What’s your day job about?

I’m in charge of all staffing, recruitment and professional development of the mostly civilian spouses we hire to provide family support, recreation and programs for Marines on Okinawa.

What kind of programs?

A lot of people associate our programming with clubs and restaurants, but we also have our own social welfare department that provides counseling services — how to deal with stress in family relationships, financial stress.

But you also do music.

My stress release. All day, I’m dealing with other people’s issues … they’re not getting along with their boss, their co-workers. When I get home, I just want to focus on things that will release my stress. Music does that.

What’s your favorite guitar?

A Heritage — a custom guitar I ordered — pretty popular with jazz and blues musicians.

How many guitars do you have?

About seven. They have their own room … names, too.

What’s the Heritage’s name?

Vanessa.

And some of the others?

Michelle, Veronica … It’s a joke I play on my wife. She says my guitars are like my mistresses, I spend so much time with them. So I gave them these names.

And what kind of music have you played on those guitars?

Acoustic base rock at first — bands like America. I moved into the electric field — like Aerosmith — when I was growing up. I got into jazz around 1984, when I came to Okinawa.

And at some point, you started writing music, too?

Studying other people’s music, you learn more of what you can do on your own.

And then your songs became a CD.

Some really close friends of mine are in a band called Jet. Last September, since we’d been jamming together for years, they said, “Hey Carlos, we’re cutting a CD and we could really use your vocal harmony.” I said sure … and as we were recording, a guy from the studio heard me and said, “We’ve got to talk.” That following January, we were in Tokyo, recording my CD.

Is it out?

“Nothing Else Feels So Right,” Sun & Fish Records. It’s for sale on the Internet now — www.cjsaldana.com. It’ll go in the stores in August.

And you wrote the songs on it?

All 10 … and I already gave the producers 12 ideas for the next album.

What does this CD represent to you?

In my day job, I send out a daily message to my team — “a daily dose of positive” — little reminders that if you want to succeed in life, you have to focus on the positive. I kept getting responses saying, “We hear you but do you walk the walk, too?” This CD is my answer. Doing a CD is a dream I’ve had for years. I’m using it as proof that if I can do it, you can, too.

How would you describe the tracks on the CD?

Blue-eyed soul — a tasteful resurrection of the classic format of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

What does your wife think now?

Four songs on the CD are especially for my wife — three ballads and one up-tempo Latin rythym.

Did you play her a song when you proposed?

Yes. … We were on the seawall in Kadena. The sun was setting. I pulled out my acoustic guitar and played “So In Love,” a song I wrote. … She was a little teary at the end. I figured it meant she wouldn’t say no — so I pulled out the ring.

Carlos J. Saldaña

Age: 41

Avocation: Singer-songwriter

Day job: Chief of human resources for Marine Corps Community Services, Camp Foster, Okinawa

Pacific readers: Know someone whose accomplishments, talents, job, hobby, volunteer work, awards or good deeds qualify them for 15 minutes of fame? How about someone whose claim to glory is a bit out of the ordinary — even, dare we say, oddball? Call Sharen Johnson at Stars and Stripes with the person’s name and contact information at DSN 229-3305 or e-mail her at johnsons@pstripes.osd.mil.