Happy New Year! Today was my taiko group's "Shogeiko" or first training of the year. This was my first time participating in such an event. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect so I asked one of my senseis about it.
Sensei: Are you free this Sunday?
Me: Yes.
Sensei: Good. Please come to the "Shogeiko."
Me: What's that?
Sensei: The first training of the year. No need to bring your bachi. We are going running together.
Me: Running outside?
Sensei: Yes, we will be running to the neighborhood shrine.
Me: Oh...but it's winter.
Sensei: Exactly. See you there!
Me: *gulp*
Member's of the adult group and children's group gathered at the taiko dojo at 8:30 a.m. for the annual "Shogeiko." After stretching for 10 minutes, we lined up outside at the bottom of a slope. With the sound of a whistle, we were off. No one was allowed to walk. I tried my best to keep up with the front of the pack. Since I managed to run a few times during Christmas break, I was in fairly good shape. However, I was not prepared to run in thirty-degree weather. The cold air made it difficult for me to breathe properly. Fortunately, I was able to complete the run without collapsing. Once everyone reached the shrine, we all had to strip down to our t-shirts. I was hesitant to abandon my jacket and expose my arms to the cold, but EVERYONE was doing as they were told. It's all about the group. First, we practiced our "kiai" or voice. One of the high school members who does karate led the exercise. We shouted "osu" in unison as we went through different karate moves. Following this exercise, we split up into two teams to compete in a "Koe dashi Gassen." In this challenge, each team tries to outshout the other team. In the end, it was a draw. For the rest of the afternoon, we played relay games and several rounds of volleyball. We finished the long day with a hot bowl of zenzai (mochi with azuki beans).
＜私の日本語練習＞
新年あけましておめでとうございます！今年もよろしくお願いします。今日は初げいこがありました。初めて参加したので、何をするかよく分かりませんでした。。。８時半に太鼓室に集まって神社まで走って行きました。冬なのに。ちょっときつかったけど、あきらめずに終わりました。その後、シャツを着るだけで気合いを練習して、「声だし合戦」をしました。とても寒かったです。帰る前にぜんざいをいただきました。暖かくて気持ちがよかったです。：）
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Nanryo Daiko's 25th Anniversary Concert
My taiko group is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this Sunday. I am very nervous about the concert. I will be performing in six songs: Mugen (夢幻), Hayate (疾風), Tsuki no Matsuri (月の祭り), Mugamuchu (無我夢中), Hishou (飛翔), and Go On (アンコール曲）. I have developed many blisters on my hands from practicing so much these past few weeks. My palms are beginning to look like pepperoni pizzas. >_< Everyone has sacrificed a lot of time and energy to prepare for this concert. I really hope it goes well. ちょっと緊張しているけど、頑張ります！☆
P.S. I realize I still haven't gotten around to writing about Earth Celebration. Gomenasai. If you're interested, here are some pics I took at the event.
P.S. I realize I still haven't gotten around to writing about Earth Celebration. Gomenasai. If you're interested, here are some pics I took at the event.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Earth Celebration 2010
This past weekend, I attended Earth Celebration with my mom. It was everything I imagined and more! 3 days of live music, dance, and taiko workshops! For those of you who are not familiar with Earth Celebration, it is an annual international music festival hosted by the group KODO on Sado Island off the coast of Niigata prefecture. People from around the world journey to Sado Island to attend this music festival. This was my first EC and definitely not my last. I promise to write more about the event at a later time. Just wanted to share my excitement with you. I can't stop smiling. :) 鼓童の大ファンになっちゃった！すごく格好いい〜！
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Stirring Things Up
My taiko group played at an adult day care center two weekends ago. It was an interesting experience. I've never played for an audience of elderly people. Seeing these cute old men and women made me miss my grandparents. I think some of the residents enjoyed the music more than others. One lady was covering her ears the entire time which made me wonder "Are we that bad?" lol Maybe we interrupted her nap time...Fortunately, no one had a heart attack. Several members were worried that the sound of the taiko would be too overwhelming for the residents, especially in such a small space. After performing several songs, we invited the audience to participate in a matsuri song. We walked around the room carrying Oke-daiko and Uchiwa-daiko for the residents to play. The funniest moment was when this petite lady sitting in the front row shouted "Shikkari!" as she watched her caregiver try her hand at drumming. Gotta love the spunky grandmas in the world. ;) My Popo is one of them.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tadaima
It has certainly been a long time since I last updated this blog. Don't worry, I haven't given up taiko. I just haven't found time to sit down and write about it. However, tonight it's raining outside and the wind is howling...Somehow, this weather puts me in the mood to write so I will take this opportunity to reflect on the past several months.
