Recap of performance and workshop tour in NorCal, May 2016

I had a wonderful time on the road in northern California last month. Packing the equipment skillfully into the car is always an important step, having to consider making it all fit, avoiding damage to the car and instruments, accessibility, and proper weight distribution. My equipment list included a vibraphone, four-piece drumset, cymbals, hardware bag, shimedaiko, amplifier, dry erase board, suitcase, a banker box of food, cooler, sleeping bag, and a few other smaller items. The common reaction from folks who helped me load in or out is "wow, you fit all this into that car?!"

photo credit: Tracy Cornish

My first engagement of the tour was an outdoor concert with Kenny Endo at the Satsuki Bazaar in Berkeley on May 22. It was a beautiful day and we had an enthusiastic audience. The other musicians included Mas Koga (shakuhachi, saxophone, shinobue), Noriko Tsuboi (koto), and Hiroshi Tanaka (taiko, percussion). For the final piece "Spirit of Rice," Kenny called up the great drummer Akira Tana to sit in with us. What a blast that was! Akira brought an infectious groove and energy, taking the music to a whole new place. Thank you to Pam and Judy for taking great care of us.

photo credit: Tracy Cornish

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Next door to the Berkeley Buddhist temple is a great Indian music store called Musician’s Mall. My friend Robbie Belgrade works there and he kindly gave me an extensive tour and hands-on demonstration of all the instruments there. I have been big fan of Indian music for a long time so it was a treat to experience this in person. The bansuri (Indian flute) is especially intriguing and I couldn't resist picking one up along with a method book. By doing some preliminary self-study, I hope to gain a bit more insight into this deep musical tradition.

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My next stop was a workshop for Jiten Daiko in San Francisco. They requested the topics of sounds, sticks, and ji playing. Everyone had great energy and thoughtful questions, and I really enjoyed working with all of the members. As taiko players, we are always looking for a space that can accommodate loud drumming, is spacious, has storage, and is affordable. It's great that Jiten Daiko has figured this out! Thank you to Kristi, Jeremy, and Galen for your work in putting this workshop together.

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After a few days of teaching some private lessons in the area, I headed to UC Davis for the 2016 Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational held over Memorial Weekend. It was my first time attending this annual event and I came away appreciating the scope and depth of the current collegiate taiko scene. I was asked to teach two workshops called Solo Composition, which is a subject I enjoy covering. Among the 50 total participants in my workshops, I found that many had an interest in learning how to add more visual elements to their soloing. My approach to soloing is based more on the musical side but we were still able to apply the same concepts to expression through movement. Thank you to Gloria, Lisa, Eric, and Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan for all your work in hosting this event.

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I was unable to stay for the entire weekend of ITI because of having to leave immediately after my second workshop to play a concert with John Kaizan Neptune at Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz. Admittedly, departing Davis at 5 PM for a 7:30 PM start time in Santa Cruz is a bit risky, but I was fortunate with very light traffic and arrived 15 minutes before downbeat. This was my second time working with John but I have known his music since discovering his album Tokyosphere in the late 1980s. Compact discs were just becoming popular and the first two CDs in my collection were John Kaizan Neptune and Led Zeppelin. Also performing were Robbie Belgrade (tabla, percussion, bass clarinet), Shirley Muramoto (koto), and Kyle Abbott (shamisen). There was also a very special guest in the audience, the innovative creative genius of shakuhachi making in the US, Monty Levenson. John called up Monty to sit in for the final piece where he jammed on the "takeda," a bamboo-only instrument similar to udu and west African drums invented and built by John. I had the opportunity to play the takeda previously and John knew how much I liked it, so I felt honored when he generously gave me the one he was playing during the concert. My friend Kyle offered to host me at his place for the evening and I had a great time hanging out with him late into the night over a complex bourbon-barrel aged stout, discussing music, teaching, coffee, food, and possible future collaborations. Kyle also got up early next morning to make me a great cup of coffee before my departure. Thank you to John, Ginger, Kyle, Leslie, Monty, Kayo, and the wonderful crew at Kuumbwa Jazz.

