Japan trip Part 2 - seeing concerts, kabuki, and friends

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In the Japan trip Part 1 entry, I described the primary reason for my recent trip: Edo Bayashi intensive with Suzuki sensei. In addition to my lessons, there was a lot happening during my stay and I was able to attend some performances and see many friends.

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The day after I arrived, I went to see Azusa Yamada's vibraphone trio in Tokyo. We first met almost 2 years ago through another Tokyo musician because I was looking for a vibraphone to rent for a Ginza performance with shakuhachi player Bruce Huebner. Azusa gave us a great rate to rent her Premier vibes for a two-week period, and two things remain in my memory about the instrument: it was one of the heaviest vibes I've ever played on, and there was a low E (which I couldn't get used to and had to cover up with a music stand bag for the gig). Her performance in the intimate space was very good and I especially appreciated all the original material in the program as well as the exciting playing of pianist Sachiko Nakajima.

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The next day was the Wakayama Shachu performance at the Bettara Ichi Festival, which I described in Part 1. The day after that was a collaborative concert in Asakusa called Taiko Battle Live, featuring Makoto Yamamoto of Osuwa Daiko. I've known Makoto for several years, having visited him in Nagano as well as presenting Osuwa Daiko for concerts and workshops in Vancouver, BC. The program consisted of original music, solo performances, and some traditional music. It was also a fun surprise to see my very first taiko teacher Saburo sensei in the audience, as he had taught some classical repertoire to Makoto in preparation for this concert.

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I enjoyed checking out Hitoshi Hamada perform at his CD release event in Shinjuku. I first met Hamada san in 2005 during a Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble concert tour. This vibraphone and saxophone duo played some very challenging original music and Hamada san sounded great as always. I was there with Bruce and Azusa so we took a group photo after the performance. It's not every day that three vibraphonists are in the same room together.

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I was fortunate to see the famous Kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura at Kokuritsu Gekijou (National Theater) in Tokyo. As part of the theater's 50th anniversary season, the play has been divided into three parts, and I saw the first third. The middle third runs in November and the final third runs in December. Because each part is approximately 6 hours long, the audience is treated to rarely-presented scenes which many kabuki fans have never seen or heard of. Everything was excellent: acting, music, staging, and bento. This was especially meaningful for me because I had been a geza musician (playing nohkan and shinobue) for Portland State University's presentation of Chushingura in February 2016. The video of that performance can be seen here: Chushingura blog entry.

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It's always a great pleasure and inspiration to visit Ranjo san at his workshop in Chiba. He continues to answer my questions and share his wealth of knowledge every time I see him. In this photo, Ranjo san is wrapping one of my flutes to prevent a small crack from opening. I also met Fujita san on this recent visit, a great fue player from Akita Prefecture who demonstrated some of the music from his local festival on a Ranjo #4 hayashi fue. For more information about Ranjo san, check out this blog post: Ranjo blog entry.

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Chichibu in Saitama is a special place. It's best known for the spectacular Yo Matsuri (annual night festival, Dec 2-3) and the music of Chichibu Yatai Bayashi. But there is also a very long history of Ji Kabuki (地歌舞伎, local kabuki) going back to the Edo period. This Hagitaira kabuki stage is at least 170 years old and continues to be used for theater and music. Apparently there are no carpenters in the area who are properly trained to make repairs on such an old building, so they have had to bring experts all the way from Kyushu. I attended the October 30, 2016 event where there were three kabuki presentations: elementary school, middle school, and finally the adult group. The performances were complete with live geza music as well as gidayu chant and shamisen, and the day was interspersed with performances of Chichibu Yatai Bayashi, Tsugaru Shamisen, and Chichibu Ondo. The overall presentation was remarkable, especially considering this very rural setting. Of course the youngest performers were the audience favorites, and the best moment for me was when the little girl finally got a turn on the odaiko, outplaying the previous versions by teenage boys and an adult. And all of the food and drinks I tried during the event were memorably delicious.

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Another unique experience was visiting "the Switzerland club of Kanto" in Katashina village of Gunma Prefecture. These remarkable wooden horns are handmade by Kinsaku Hoshino using local cedar. I was told that the curved bottom portion is made out of a naturally shaped section of the branch that was bent by the weight of the heavy snow. Even the mouthpiece (similar to trumpet) is handmade. I was able to get a decent sound right away, so perhaps my music education degree finally came in handy many years later. Hoshino san offered to let me try the carving tool so I carefully took a turn.

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Finally, I got to see an incredible concert at Suntory Hall in Tokyo of the incomparable Eitetsu Hayashi. This was a mostly solo performance with the exception of one piece composed by percussionist Midori Takada. They have a long history of working together and this was apparent in their cohesive sound. Eitetsu's concerts are fantastic every single time. Without fail, there are always things I've never seen before, and such consistent creativity and attention to detail is truly breathtaking. Concluding the program was a 20-minute solo odaiko performance, and this was the finest odaiko playing I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful.

