August 12, 2009
NATC 2009 Videos
I’ve continued to edit down and post some of my videos from this past weekend to YouTube. And now, I’ve collected them all in one convenient playlist. Hover over the video box with your mouse, and arrows – along with small thumbnails representing links to the other movies – will allow you to navigate through the playlist.
Enjoy!
August 11, 2009
NATC 2009 videos
I have started to edit, re-encode, and upload to YouTube some of the videos I took this past weekend. The first, a special performance of Hiryu San Dan Gaeshi, is already finished. Be sure to check it out, and stay tuned for more!
August 9, 2009
NATC 2009
Well, the 2009 North American Taiko Conference has come and gone, and as I sit here in my hotel, I figured I’d take the time to write some reactions. Rather than writing an overview of everything that’s happened, however, I’m just going to touch on a few major things.
Living History
Walking around NATC, you can’t help but walk past any number of people that had a major impact on taiko in America. Of course, Tanaka-sensei was an overwhelming presence. At the same time, however, he was quite warm and inviting. As I and a newly-made friend (from Oberlin, curiously enough) passed him in the street on the way to a workshop, he asked us what workshop we were going to (a katsugi-okedo workshop taught by Ringtaro Tateishi, if you’re wondering :P). Then, he took the time to offer us a few tips about stretching and what muscles to watch out for, as katsugi-okedo uses different muscles than normal taiko playing. It was an incredibly touching gesture from a man without whom kumidaiko might not not exist in America.
Add in the many many names I passed multiple times a day, and it was a pleasant reminder that while taiko’s history in America is rich, it’s still young. That first generation of taiko performers, who have been playing for 30-40 years now are still playing today. Being able to see them all come together to perform at the Welcome Reception (videos of which I hope to put up on YouTube once I get back to Pittsburgh) was a true joy.
Community
This weekend helped me realize just how much taiko in America is about community. For a few days, hundreds of people (around 500 this year, I heard) gather in one place, united by their love of taiko. People from all ages, places, backgrounds… taiko is something that everyone has in common. I met a great number of people for the first time this weekend, yet it was easy to settle into a conversation.
At the same time, however, at times it seemed that one’s place in the taiko community is defined somewhat by which group you’re with. Given that I’m not in a group, that put me in a bit of an awkward situation at times. Conversations inevitably started (or wove towards) the question, “so what group are you with?” Unfortunately, there’s nothing that can be done about that for now. But it did give me added incentive to try and start up something taiko-wise in Pittsburgh (not that I needed any more incentive…)
Taiko Jam
Saturday and Sunday presented the opportunity to attend Taiko Jam, the concert that accompanies each NATC. And what an opportunity it was. Beyond the pure joy of watching taiko for 2+ hours, it was a very interesting concert. The first half featured Las Vegas Kaminari Taiko and Kishin Taiko. Each has their own strengths, but they both offered solid, enjoyable taiko performances.
The second half totally changed the game. It featured On Ensemble and Portland Taiko, and was completely different in a way from what the first half offered. In a good way, of course. The first half gave us “traditional” kumidaiko, if one can even say that. Pieces inspired by matsuri-bayashi, original pieces – similar to what many in the US (and abroad) perform. With the second half, however, we were given something completely different. It was still kumidaiko, mind you – that is, literal “group taiko” – but of a different sorts from LVKT and Kishin. On Ensemble could maybe be described as taiko fusion. It uses taiko, and all the members are (very) accomplished taiko performers, but it goes off in a direction unlike almost anything else out there. Each member brings their own unique skills to the table, creating a musical mixture that still feels like taiko. If they ever come to your town, I highly recommend checking them out. Words do not do justice to their music.
And THEN, just when we thought the evening couldn’t get any better, out walked Portland Taiko. Like On Ensemble, here was something… different. Portland’s a little less… out there than On (having a lot in common with LVKT and Kishin), but at the same time they’re off in a different direction. They integrate dance in a way that I’ve never seen before. Certainly, movement is an integral part of kumidaiko – of course, I think that some groups maybe take it a little TOO far – but they take it to another level. Plus, their sense of ma – something that’s kinda of hard to translate into English; sort of “space,” but much more – was incredible. You could FEEL the silence in their music, and it worked perfectly.
After the first night, I was quite glad I had bought tickets to Sunday’s concert. And while the feel of Sunday’s concert was much different – given that most of the NATC participants had left – it was still worth it. I feel like I appreciate the performances that much more, having moved past the initial shock and awe.
So, where do we go from here?
Now that’s the million dollar question, isn’t it. If I wasn’t pumped up enough to play taiko after June’s whirlwind of workshops, I am now. I just have to figure out how to accomplish it. I don’t own a drum (only my self-made practice drums), or anyone else to play alongside, or a place to play, or….
Certainly, there’s a bunch of stuff to overcome. But, I’m feeling rather invigorated. Somehow, I’ll get it done. Even if I have to take a tire drum out into the middle of Schenley Park and bang away for a few hours.
August 5, 2009
NATC Ho!
Tomorrow I depart for the West Coast, LA, and the North American Taiko Conference. This is going to be a trip of many firsts for me: my first trip to LA, my first time attending the NATC, and my first time volunteering at a convention. Yup, I decided to volunteer. Why, you may ask? Well, for a number of reasons.