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My final stop was a workshop for Ichimi Daiko in San Luis Obispo. I had met this group several years ago when I was on tour with Kenny. This was an especially enjoyable workshop because of the warm hospitality and positive atmosphere. I had fun working with this group of mixed ages and experience levels because of everyone's full engagement and willingness to try anything. There was a potluck after the workshop where everyone brought delicious food, giving us the opportunity to relax and get to know each other. Thank you to Ruth, Steve, and the whole Ichimi Daiko group for such a wonderful ending to my tour.

9 takeaways from Kenny Endo's interview for TCA

On April 23, 2016 Elise Fujimoto of Taiko Community Alliance interviewed Kenny Endo by livestream video. I wasn't able to catch it live but did watch it later in the TCA archive. The video link is below and I would encourage everyone to go see Kenny talk about his background, composition, ji (underlying groove), practicing, kumidaiko (ensemble taiko drumming), costumes, and the future of taiko performance. 

See the video here

My connection to Kenny goes way back. We met when I was a little kid living in Saitama, Japan and Kenny was in Tokyo playing with Oedo Sukeroku Daiko. One particularly memorable event was a concert held inside the Maruki Bijutsukan (art gallery known for large painting panels depicting the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing), where my youth taiko group directed by Saburo Mochizuki sensei shared the stage with Sukeroku Daiko. Many years later, I reconnected with Kenny in Honolulu, Hawaii. Although my excuse to relocate there was to pursue a Masters degree at the University of Hawaii, the real reason was to study and perform with the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble and Taiko Center of the Pacific. It was a great seven years and I learned so much about taiko and being a professional musician.

I am listing my top nine takeaways from the interview. Of course there are many more interesting and insightful moments in the conversation so it's worth setting aside the time to listen to the whole thing. If you have some of your own takeaways, please share in the comments section below.

Kenny's website

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1. In recalling one memorable performance, Kenny mentioned going to Moscow for the first time and, having grown up during the Cold War, "realizing it's not the people, but governments that are fighting."

2. "Maintaining your passion and curiosity" will help you have a long and successful career.

3. When composing, Kenny uses a thematic approach. Sometimes a rhythm comes first and other times it starts with a melody. He usually composes melodies on a shinobue (Japanese horizontal bamboo flute) or keyboard.

4. For Kenny, the elements of a great taiko performance include the energy and spirit of the performers, overall sound, visual aspects, stage presence, and the actual pieces.

5. In speaking about his experience with Sukeroku Daiko, "the ji alone was enough to make you want to feel like getting up and dancing. It's easy to solo over."

6. Kenny's advice to players of all levels: "try to play every day…when you come together it makes the group stronger." Another one: "the longer you've been playing, the more you need to practice." Finally, Kenny quoted his teacher Saburo Mochizuki: "renshu wa kibishiku, sorekara ensou wa tanoshiku, meaning practice with discipline, hard work, and focus so that you can be comfortable and enjoy the performance."

7. Kenny says "in workshops I find that people can solo better than they can play the ji. A lot of times the ji is overlooked. It's kind of like the foundation of a building – if it's strong you can build anything on top but if it's weak, no matter how fancy the building, it's going to have problems later."

8. Kenny mentions that his practicing routine is half technical (with a metronome) and half creative. "I enjoy and look forward to practicing."

9. Asked about the future of taiko, Kenny says that "kumidaiko is relatively new," and that the many different directions – dance, music, theater – are all valid. He is "optimistic that taiko will keep evolving and we will see lots of great performances come out."

How my online lessons work

I have been teaching online lessons by Skype for several years now. While most of us are accustomed to learning from our teacher in the same physical space, current technology is good enough that real-time instruction through a screen is still very effective. I feel that the person we study with is more important than the format of the lesson. There may be teachers available locally but if they don't offer what you need, online lessons can be a great alternative. They also have their own advantages beyond the fact that the two sides can be anywhere in the world (with internet).

How does it work? First, you would send me an email describing what you're interested in covering. Then we set up a meeting time that works for both of us. My policy is that payment is made before the lesson takes place, and the online check out system (Stripe) on my website is secure and works well. There are no refunds but credits are issued for emergency cancellations and rescheduling with a minimum of 48 hour notice. Most of my online lessons have been through Skype so you would need to have an account as well as a screen with a camera (desktop computer, laptop, iPad, iPhone, etc). The slight delay doesn't allow us to play at the same time, but a lot can be accomplished through demonstration and explanation. To take advantage of the format, I send web links, PDFs, and audio files relevant to the topic. Students in the past have also uploaded videos (public, unlisted, or password-protected) of their practicing or performance to get my feedback. And it's possible to record the lesson using software such as Skype Call Recorder. Beginning students, advanced players, and all levels in between are welcomed in my studio.

