Summer Taiko Institute: Edo Kotobuki Jishi with Kyosuke Suzuki sensei

North American Taiko Conference Taiko Jam performance of Edo Kotobuki Jishi

What is Summer Taiko Institute?
Summer Taiko Institute (STI) is an intensive course entirely separate from the North American Taiko Conference (NATC). It is typically a 3-day program that runs immediately before or after NATC. This year, there are two different STI proposals: Women and Taiko (before NATC) and Edo Kotobuki Jishi (after NATC). Because my involvement is with the Edo Kotobuki Jishi (traditional shishimai, or lion dance, of Tokyo) program, this blog post will be about that course. The shishimai STI is offered by Kyosuke Suzuki sensei, who taught the same topic during the 2011 STI in San Jose. I was there, and will be assisting and interpreting again this year. You can find the official registration page at the link below. Please note: it is not required to attend NATC in order to attend STI.

North American Taiko Conference Taiko Jam performance of Edo Kotobuki Jishi

Suzuki sensei's shishimai performance in 2015 during Wakayama Shachu's appearance in Orlando.

Summer Taiko Institute
Edo Kotobuki Jishi with Kyosuke Suzuki sensei
August 14 - 16, 2017
San Diego, CA
Summer Taiko Institute: Edo Kotobuki Jishi official page

What will be covered?
The Edo Kotobuki Jishi of Wakayama Ryu (style) consists of one shishi dancer and three musicians: taiko, atarigane, and shinobue. This STI will cover all the movements of the shishi as well as taiko and atarigane parts. Participants of all levels are welcome to attend, although having a basic understanding of taiko will be helpful. Depending on time and interest, fue players may get some instruction if they have experience with the music. The bachi used by Wakayama Shachu are 32cm hinoki. The shinobue is size 6.5 Hosei. These can be purchased through Asano Taiko US here. The Kotobuki Jishi book and CDs are currently out of print, and they are completely different from the Edo Bayashi book and CD. Suzuki sensei is also teaching a 10-hour Edo Bayashi intensive during NATC, so the book and CD would be useful for that course. You can learn more details about these traditional art forms here:

Eien's blog post about Suzuki sensei

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Kyosuke Suzuki sensei

Who is Suzuki sensei?
Suzuki sensei continues to be one of the most important teachers in my musical training. I started studying with him in 2005 and am constantly inspired by his performance and instruction, most recently during my Edo Bayashi intensive in Tokyo last October. For anyone who is unfamiliar with Suzuki sensei's artistry and teaching ability, a quick chat with someone who has experienced his instruction will help illustrate why he has so many fans. You can read more details at these links below.

Kyosuke Suzuki sensei biography, photos, and videos

Linda Uyechi's article about Jun Daiko's intensive with Suzuki sensei

Questions?
Please contact me with any questions regarding this STI and I will update this page with the new information. Thank you.

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Shishimai demonstration after the 2011 Summer Taiko Institute

Shishi gashira (shishi head)

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Bonus video

Impromptu Edo Bayashi jam with Isaku and Joe at their studio in Los Angeles, March 2017

A recap of my 5-state Midwest teaching tour

Ho Etsu Taiko in Chicago

There are a lot of great things happening within the US Midwest taiko scene. My recent teaching tour took me through five states over a two-week period and each stop was full of positive energy and warm hospitality. I worked with groups which have existed for anywhere between a few years and thirty plus years, and it seems like the region is making more and more cross-state connections - hopefully planting the seeds for a future Midwest Taiko Gathering. I especially enjoyed seeing the various styles of each group and truly appreciated the heightened emphasis on musicality. Hopefully I'll be back soon!

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Soten Taiko in Des Moines

My first stop was in Des Moines, Iowa to work with my friends at Soten Taiko. The members took me straight from the airport to the famous Zombie Burger where we enjoyed great burgers and shakes while completely surrounded by everything zombie. The fun continued during the shinobue private lesson (where I was shown 2 beautiful shishi gashira they perform with) and the Soten Taiko workshop covering ensemble playing concepts. Dinner was another peculiar place where pizza was topped with Chinese-restaurant dishes like beef stir-fry and crab rangoon, all surprisingly tasty. The next day I drove north to Minneapolis in a rental car after having a fantastic breakfast at the local French bakery where I had one of the best almond croissant in recent memory. Many thanks to Ben, Mary Jane, Amanda, Tanis, and all of the Soten Taiko members!

