I think it is rare to see such impressive musicianship and excellent teaching skills in the same person, and even more amazing to find a group of four people who work so well together in both of those respects.
They split up the job of teaching us so that each member of On Ensemble taught us something about a different aspect of playing taiko specifically, or playing rhythms in general, all in the context of learning a new song. Some of the time they taught us as a large group, but for learning the individual parts, they broke us into smaller groups (Maz led my group).
Overall, it was really well planned. I totally appreciated the fact that they stuck to a well organized schedule, while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere, and did their best to make sure everyone got a chance to play frequently. When I wasn’t playing I was air drumming along, or doing my best to absorb the details of what the group that was up was doing. I was sometimes sleepy, but never bored.
The music that we were learning was a new concept for me in more ways than one. Shoji created something both clever (the sections followed a formula between loud and soft) and intricate, with an deep, pulsing, groove. At the end of the day, he emphasized the fact that he’d created this as open source taiko… meaning that we SHOULD take it home, change it up, and make it truly our own, without even crediting him for the song. He didn’t even give it a name so it can become an entirely different thing for every group that plays it.
STI culminated in playing what we’d learned in front of an audience (whoever Kris could convince to come). I was relieved to be in the back, playing Odaiko, where I wasn’t super visible, so I wasn’t too nervous. Instead it was a fun way to end our lessons.
Me with Carrie Carter of All Things Taiko. OC does not mean Orange County.
I’m really sad that STI is over… three days hardly seems enough. However, Taiko Conference proper is just about to begin. We still get to hang out with other players. For example, the three of us had dinner last night with Kelvin, plus John-Paul and Matt– two of the other participants. We also have an appointment to rehearse taiko games with Kris this evening.
I’m so glad that the end of STI is not the end of my taiko vacation, and am looking forward to being surrounded by a mob of additional players.
Another note: It was great to see some old friends from the KASA/Mix trip again, including former Kodo apprentice, Joe, as well as John-Paul, and Marinda. I was also pleased to meet fellow STI participant Carrie Carter, writer of All Things Taiko, and to discover that like me, she went to Oberlin College!
Posted by tanya | Wednesday, 5th of August 2009 at 03:04:41 AM
I am learning my shime part of the song.
Days one and two of Summer Taiko Institute are over and Joy, Beth and I are pleasantly exhausted. We’ve spent two days absorbing techniques on timing, articulation, form and stance, all while learning a new song written by Shoji Kameda of On Ensemble. There has been a lot packed into our 8:00 – 5:00 days and we are soaking in as much as we can – Kris, Maz, Shoji and Kelvin have been amazing teachers. Tomorrow is day three and I’m looking forward to it!
Exhaustion did not keep a group of STI participants from meeting in the lobby of our hotel tonight until 10:00 to practice the new song we are learning.
Tanya, Beth and I have never been to Taiko Conference before, and we decided to jump in with both feet and do it all! Beth and I arrived in LA this afternoon and joined Tanya, who’s been visiting here with her daughter the last few weeks.
Tanya introduces me to Pinkberry frozen yogurt. I know tomorrow will include another trip there.
STI begins tomorrow and we’re here, but we still don’t know what to expect. We haven’t been given a schedule or details – all we’ve been told is to meet up at 8am at Japanese American Cultural Center for registration. I’m dying to know more!
I guess, instead, I should pretend to be mature, responsible, and patient and turn in early to get a good night’s sleep before what is sure to be an exciting and exhausting day.
Posted by beth | Thursday, 30th of July 2009 at 11:59:54 AM
Author’s note: I wrote the following shortly after our 15th anniversary concert (reVISION on May 30 and 31), but found myself feeling shy about sharing this with the world, so I didn’t publish it right away.
Just over a week has passed since ONE’s 15th anniversary concert, reVISION. Everyday life is flowing by so fast that I haven’t had much chance to reflect on the experience. It fades into the past so quickly…
reVISION was probably the most challenging performance I’ve done as a taiko player– in large part because I wasn’t just playing taiko.
Nowaki with Marshall Hughes. This was a richly layered song involving taiko, violin, voice, and cello. Photo by Joe Foley.