- I figured it’d be a good way to meet people. Now obviously, I’m going to meet new people at the convention regardless. Heck, I’m only going to know maybe two or three people out of the hundreds that’ll be in attendance, and the chances I’ll run into them may be slim. By being a volunteer, however, I’ll be able to experience the convention in a way that only a few others will share. That tends to help break the ice a little better.
- As mentioned, being a volunteer would give me a good opportunity to see a side of the convention that others typically don’t see. From a research perspective, this could be useful in the future.
- I actually like volunteering/helping out at events like this. Normally I’m not the volunteer type, but someone I tend to enjoy being on staff at events, working beside the scenes at things, etc.
So, I’ll be helping out at the Welcome Reception on Thursday evening, then helping to move equipment Saturday morning. All in all, not that, and I’m not really going to be missing anything either, save one Workshop where my hours overlap with the workshop hours. But that’s a minor price to pay.
Beyond the volunteering side, I’m just in general looking forward to the whole experience. As has been made apparent in earlier posts, I’m a bit alone taiko-wise. Sure, I know people, and I’ve been able to do some playing this summer, but given that I’m back in Pittsburgh now I’m back to being a solitary taiko player in a taiko-less city. This weekend, I’ll be surrounded by people who enjoy playing the same music that I do. We can talk shop, so to speak – can’t really do that with people to whom you have to first explain the ins and outs of “taiko.” Granted, most of these people have MUCH more experience than me. I’ve only been playing for… eight months now, and that’s not even been an consistent 6-7 months: 2 months of classes, a few where I was just practicing by myself once or twice a week, a month of pretty intensive study, and now my current state where I”m not really doing much of anything (taiko or otherwise – I’ve been pretty lazy lately). Still, there’s something to take away from all this. At the very least, it’ll probably motivate me to figure out how I can practice up here in Pittsburgh.
Anywhoo, there’s the long and short of it. For the moment, at least. If you happen to be in LA, and mosy over to Little Tokyo this weekend, keep a look out for me!
Until next time.
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!
June 27, 2009
Summer Travels – June 27 Update: The End is Near
‘allo. (Did you say “Hello?” No, I said “‘allo,” but that’s close enough.) Today’s a day of rest here at Misaka Ryokan. Yesterday was the last “official” day of the workshop; tomorrow we attend TOKARA’s concert, but for today we’ve been taking it easy (to an extant). So, I figured it’d be a good time to update. Obviously, a lot has gone on since I gave a real update, so there’s a lot to cover.
June 23, 2009
Summer Travels – June 23 Picture Update
Taiko class have begun, but somehow I have still been able to take some pictures. Here’s a brief overview of the past few days. All always, click on the pictures to go to the Photo Gallery.
June 22 – Day 1 of the INADANI Taiko Drumming Course
We didn’t play a WHOLE lot today, but it was enough to work up a sweat.Classes are taught by Art Lee and his wife. We started from the very beginning, which was great since his style is a bit different.
Achi Community Center - my home away from home away from home for the week
Once we returned, we were treated (well, not entirely treated – we have to pay, of course) to a dinner cooked by Toyama-san and his wife, the owners of Misaka Ryokan. Before that, we made mochi! Another new experience, and one that was quite fun. And tiring.
Toyama-san Making Mochi
June 23 – Day 2 of the INADANI Taiko Drumming Course
We played a lot more day, as well as began work on the first song for the course, Isami Goma. It seems to be a standard of sorts, as it was one of the first songs I learned when taking Icho Daiko’s classes earlier this year, but according to Art-sensei the version taught in the US (which came from Seichi Tanaka-sensei) and the original version (coming from Daiichi Oguchi-sensei of Osuwa Daiko), there are differences. Besides, it’s been almost 6 months since I learned it, and learning as we are – practicing each part over and over again – is great for building stamina (which I am sorely lacking).
Afterwards, I took some pictures on the bus ride back to the ryokan, then briefly visited the shrine beside the ryokan.
The view from Achi Community Center
In a little bit, we will be dining on tempura made by Toyama-san. Then, I will be dipping into the onsen. I had thought about doing before dinner, but doing it after dinner will be a nice prelude to sleep.
Until next time, same Ben time, same Ben channel.
June 20, 2009
Summer Travels -June 20, part 3: An Unexpected Party
No sooner had I posted the previous post when I received an e-mail from Takumi Kato, the taiko performer who lives in Ena (about a hour’s train ride from Nagoya). It turned out that he was giving a performance this evening, and asked if I’d like to go. Jumping on the opportunity, I rushed to catch the train (after making sure my laundry was taking care of). It turned out to be the right decision.
Takumi was performing at the Tanogami Matsuri(田の神まつり – “Tanogami” means “God of the Rice Fields”). There, candles (or something similar) are lit around terrace rice paddies. It was quite a sight to see, when they were all lite and it became dark. Unfortunately, it was raining for a while, but that didn’t ruin the atmosphere. Not only did I get to see Takumi perform, but I also was treated to a warm welcome of sorts from the various people at the festival. Nice food, nice environment, nice people – in all, a great way to finish a week.
Pictures from the Tanogami Matsuri, Ena
Tomorrow, off to Iida!
The Road Goes Ever On and On... 