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Edo Bayashi masterclass

I was really looking forward to returning to Minneapolis where I first met the Mu Daiko team in 2005 when I traveled there as a member of the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble. It was a blast seeing old photos from that time, reminding me of my initial admiration for Mu Daiko's wonderfully distinctive original compositions played at our joint concerts. This recent visit was organized by my friend Iris Shiraishi who is doing fantastic work with her projects Ensemble MA and TaikoAlive. While it was fun teaching workshops on intermediate shinobue and small drum technique, I was particularly thrilled to lead an Edo Bayashi masterclass for the class Iris runs. She and some other members have a history of studying with Kyosuke Suzuki sensei, and this session served as preparation for his visit in August following the North American Taiko Conference. It was also inspiring to get private lesson requests for shinobue, atarigane, and Edo Bayashi – things I would like to see more of out there. Happily there was some free time to check out a nice brewery, a good coffee roaster, and even a fantastic little drum shop that makes their own line of drums called Northeast drum co. I played the walnut mini kit and was shocked at how good it sounded. Thank you so much to Iris, Alex, Arlene, and all of the Ensemble MA and Mu Daiko members for the warm and enthusiastic hospitality!

Small drum technique

Intermediate shinobue

The Drum Loft

Urban Growler Brewing

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My next stop, Ho Etsu Taiko in Chicago, was the originator of this tour. My interview with artistic director Jason Matsumoto covers how we met, including the newly-released joint live album with On Ensemble recorded a year and a half ago. Ho Etsu is one of my favorite groups not only because the members are a joy to hang out with but also because they are creating interesting original material that fits the group's style and vision. It's exciting to think of the possibilities to come from their forward motion, and absolutely Ho Etsu is a group we should be keeping an eye on. In addition to workshops on small drum technique and Edo Bayashi, we took some pieces from the repertoire and explored ways to make the music speak with more clarity and artistic intension. Among the many great meals, the unusual beers at Forbidden Root were especially memorable. I also finally made the pilgrimage to the old Deagan building where I met Andres, the master tuner, repair technician, and owner of Century Mallet Instrument Service. As a Deagan vibraphone owner, I have ordered parts from them for many years, and visiting this historic place was just as incredible as I had imagined. A huge thank you to Jason, Johes, Midwest Buddhist Temple, and all of the Ho Etsu members for a remarkable time together!

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Initially I had planned on driving to my next location of St. Louis, but Expedia informed me that I could fly there for less time and expense than driving a rental car. When nobody in Chicago or St. Louis had heard of the tiny airline called Air Choice One, I knew there was a chance for an adventure. It turned out fine – a leisurely flight on an eight-seat prop plane with five other passengers and two pilots a few feet away. It was a windy day, causing the little plane to blow around, but having so much visibility inside made it quite an enjoyable ride. This was my second time visiting St. Louis Osuwa Taiko and I was delighted to see their brand-new shishi gashira. We covered the taiko part for Edo Kotobuki Jishi on the first day and conducted a workshop called Pulse & Ensemble Playing on the second. This is one of the few groups where I can exchange stories and share experiences regarding the original Osuwa Daiko in Nagano, Japan. Although I never had the chance to meet Daihachi Oguchi sensei, I am friends with his grandson and current leader Makoto Yamamoto, having visited their historic location in Okaya as well as presented an Osuwa Daiko concert in Vancouver, BC. Before taking my afternoon flight, I was able to visit an interesting brewery called Urban Chestnut where a self-guided tour tells about the brewery's environmentally conscious operations. Thank you very much to Andrew, Soon, and everyone at St. Louis Osuwa Taiko!

My ride to St. Louis

Urban Chestnut Brewing

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Great Lakes Taiko Center

My final stop was new for me – Great Lakes Taiko Center in Novi, Michigan. For several years I had been hearing from friends about Brian Sole and his taiko school located in this somewhat unexpected location. Having earned my undergraduate degree at Central Michigan University, I was familiar with the geography and knew there weren't many taiko players in the state when I lived there, which is why I was so impressed with how much Brian has done in a relatively short amount of time. From the nice studio and quality instruments to the large-scale annual concert and student recital featuring guest artists from Japan, everything is well organized and very professional. The school's community ensemble Go Daiko and Brian's professional group Raion Taiko seem to get steady work and deliver excellent performances. It was a pleasure to teach in the clean and quiet space with plenty of drums, huge mirrors, a powerful PA system, and notation for warm-up exercises posted on the walls. I admired how everyone participated in the workshops with full vigor, and I even witnessed the single most virtuosic note-taking display in my 20+ years of teaching. (Thank you Eileen!) I also taught private and group lessons on small drum technique, shinobue, and katsugi technique. There were many good meals including the famous Detroit style pizza at Buddy's, but Bento 39 (sankyu) was the place I was eager to try as I had heard about this unlikely little spot serving amazing Japanese comfort food. My katsu curry plate easily met my hyped-up expectations. An enormous thank you to Brian, Eileen, Jianin, and everyone at Great Lakes Taiko Center for making this marvelous visit happen!