I played cello for 9 years (from age 9 to 18). At the time, I didn’t have the discipline to practice enough at home, though from 7th through 12th grades I played with the school orchestra for an hour 5 days a week. One reason I didn’t practice enough was that I didn’t believe that I could tell when I was in tune–I always felt like others could hear something that I couldn’t. I’ve since learned that I can hear, but that it takes training and practice to be able to hear and respond while playing.
In other respects I lacked confidence as a cellist– especially the longer I played, the more I noticed what I did wrong. I got more and more nervous about soloing, though I still really enjoyed playing with my high school orchestra. (Hmm, and now I prefer kumidaiko to soloing.)
I could go on about my past life as a cellist, but the main thing is that I stopped. I went to college and, for many years, I rarely touched my cello. Then one day Cat revealed that she wanted to learn to play her super cool electric cello. I agreed to teach her in exchange for the motivation to practice again.
Fast forward a year and a half, and Mark is putting together a couple of exciting new songs for our 15th anniversary concert, and the new songs involve cello! So, along with guest artist Marshall Hughes, I got to play cello in reVISION. It was great to be able to perform on a cello again, though remarkably after all these years, the same fears and anxieties resurfaced.
Sometimes It’s Okay to Stand Aside
Those fears were okay when it came to playing the relatively simple, but utterly cool cello parts in the Intro, Kaminari, and Nowaki. However, there was one song I wasn’t ready for. The ensemble played “To Fly” written by Ann Ishimaru of Portland Taiko, which has an absolutely gorgeous melody part originally written for fue and violin. We were going to play it as violin and cello. On somewhat short notice, I was assigned the cello part, which could have harmonized beautifully with guest artist Yael Bat-Shimon‘s violin.
I practiced on my own quite a lot, had some extra practice with Yael, and found that while I can play pretty nicely in tune and in tempo on my own, it becomes much more difficult to play with others… especially very loud drums. Even with an amped electric cello, it was very difficult to hear myself over the drums, match pitch with Yael, and keep up with the tempo. My old fears resurfaced. I needed to practice a lot, and due to the nature of my profession (landscape designer), this is the most challenging time of year to find the time.
I found some time, but not enough. In the end, I realized that I wasn’t quite ready and felt too much stress about it. So, I discussed it with Yael and then Mark, finally asking to be relieved of the job. The piece was lovely with Yael alone, and I was so relieved, it made everything else seem a lot easier afterward.
It was really difficult to face the fact that I didn’t feel ready, I was worried that I would be disappointing Mark and Juni, that I would be messing things up for the song… but I knew in my heart that this time, it would be better without me, and I would be better in everything else without it. I feel very fortunate that I could talk with Mark about my fear, and he made it easy on me.
Island Stroll with Diane. I hope the audience couldn't tell how exposed I felt. Photo by Joe Foley.
Sanshin
(My Newest Instrument)
I picked up sanshin in September 2008, while visiting the Kodo Apprentice Center. So, I’ve played sanshin for less than a year, and somehow it is much less stressful to play than the instrument I’ve played the longest. Strange, but true.
I was paired with Diane for “Island Stroll,” a somewhat improvised cheerful tune that was placed to cover the transition between two other songs. Diane played a swing beat on a sanban, and I played my own tune on my sanshin.
It’s not easy to be one of only 2 people onstage, but I had a lot of fun interacting with Diane. I did feel very exposed, so I think I may not have been as lively as I’d like, but I think we pulled it off! At least we look like we are enjoying ourselves in the pictures.
Chudaiko
(Finally Beginning to Relax)
I got to play chu in the opening of the second act. It was Hamon– Mark’s intricate and energetic composition, which we first began learning about a year ago.
I love playing Hamon. I love playing chudaiko on a tate stand. I feel really good when I do.
Mark wrote Hamon when he was living in Japan several years ago, and it is a remarkable composition. He used rhythms from rock songs (especially one in particular from Michael Jackson), and created a dynamic piece in four parts. The interplay between the parts works marvelously.
Because we’ve been rehearsing it for so long, I really feel like it has seeped into my body. I don’t have to think as hard now. I do still need to focus, and there are challenging parts that warrant frequent practice…. but I feel the song.