Japan trip Part 1 - learning from Suzuki sensei and Wakayama Shachu

Edo Bayashi lessons with Kyosuke Suzuki sensei in Tokyo

My recent Japan trip went very well. Funded by a grant from Regional Arts & Cultural Council and kind sponsorship from Asano Taiko US, my main purpose was to study Edo Matsuri Bayashi (festival music of old Tokyo) with my longtime teacher Kyosuke Suzuki of Wakayama Shachu. I first met Suzuki sensei in 2005 during a Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble concert tour. Since then, I have taken private lessons, assisted and translated his workshops, coordinated his workshop tour in August 2015, and performed with him on numerous occasions. You can see my previous blog post about Suzuki sensei and find more photos and videos on this page.

Traditionally appearing during festivals, the Edo Bayashi ensemble consists of five players performing on two shimedaiko, one odaiko, one atarigane, and one shinobue. Over the years I have performed all five parts, but I continue to study in order to deepen my own understanding and to strengthen my ability to teach this traditional music. Fortunately, anyone who is interested can begin their research and practice by acquiring the sheet music, CDs, and instruments at the Asano Taiko US online store. I'm always happy to assist so please get in touch with me if you are interested in learning more.

lesson on shimedaiko

Wakayama Shachu performing Edo Matsuri Bayashi (Hitoppayashi)

One of the topics I presented in our lessons was the idea of creating an Edo Bayashi ensemble in North America as a way to spread awareness and appreciation for this music. I have written many times about the value of studying a traditional art in order to gain crucial insight into contemporary forms, where understanding their roots provide the context to move forward with purpose. As the well-known saying goes, "you have to learn the rules before you can break them." My goals for this ensemble include: 1. Raise the performance level of festival music outside of Japan, 2. Increase audience awareness of this music, 3. Make this music more accessible for anyone wanting to study it, 4. Create more opportunities for Suzuki sensei and Wakayama Shachu to teach and perform outside of Japan. If you are interested in joining the Edo Bayashi ensemble, please contact me.

Wakayama Shachu performance

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to see Wakayama Shachu perform Sato Kagura on this trip. This Shinto theater is performed on a special stage at the shrine and dates back to the Edo period. Watching this performance helped me understand Wakayama Shachu's history and aesthetic, especially as it applies to their approach to Matsuri Bayashi and Edo Kotobuki Jishi (good-luck lion dance of Edo). Put simply, the troupe brings their profound training and dedication of Noh-influenced Kagura dance and music to their interpretation of the festival music of the common people. The result is a transformation where Edo Matsuri Bayashi becomes a higher art form worthy of presenting on a stage in front of an audience, which is quite different from its traditional role of accompanying the mikoshi (portable shrine) through the streets during festival time.

Wakayama Shachu performing Edo Sato Kagura

Wakayama Shachu performing Edo Sato Kagura

My most important bachi & sticks for taiko

My most important taiko sticks

I am constantly on the search for new bachi and drumsticks at local drum shops, big music stores, Asano Taiko US in Torrance, Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten in Asakusa, or the marketplace vendors at the North American Taiko Conference. Japan is my favorite place to go shopping because it's very common to see a digital scale in the drumstick section for picky people like me to precisely match a pair of sticks by weight. There are many different materials used to make sticks, including bamboo, kashi (oak), hickory, maple, birch, hou (magnolia), and hinoki (cypress). In addition, you can find a wide variety of mallets, brushes, and other alternative sticks made by a number of different companies. Considering the enormous variety of drums, cymbals, and percussion instruments available to us, it might be easy to understand my obsessive search for the best stick for each application.

What are some of the factors involved with stick selection? This can be a deeply personal topic and each musician will have their own hierarchy of criteria. Here are mine:

1. Sound – the most important consideration. Sometimes it's a simple decision and other times it's necessary to compromise and make it work for a number of dissimilar instruments.

2. Feel – the stick needs to feel comfortable and work for my playing style. I check out the length, diameter, weight, finish, and balance to narrow down my choices.

3. Wear and tear – I make sure the sticks will not cause damage to the instruments. I also match the sticks to the instrument so that I don't have to replace broken sticks constantly.

4. Tradition and uniformity – there are times when it makes sense for an ensemble to use the same sticks in striving for uniformity of sound and visuals. I also consider traditional sticks with historical significance.

One of the workshop topics I have taught is called Taiko Sounds and Sticks, where I introduce ways to get many sounds out of one drum as well as discuss and demonstrate the common materials and dimensions of taiko sticks. My goal is to convey the depth of this topic and share my knowledge so that the participants leave with a foundation in stick selection details. It's a fun moment when someone hears the subtle difference between two similar sticks when I play them side-by-side on a drum.

This photo shows the collection of sticks I currently use. It is very close to the stick recommendations in my article called Ten Useful Sticks For Taiko Players. There are additional sticks I use depending on the situation, but these are my most important ones. The sticks labeled VF RH 36cm is a marching snare drum stick (Vic Firth Ralph Hardiman) that I cut off and sanded. This hickory stick works well in a mixed-taiko set up and has good sound and durability on rims and cymbals.