November was an emotionally draining time for me. Two major events happened: the death of Mr. Nagaie and Nanryo Daiko's concert.
Okuribito
I never thought I would be attending any funerals in Japan. However, the week before the big concert, Mr. Nagaie, the founder of Nanryo Daiko, passed away. He was only 56 years old. The news came as a shock to all of the members of Nanryo Daiko. We were planning to visit Mr. Nagaie in the hospital on the evening he passed away. Instead, we visited his home where his family and friends gathered around his body. Attendees offered incense while a Buddhist priest chanted a sutra. This wake is called an otsuya (お通夜) in Japanese. I recalled the Japanese movie "Okuribito." At the wake, I sat across the room from Mrs. Nagai. The sound of her weeping was too much for me to bear. I broke down in tears. It's unfortunate that I never had an opportunity to meet Mr. Nagaie. The following week, I was scheduled to work at Kurate Kita JHS for the first time where Mr. Nagaie served as vice-principal. The sequence of events was uncanny.
Concert Blues
Leading up to the concert, I felt very stressed and overwhelmed. I was coming home late from practice every night and feeling extremely exhausted the next day. I had no time for my friends or myself. We had a mini-performance almost every other weekend. My life was comprised of work and taiko. Furthermore, as the only foreigner in the group, I felt very alone. I found it difficult to express how I felt to my teammates. I had several emotional breakdowns and doubted whether I could even perform. I didn't feel mentally or physically prepared - 2 months was not enough time. Nevertheless, my sensei believed that I could do it. After the concert, I felt relieved more than anything else. It meant that I could return to a "normal" schedule. Although I enjoy playing taiko, there are other things I want to do while I'm in Japan (i.e. traveling, hiking, studying calligraphy, cooking).
New Year
This year, I've taken important steps towards balancing my physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. First of all, I had a much needed talk with my taiko sensei about my involvement in the group. I was very scared to voice my concerns. I didn't want to sound unappreciative of the group's hospitality. It has been a real honor to be part of this taiko community. Contributing to something greater than myself brings me an overwhelming feeling of gratification. However, I was finding it more and more difficult to meet the expectations of the group, while still maintaining my sanity. >_< I consulted many friends about how to approach this situation. I finally worked up the courage to tell my coach tactfully that I have other commitments besides taiko and would like to limit my participation in the group. If this was going to be a problem, I was willing to quit (of course, this was a last resort). On the one hand, my sensei seemed to understand where I was coming from and agreed that it's important for me to make the most of my time in Japan. On the other hand, he encouraged me to attend as many practices as possible in order to prepare for Nanryo Daiko's big 25th anniversary concert in November. I told him that participating in this concert would be amazing experience, but not a high priority. I would be content with attending weekly practices and serving in a supportive role for the concert. My sensei was opposed to this idea. He made me promise to play in at least one song. I will try my best to uphold this promise. Now, I attend practice about 2-3 times a week, which is manageable. Let's hope I can stay true to myself. Last year, I was too busy trying to please everyone else and that left me feeling miserable.
In addition to practicing taiko, I also workout at a gym 2-3 times a week. I signed up for a gym membership in February. I must admit that the hot showers was a big selling point. I hated taking showers in the winter. During the week, I alternate between running, swimming, weightlifting and cycling. This cross training is helping my taiko. I have more stamina and physical strength.