Kane
(The Finale)
The last song in the concert was a reprise of Shin-en, with all of the ONE community members participating. I got to dance through the audience playing kane.
Posted by kristen | Monday, 27th of July 2009 at 12:19:40 PM
Great news! Odaiko New England has been selected to perform at this year’s Taiko 10!!! The Taiko 10 is a free outdoor community concert held in association with the North American Taiko Conference, a biennial gathering of taiko enthusiasts from all over the world, which is taking place in Los Angeles on August 7-9 this year. The Taiko 10 is meant to showcase the geographic, cultural, and artistic diversity that has developed within the North American taiko community– each group gets 10 minutes to show their stuff. It’s a particular honor to perform at this event because we’ll be putting ourselves out there in front of an entire community of our peers– nowhere else will we find an audience so packed with people who know and love taiko inside and out, people who have seen it all. Sure, it’s a tad intimidating– but this couldn’t be a more ideal year for us to make our Taiko 10 debut– it’s Odaiko New England’s 15th anniversary, it’s the one year anniversary of our new community group, and it’s now been a year since we successfully transitioned artistic leadership of the group. What a great way to show the community that the energy, spirit, and joy of taiko is not only alive and well in this new iteration of ONE, but is growing, thriving and evolving! Onwards and upwards, as Mark would say.
Playing in the Taiko 10 will be particularly meaningful for me, as it’s somewhat of a personal homecoming– I left the warm sunny skies of Los Angeles almost 8 years ago, before I had the chance to learn how to play taiko. In my six years with Odaiko New England since then, I’ve probably performed close to a hundred shows. Yet most of my family and friends have never seen me perform, including my 92-year old grandmother, who has been an avid taiko fan for the past several years.
Me and Grandma at the 2005 Taiko Conference
She has macular degeneration and can now only distinguish shadows and shapes, but somehow she still gets a great thrill out of watching taiko. I guess that just goes to show the universal power of taiko to reach out and inspire people of all ages, cultures, and abilities– that, I think, is the true spirit of the Taiko 10, and it’s why WE’RE TOTALLY GOING TO ROCK THE JACCC PLAZA ON FRIDAY AUGUST 7!!! There’s no room for nerves, intimidation, or anything less than 110% when you realize it’s not about you or how many mistakes you make or whether you’re as good as all those West coast groups– it’s really about the 92-year old blind woman in the front row who is counting on you to awaken that raw, visceral, exuberant piece of her soul that’s still there somewhere inside, even after 92 years. So rest assured, we’re not flying 3,000 miles across the country to deliver anything less than 10 minutes of raw, visceral exuberance!
Want a sneak peek? Check out the audition clip that earned us a spot:
Posted by hilda | Sunday, 28th of June 2009 at 07:24:36 PM
There’s a yellow suitcase marked ‘YA’ in the equipment closet. During our practices, we regularly borrow equipment from the suitcase. But more often, the yellow suitcase tags along as we help load equipment into and out of Juni‘s car before and after practices.
This spring, I had the opportunity to assist Juni while she visited at two local elementary schools. While we taught workshops to the 2nd graders at both schools, the second school included the YA performance. The performance was lots of fun, especially since I got to play the role of the Rain God which involved a Japanese mask and a squirt gun.
For these schools, ONE’s visit enriched their lessons about Japan. During each workshop, the kids learned more about the art form and equipment, then got an opportunity to drum. They even got a chance to learn a song. The kids had great fun banging on the big drums. My most touching moment came as I watched one student help a fellow student with special needs experience drumming. The sheer joy it brought to both kids was really fantastic to see.
The school visits have brought new meaning to my own taiko experience. I look forward to following the yellow suitcase on its future journeys.
Posted by Sheilarae | Wednesday, 24th of June 2009 at 09:10:28 PM
Two weekends ago, I played taiko with my friends on a shady plaza overlooking the Charles River, followed by a free lunch. Yes, the Waltham Riverfest was a cushy gig, especially compared to the other gig Odaiko New England was doing at the same time. I’m sure the Boston Pride Parade was a blast, but I’ll take my shady river-side plaza over drumming on a moving trailer in the burning sun while inhaling truck fumes for two hours!