Ji playing workshop

Great Lakes Taiko Center

Bento 39

Katsu curry

Maui and Oahu recap with photos

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Eien at the ZD camp location

Spending 17 days in Hawaii was a great way to start my 2017. The trip began on Maui with the main event: a weekend taiko camp with the incomparable youth group Zenshin Daiko. The beautiful and remote location was idyllic, and I was equally impressed with how smoothly it all went - moving equipment, meals prepared by parents, workshops and presentations scheduled, along with fun activities like sham battle, basketball tournament, marshmallow roasting, and a talent show.

table display at Mouna Farm Arts & Cultural Village

Following the camp I spent a week on Oahu conducting workshops for Taiko Center of the Pacific and Nakama Taiko. My most memorable day of the week was having the opportunity to work with the TCP Youth Group for six hours, delving into their repertoire pieces to offer ideas for playing tighter and boosting musicianship. There was a break between the morning and afternoon sessions so we all walked to Jimbo's (delicious house-made udon) for lunch and then played pool nearby before heading back for more rehearsing. Having so much workshop time with one group is a rare treat because it allows me to introduce exercises and concepts more thoroughly, as well as to spend extra time working with individual players.

Maui

I also taught several private lessons on shinobue during this trip. I'm always excited to see people interested in playing fue, as learning a melodic instrument helps us become better drummers and accompanists. The fue is a natural partner to taiko and this is well demonstrated by the countless festival and other traditional music forms found all over Japan. See my shinobue article and Ranjo blog entry for more detailed information.

Honolulu

I had one day off on Oahu and was fortunate to attend an outdoor Balinese dance performance in the leeward town of Waianae at Mouna Farm Arts & Cultural Village. The setting was fantastic and the entire staff at the farm couldn't have shown better hospitality. The dancers performed to recorded music and it was a very nice show, although having live gamelan would have truly completed the entire experience. A delicious meal was served afterward and then a bonfire was started as the sun disappeared into the red horizon.

Balinese dance performance

Balinese dance performance

Balinese dance performance

Diamond Head on Oahu

My trip concluded with three more days of workshops with Zenshin Daiko where we explored different ways to approach composition. There was even time between workshops to get some incredible shave ice (Haleakala with haupia ice cream) at the famous Ululani's.

Many friends helped to make this trip possible by offering places to stay and cars to borrow, providing so many meals as well as gifts to take home, booking my workshops and lessons, and supporting me in multiple other ways. A giant thank you to Tony & Val, Kenny & Chizuko, Dee & Keith, Brock, Terri, Kirstin, and everyone else involved in planning my trip. I look forward to going back soon!

windmills on Maui

Waianae sunset

Interview: Manman (Yeeman Mui) talks teaching kids, Orff, and taiko

I first met Manman (Yeeman Mui) during Kyosuke Suzuki sensei's Summer Taiko Intensive in 2011. She is now teaching and performing at the Taiko Center of the Pacific in Honolulu, where we performed together during my recent Hawaii trip. A certified Orff instructor, Manman is becoming known as a taiko teacher specializing in young children. In addition to offering classes at Asano Taiko US in Torrance, she is an active performer involved in multiple projects such as Spall Fragments, the upcoming production by Joe Small. Manman kindly spent time with me to talk about her background, Orff training, working with kids, incorporating dance and body percussion, and her current projects. I would encourage everyone to check out the links below for examples of what we talked about in the interview.

