July 26, 2009
Taiko Blogs
A few months ago, towards the beginning of this blog, I posted a list of some interesting taiko videos I had come across from around the ‘net. Today, I’d like to return to that idea, only this time, instead of posting links to videos, I’d like to highlight some taiko blogs out there on the vast web. Since I began using Google Reader about a year ago, I became almost addicted to RSS feeds, and taiko blogs contributed to that. This is by no means a comprehensive list – just a list of ones I’ve come across and read regularly. Maybe, some readers might be able to contribute some of their own links.
All the blogs I’ll be listing are in English. There are some Japanese blogs I follow as well – if there’s interest, perhaps I’ll talk about them in the future.
July 22, 2009
A Midsummer Night's Update
I know, I know. Almost three weeks, and NOTHING. I’d give you a line about recovering from jet lag (including a fun bout with sickness), then moving, etc. etc. etc., but beyond those excuses the reality is that I’ve just been lazy. Can’t guarantee that this post will be a step towards fixing that (after all, it IS summer), but at the very least it’s something.
Now that the craziness is over, I’ve been doing some thinking about my dissertation – which, after all, is the all-mighty goal of this thing called graduate studies. My experiences in June did much to push me towards some more solid directions, but not necessarily what I had anticipated. Before I set out, I had the idea in my head that I’d be spending a year or so in Japan, watching performances, talking to people, and the like. Now, I’m not so sure.
The more I think about it, the more I’m interested in taiko around the world. Obviously, taiko isn’t just performed in Japan and the US; there are groups on almost every continent. At one point in time, discovernikkei.org had a rather comprehensive list, but it’s down at the moment, so I can’t really give any numbers. You’ll just have to trust me when I say it’s played in quite a lot of places, many of which would surprise you.
As I look at it now, I may spend my year+ of research in a manner much like what took place this past June – traveling to various places, learning from people and talking to people about taiko – only on a much larger scale. It may come to pass that I”ll spend some time in Japan, on the West Coast of the US (and Hawaii), in Canada, and maybe even the UK and Australia. I think that’s the only way I can truly investigate taiko as an international art form.
At the moment, I’m formulating ideas about how and what to study when dealing with international taiko. There’s a few things I have in mind, but I’ll save them for another time, once they’re more formulated. So, stay tuned for that.
In two weeks, I’ll be heading out to LA for the North American Taiko Conference. To say I’m excited is probably a little bit of an understatement. Three and a half days (if you include the Thursday afternoon/evening get together) of nothing but taiko and taiko-related talks, surrounded by hundreds of people who are just as into taiko as I am. I signed up to volunteer, which should be a great way to meet people and have some experiences that I might not have had anyways.
Hopefully, there won’t be another long lull. I actually have the next post in mind, but will wait until another day to put it together. Until then!
July 3, 2009
Summer Travels – Final Thoughts
Well, I’ve returned back to the States safe and sound (though a bit under the weather, but that always seems to happen after long plane rides.) No new pictures, obviously, but I thought I’d offer a few final thoughts to round out everything.
Taiko
Really, I’m not sure where to start regards my taiko adventures over the past few weeks. I learned so much in such a brief period of time. It was tiring, but in a good way. Just being able to play for 4-6 hours a day, every day, made me understand just how much I want to play taiko. Now, to figure out a way to do it in Pittsburgh…
At the same time, I got to meet so many great people through my taiko travels. People who, like me, enjoy taiko – again, something that’s not really found in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, we’ll keep in touch – beyond the typical Facebook-ing, that is. Perhaps we’ll run into each other at NATC, some random taiko show, or maybe even next year at the same workshops (I know I’m already trying to figure out a way to make it out to Hawaii and Japan again next summer).
Music-wise, it was fascinating to be introduced to the wide variety of styles and performance lineages that I had the opportunity to be taught this summer. Whether it was Edo-bayashi, kabuki-bayashi, or buchi-awase daiko, I know that I was taught some unique things that are hard to come by in the States. From a pure performance perspective, it was great, and it also started me looking at taiko performance in a slightly different light (which I’ll probably talk about in a later post).
So, where do I go from here? The question is, where DON’T I go? I see a bunch of paths opening up before me; my task is to figure out the correct one for the current moment. The rest, I’ll store away for later. 😛
Travels
If you’ve been following this blog, and have been diligent enough to check out my gallery through the link I’ve posted, you’ve seen what I’ve seen (to an extent). Obviously, I went to a lot of great places and saw a lot of stuff. Here are some brief thoughts about each:
Hawaii
This just confirmed my thoughts that I’m really a warm-weather person. Who, somehow, seems to have grown up in Pittsburgh and is still there…. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was beautiful – even the sky at night was beautiful (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen as many stars as I could at nights after leaving the Chapel).
Meanwhile, Waikiki is great and all that, but hopefully next time I return I’ll be able to check out the rest of the island, moving away from the more touristy spots. Not to say there’s not stuff to see around Honolulu – I just know there’s so much more out there.
California
My time here was too short, but it seemed pretty enough. Hopefully next time I’m on the West Coast, I’ll actually be able to say I VISITED CA (versus merely stopping by).
Japan
Of course, there’s Tokyo. Despite always thinking I didn’t like big cities, Tokyo feels quite comfortable to me for some reason. I seem to be able to easily match the city’s pace. Plus there’s always something new, even if I visit places I’ve many many times before. I wonder if I’ll ever lose that feeling…
Achi, on the other hand, was a completely different world. In a good way, of course. From the mountains to the rivers to the people, it just had a completely different feeling. I can’t say enough good things about the Toyama’s, who run Misaka Ryokan. If you’re ever at the Hirugami Onsen resort, and are looking for a place to stay, I heartily recommending looking them up. They don’t really speak English, but they’re great people who run a great ryokan.
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While it’s not a full summary of what happened, it is a brief summary of some thoughts I’ve had, two days after having returned to the States. Where does the blog go from here? Who know. It’ll probably be a mix of interesting links, my musings on various subjects, etc. – you know, typical blog stuff. You’ll just have to stay tuned and find out!
The Road Goes Ever On and On... 