Cat's pre-dawn photo of the moon over Wakefield
Dave sets drums as the sun crests the tree-tops.
So I guess it was my turn for a little taiko hardship this past weekend when I had to get up at 4:40 am on a Saturday morning for a sunrise performance! We were invited to perform as part of the 6:30 am Fight Back ceremony of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
Why so early? Fundraising teams had been camped out on the Wakefield High School track since 5:00 pm the day before, each team with at least one representative walking the track at all times during the long night. Our job was to wake them up and revitalize them for the last leg of their 17-hour relay.
Walking the track.
Joy strolls through the "In Cod We Trust" team's campsite.
And what a wonderful experience it was! After we unloaded our drums, most of us joined the walkers for a couple of laps through the decorated campsites surrounding and filling the interior of the track. Some people were sleeping (but not for long!) while others tended fire pits or cooked breakfast on their grills.
Playing Reimei at dawn.
Sheilarae and Kristen interviewed on Wakefield Public Access television.
At 6:30, just as the sun crested the tree-tops, we played Reimei, which means dawn. Hopefully it was a gentle wake-up call. After a bit of kiai-ing with the Relay participants, we played Mahora. If anyone managed to sleep through Reimei, they were surely awake now!
Overall it was a blast. It looked like the night had been a lot of fun for the Relay participants and we’re planning on joining them all night next year.
Posted by beth | Friday, 12th of June 2009 at 10:16:18 PM
Loaded up and Ready to Go
So, here we are, coming out of our anniversary concert, and there isn’t much time to rest.
It’s my first chance to organize a gig.
I rashly volunteered to organize a performance for the Waltham Riverfest. Megan Gleeson of the Waltham Cultural Council approached me about this performance some time ago, and since Waltham is my home community and this a new event, I volunteered to organize the performance from the ONE side. I really want the Riverfest to succeed as an event, and I thought it would be fun to bring ONE to such a public performance in Waltham.
Now I’m learning exactly what it means to organize a gig.
So far, I’ve had to…
Find out all the general details (time, location, stage size, where we’ll unload, how long the set should last…). This was the easy part, since Megan was super helpful.
Find out who would be willing to play. We have a crew of six: Kate, Sheilarae, Joy, Matt, myself, and Tanya. (Thank goodness I’ve got a good crew!)
Determine the set: Figure out what songs we can play well enough, what everyone wants to play, and then actually assign parts! This was challenging. I kept changing the song order, trying to balance things so that no one has to play too many songs…
Decide what we’ll be wearing. (Our new black t-shirts, black pants, black tabi, and colorful hachimaki.)
Make a loading list with all the needed equipment.
Coordinate a little extra practice time. (Thanks to Mark, and a fortunate rehearsal plan, we got to play 3 of the 5 songs as part of our regular Thursday night rehearsal.)
Communicate exactly what is needed and direct people as we gathered all the gear together at the end of rehearsal.
Fit all that stuff into 2 cars (in the middle of a heavy downpour).
And today I still need to plan out what I’m going to say in between songs!
Okay, somehow it looks simpler when I list it out like this. Maybe I should have done that first!
Posted by jasmine | Saturday, 6th of June 2009 at 08:54:20 AM
For Juni:
She will paint you a musical story,
Of troops in all of their glory.
But tales of daring
Are not all she’s sharing.
She’ll throw in some goofiness, too.
On Yui, she’s totally groovin’
She’s got the whole audience movin’.
With a flip of a stick,
And her grin that’s so quick,
She inspires the whole taiko crew.
I’m sure that you’ve figured out now,
To whom I’m directing a bow.
To Juni, we toast,
With a bit of a roast,
And as much as my poor rhymes can do.
There’s a yellow suitcase marked ‘YA’ in the equipment closet. During our practices, we regularly borrow equipment from the suitcase. But more often, the yellow suitcase tags along as we help load equipment into and out of 
For these schools, ONE’s visit enriched their lessons about Japan. During each workshop, the kids learned more about the art form and equipment, then got an opportunity to drum. They even got a chance to learn a song. The kids had great fun banging on the big drums. My most touching moment came as I watched one student help a fellow student with special needs experience drumming. The sheer joy it brought to both kids was really fantastic to see.