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Website
www.yeemanmui.com

TaikOrff
http://taiko.la/event/introduction-taikorff-workshop-taiko-teachers

San Francisco International Orff Course
https://sforff.org

Taiko Trek
http://taikotrek.wix.com/2016#!workshops/ds2sj

Body Bayashi
https://yeemanmui.com/body-bayashi/

Spall Fragments
https://youtu.be/9sftrNNFlEg (2015 video clip)
www.facebook.com/spallfragments/

Yeeman Mui (aka Manman) Originally from Hong Kong, Manman graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2010 with an MPhil in Musicology. She is a dedicated taiko practitioner, performer and teacher. Since becoming a certified Orff instructor, her vision is to continually find new ways to celebrate the essence of teaching of taiko through the mind, body and spirit. In 2012 and 2013, she was awarded a fellowship to study with Kenny Endo at the Taiko Center of the Pacific (TCP). Since then she has been working as a performing member and teacher at TCP. Outside of TCP and Hong Kong, She has also taught at the Los Angeles Taiko Institute (LATI), curated the Youth Program at the North American Taiko Conference in Las Vegas 2015, and conducted a series of music teacher workshops in Macau 2015. 

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Hawaii trip: finally back for a visit to teach and perform

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Flying in over Diamond Head

West Oahu

So many gifts - only in Hawaii

I had a fantastic week during my visit to Hawaii. It was hard to believe that I hadn't been back in over seven years, but it quickly felt like I had never left. The average tourist could easily focus on the great weather and spectacular scenery of the islands, but the things I really missed had to do with the daily-life culture there - the generosity and openness of people, along with an easygoing feeling that cultivates time to get together and talk story. Although this was mainly a work trip, these were the things that made my visit possible and so memorable.

The first workshop I taught was for Taiko Center of the Pacific. I started as a student of this taiko school when I moved to Honolulu in 2001, and then eventually became an instructor. This workshop was titled "Pulse, Ji, and Ensemble Playing" and I asked the participants to try my exercises dealing with tempo control, dynamics, following the leader, and producing a consistent sound. I was very pleased with how well everyone played together despite having a wide mix of experience levels. The second TCP workshop I taught was for the youth group. The requested topics included soloing and ensemble playing. When I asked each member what they were interested in covering, the top two answers were to be able to play tighter with the ji (accompaniment) and to create more unique and memorable solos. Everyone could already play well so it was fun working with the students and seeing them adapt to the new concepts I introduced. A huge thank you to Kenny, Chizuko, Brock, Terri, and everyone at TCP for inviting me and putting together the workshops.

Taiko Center of the Pacific workshop

TCP Youth Group workshop

Ryugen Taiko workshop

I was happy to work for the first time with Ryugen Taiko. They requested a composition workshop and it was great to have three hours to spend discussing topics such as inspiration, form, notation, dynamics, and analysis. I enjoyed the energy of this group and look forward to seeing their original compositions in the near future. Thank you to Nolan, Greg, and everyone at Ryugen Taiko for the wonderful hospitality and interest in my workshop.

My final workshop of the week was for my good friends at Nakama, a very special group who I usually catch up with during taiko conferences. Saying they have fun is probably still an understatement, and the laughter is absolutely infectious. There was no preplanned workshop topic but we ended up working on Keith's original piece. I liked having the opportunity to learn the patterns and then find ways to make the music speak more clearly, especially for the sections where there are multiple parts happening at the same time. After the workshop, our party continued over dinner at a nearby Okinawan restaurant. Thank you so much to Dee, Keith, John, and the Nakama family for an unforgettable time.

Post-workshop dinner with Nakama folks

Amazing view from my homestay

On the morning after my arrival, I was trying to sleep in to counteract my jet lag when a text message arrived asking if I was available for a performance starting in one hour. I said yes and rushed down to the chapel at Kapiolani Community College for a lecture demonstration with Kenny Endo and the TCP ensemble, pulling in 5 minutes before downbeat, just enough time to change and hear the setlist. Everything came back to me, including how to wear the costume and the repertoire which I hadn't played in almost 8 years. While this one was a surprise, I actually knew about another performance happening on the weekend. It was a wedding gig at one of the big Waikiki hotels, something I had done many times while living in Honolulu. This one felt like a luxury, as there was a rehearsal and extra time to hang out with the ensemble members. Thank you to Kenny and Chizuko for including me in these performances.

Arriving at KCC chapel for a last-minute performance request

Pre-performance hangout at Waikiki hotel

This trip was a success because of the generosity of my friends, who provided me a place to stay, lent me their car, didn't let me pay for any meals, booked workshops, and provided an unlimited supply of helpfulness. Thank you so much to Kirstin, Dee & Keith, Kenny & Chizuko, Terri & Glenn, Brock, Nolan, Miles, Eric, Ai, and all of my friends in Hawaii. I will be back very soon!

A must visit for fresh udon

Tropical shapes and colors

Nico's and Uncle's on Pier 38 for great seafood

Another Hawaii institution