What do I teach? Past lessons have covered drumset, taiko, percussion, shinobue, and composition. My workshops page shows specific topics I have offered, but I am always open to requests. Perhaps you are learning a new piece and need some guidance on how to work on it. Maybe you want to learn a new instrument such as the atarigane and are looking for basic technique. It could be that you want to write a piece but don't know how to structure your ideas. Or perhaps you want to become a stronger soloist and better improviser. One topic that is requested regularly relates to exercises for improving stick control and rhythmic accuracy. Your musicianship will progress forward if you have goals to work toward, a good practicing strategy, and thoughtful feedback from an outside perspective. If you are interested, I recommend trying one lesson to see if it fits your needs. I have included a short video here so that you can see what the lesson would be like. Please contact me with any questions or to schedule a lesson.

Northern California teaching tour recap

My teaching road trip to northern California went really well.  It helped that gas prices were low and that my Prius gets about 45 miles per gallon, plus I was fortunate with good weather during the 11 hour drive each way.  Thank you to the taiko groups for booking my workshops and to the individuals who took private lessons with me.  And thank you very much to the kind friends for hosting me as a home-stay guest.

On this trip I worked with Sakura Taiko Kai of Berkeley, a wonderful group of taiko players who told me that their age range is 60s to 80s.  It's very inspiring to feel their energy and dedication toward learning about taiko.  I also noticed that, of all the groups I have worked with, Sakura Taiko Kai was one of the most consistent in collectively keeping a steady tempo.  The saying goes that wisdom comes with age, and perhaps good timekeeping goes along with that.

Another group I was invited to work with for the second time was Sonoma County Taiko based in Santa Rosa.  This is beautiful wine country and my hosts treated me to a fantastic dinner at Francis Ford Coppola Winery as well as lunch at Bear Republic Brewing Company.  Sitting outside by the bonfire under the stunningly bright stars listening to a chorus of frogs while drinking local red wine long into the night is about as good as it gets.

After years of talking about it, I was finally able to work with Stanford Taiko on this trip.  They requested a shinobue workshop and a ji playing workshop.  I was most impressed by these students' organizational skills and willingness to completely commit to any exercise or concept I proposed.  I'm confident that the twenty members whom I met all have bright futures, and that the group will continue to be a leading voice in the collegiate taiko scene.

I was also happy to be invited back to work with the Mountain View Buddhist Temple adult class.  We covered small drum technique and had a lot of laughs while exploring exercises designed to help with tempo control, dynamics, sticking patterns, and playing along to recordings of Santana, Michael Jackson, Steely Dan, and Norah Jones.  After the workshop, we went out for ramen and talked about food and cooking, and a little bit about taiko.

I also had a blast hanging out with shamisen player Kyle Abbott in Santa Cruz, but I already wrote about that on my previous entry so check that out if you haven't yet.  Kyle is a home coffee roaster like me and he made me a fantastic cup of coffee right after I arrived.

My next trip to northern California will be in late May and I look forward to seeing friends and meeting new people in the community.  I will have a couple of performances during that trip so you can sign up for email updates and check back on my events calendar for more information.  Anyone interested in workshops or private lessons can contact me directly through email.

Kyle Abbott of Bachido

During my teaching trip to northern California I had the opportunity to visit author and founder of the comprehensive shamisen website Bachido, Kyle Abbott.  Kyle kindly agreed to sit down and talk about music with me, and we decided to record the conversation to post on our blogs.  We touched on a bunch of topics including our backgrounds, teaching, performance, inspiration, coffee (we are both home coffee roasters), and the Bachido shamisen school.  Since I had my shinobue case with me, we stumbled through impromptu versions of a few standard songs and I've included those in the audio file here.  The titles are Yasaburo Bushi (beginning), Tsugaru Jinku (middle), and Ringo Bushi (end).  I really appreciate Kyle making time to share his thoughts and experiences with us.

You can find out more about Kyle and shamisen through these links below:

Kyle's website
Bachido website
Bachido facebook
Kyle's shamisen book