November was an emotionally draining time for me. Two major events happened: the death of Mr. Nagaie and Nanryo Daiko's concert.
Okuribito
I never thought I would be attending any funerals in Japan. However, the week before the big concert, Mr. Nagaie, the founder of Nanryo Daiko, passed away. He was only 56 years old. The news came as a shock to all of the members of Nanryo Daiko. We were planning to visit Mr. Nagaie in the hospital on the evening he passed away. Instead, we visited his home where his family and friends gathered around his body. Attendees offered incense while a Buddhist priest chanted a sutra. This wake is called an otsuya (お通夜) in Japanese. I recalled the Japanese movie "Okuribito." At the wake, I sat across the room from Mrs. Nagai. The sound of her weeping was too much for me to bear. I broke down in tears. It's unfortunate that I never had an opportunity to meet Mr. Nagaie. The following week, I was scheduled to work at Kurate Kita JHS for the first time where Mr. Nagaie served as vice-principal. The sequence of events was uncanny.
Concert Blues
Leading up to the concert, I felt very stressed and overwhelmed. I was coming home late from practice every night and feeling extremely exhausted the next day. I had no time for my friends or myself. We had a mini-performance almost every other weekend. My life was comprised of work and taiko. Furthermore, as the only foreigner in the group, I felt very alone. I found it difficult to express how I felt to my teammates. I had several emotional breakdowns and doubted whether I could even perform. I didn't feel mentally or physically prepared - 2 months was not enough time. Nevertheless, my sensei believed that I could do it. After the concert, I felt relieved more than anything else. It meant that I could return to a "normal" schedule. Although I enjoy playing taiko, there are other things I want to do while I'm in Japan (i.e. traveling, hiking, studying calligraphy, cooking).
New Year
This year, I've taken important steps towards balancing my physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. First of all, I had a much needed talk with my taiko sensei about my involvement in the group. I was very scared to voice my concerns. I didn't want to sound unappreciative of the group's hospitality. It has been a real honor to be part of this taiko community. Contributing to something greater than myself brings me an overwhelming feeling of gratification. However, I was finding it more and more difficult to meet the expectations of the group, while still maintaining my sanity. >_< I consulted many friends about how to approach this situation. I finally worked up the courage to tell my coach tactfully that I have other commitments besides taiko and would like to limit my participation in the group. If this was going to be a problem, I was willing to quit (of course, this was a last resort). On the one hand, my sensei seemed to understand where I was coming from and agreed that it's important for me to make the most of my time in Japan. On the other hand, he encouraged me to attend as many practices as possible in order to prepare for Nanryo Daiko's big 25th anniversary concert in November. I told him that participating in this concert would be amazing experience, but not a high priority. I would be content with attending weekly practices and serving in a supportive role for the concert. My sensei was opposed to this idea. He made me promise to play in at least one song. I will try my best to uphold this promise. Now, I attend practice about 2-3 times a week, which is manageable. Let's hope I can stay true to myself. Last year, I was too busy trying to please everyone else and that left me feeling miserable.
In addition to practicing taiko, I also workout at a gym 2-3 times a week. I signed up for a gym membership in February. I must admit that the hot showers was a big selling point. I hated taking showers in the winter. During the week, I alternate between running, swimming, weightlifting and cycling. This cross training is helping my taiko. I have more stamina and physical strength.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Future of Taiko
I came across an interesting article in JapanToday about a collaboration between two Japanese taiko players: Isaku Kageyama (27), member of Amanojaku and Yu Ishizuka (31), member of Oedo Sukeroku Taiko. The two musicians recently performed a show together called "The Beat Ahead" in Shibuya. Both Amanojaku and Oedo Sukeroku Taiko are based in Tokyo. I would love to visit Tokyo one of these days to check out its thriving taiko scene. :)
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