizes me. That is why I only spend two or three days a week at most traveling around the capital. I squeeze all my appointments and meetings into those days because once I get out of my house in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, there is no way to escape the congestion.

I spend my other days working at home. I am a workaholic. I cannot stay still. The only time I do nothing is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. That is my precious time and I will not sacrifice it for work.

I will spend that time with a Cuban cigar, a cappuccino, an iPod and the sky. I only smoke one Cuban cigar a day, which is like a daily reward for me.

For me, the combination of those things is like heaven. I get annoyed if I am forced to do any other thing during those two hours. I spend my precious afternoon time not seeking inspiration. I purely enjoy God’s creation. The composition of the colors changes every time and it is the most beautiful thing to watch.

During these moments, I just stay silent and empty my mind. I think the keys to being healthy are not just fitness and nutrition, but also the ability to manage the soul by appreciating God’s work.

After my daily ritual, I spend my time with my family and then continue working until 3 a.m.

The thing I often miss is watching orchestra music videos and reading books. I used to have time to do those two things, but my current busy schedule barely leaves me with any spare time. I have a lot of work to do.

I handle managerial stuff, compose songs for corporate companies and prepare concerts for Twilight Orchestra.

I can actually replace my two-hour ritual by reading a chapter of a book or watching a video, but I choose not to. You only live once, you know. When I die, an angel will likely ask me how I spent my time in life and I don’t want to answer it by saying I worked, read books and watched concert videos.

If I had more days off and more money, I would go to New York. It has been my favorite city since I was still single. It’s the best city in which to watch ballet, classical opera and classical concerts. I have watched Phantom of the Opera seven times since the 1990s. I also watched (Giuseppe) Verdi’s work.

These are not things I can afford to do every day, but I must save money before taking a vacation to New York.

I am also crazy about beautiful city parks. The nearest park abroad that I often visit is Singapore’s Botanical Gardens, but the most favorite park for me is the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.

I love the nuances of the park. It is located in the heart of the metropolitan city. The lake, the passing quacking swans and a cappuccino café next to the lake blend in harmony.

So far, this is the best park, and is even better than the huge Central Park in New York. The sad thing is we don’t have such a park in the middle of our capital city.

— As told to Indah Setiawati

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