Taiko sticks labeled

Old bachi from my childhood

This other photo shows two pairs of sticks from my childhood. The smaller kashi bachi were given to me by my first taiko teacher Saburo Mochizuki, and I used them to play the Sukeroku Daiko repertoire he taught to our youth group in Saitama. The larger hou bachi are from a Miyake Taiko summer intensive I took on Sado Island at age 11, taught by Kodo members.

Workshops

Ten Useful Sticks for Taiko Players

Asano Taiko US

Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten

Japan Percussion Center

Good earplugs are essential for drummers

Photo from Etymotic.com

As a longtime drummer, hearing protection has been a critically important issue for me. Hearing loss and tinnitus (high-pitched ringing of the ears) are very real consequences of repeated exposure to loud sounds. Even today, the mechanics of how our hearing changes are not fully understood, and there are currently no cures for hearing loss and tinnitus. This means that protecting our ears is the only thing we can do to help prevent future problems. We are lucky to be living in this time of increasing awareness and a variety of options for hearing protection. I highly recommend all musicians look into this.

When I arrived to Central Michigan University in 1995 as a first-year music student, I was told that all percussionists in our studio were required to purchase musician's earplugs. This type is custom molded to the ear and uses interchangeable filters which lower the volume without changing the balance of frequencies. At $100 – $200 per pair, it is not a cheap option, especially for a young college student. Yet having these earplugs turned out to be one of the very best investments of my career. Twenty-one years later, I am still using them (I'm on my second pair) for practicing, rehearsals, performances, and any loud environment.

Photo from Etymotic.com

In workshops, I often bring up the topic of hearing protection, and I've been seeing more and more people using earplugs over the years. My first recommendation is to look into the universal fit high-fidelity earplugs by Etymotic. There are other companies making similar products but Etymotic is the one I am most familiar with. At around $12 per pair, these earplugs have the same type of filter as the musician's earplugs. Unlike the cheaper foam, rubber, or wax earplugs, the hi-fi plugs allow you to hear more accurately with a reduction of around 20 dB. Hearing clear music and conversation keeps everyone using earplugs rather than taking them out in order to hear better (completely defeating the purpose of earplugs).

Musician's earplugs are well worth the effort and price tag to purchase. They are comfortable, nearly invisible, and can be customized with interchangeable filters for various situations. The first thing you need to do is to find an audiologist in your area that offers musician's earplugs. For my current pair, I went to Hawaii Professional Audiology in Honolulu. I chose this place because they were used to serving the Honolulu Symphony musicians. When you go in for your appointment, a foam material is used to take your ear impression, which then gets sent to the company making the earplugs. While I recommend this option to almost everyone, there are two situations I can think of where you might want to wait. The first is if you are going through significant weight change, which would likely affect the fit later on. The second category for waiting is younger people who are still growing, for the same reason.

There might be an element of old curmudgeon-ness involved, but I feel like loud volume situations are increasing everywhere: concerts, movies, earbuds, awful restaurant acoustics, TV commercials, and so on. I always keep my earplugs with me and am constantly grateful for this technology. After thirty-plus years of drumming, I feel fortunate that my hearing is in relatively good condition. Without a doubt, consistent use of hearing protection over the years is the biggest reason.

1990 Modern Drummer Article: An Occupational Hazard

ShastaYama, an annual summer outdoor festival featuring taiko, music, dance

Shasta Taiko at ShastaYama 2009 (photo credit: Gary Ono)

I am very excited to be performing at ShastaYama next month. I've been wanting to attend ever since becoming aware of this festival several years ago. Mt. Shasta is a unique place and an incredible setting for an outdoor music festival, complete with the dramatic backdrop of the mountain. The founders are Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer, both of whom are wonderful people and great artists. I asked 5 questions to my friend and bandmate Masato Baba for a special inside look at this year’s event.

ShastaYama
July 30, 2016 at 6 PM
Shastice Park - Mount Shasta, CA

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1. Can you describe ShastaYama?
ShastaYama was started in the city of Mt. Shasta in the summer of 2005.  My parents, Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer, wanted to create an outdoor taiko festival to bring people from around the area to enjoy a night of taiko and music.  They were supported by a long time friend and supporter, Mario Rubino, who acts as the co-producer of the show. 

2. What is the musical lineup this year?
This year On Ensemble are the headliners.  On Ensemble is a taiko-fusion group based in Los Angeles and features Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer's son, Masato Baba (me), and former student, Shoji Kameda.  The two of us grew up playing taiko together and after 32 years are still going strong.  Other members include Eien Hunter-Ishikawa, Abe Lagrimas, Jr, and Sumie Kaneko.  Together, they combine taiko with bamboo flutes, vibraphone, koto (Japanese zither), shamisen (Japanese banjo), western drum set, ukulele, and voice to create a unique, fresh sound.

Tadaima (Russel and Jeanne's jazz group featuring Gary Fitzgerald), Unit Souzou (featuring Michelle Fujii and Toru Watanabe), Shasta Taiko (Russel and Jeanne's taiko group), and a special guest group featuring Isaku Kageyama, Bruce Ghent, Joe Small, Yeeman Mui, and Heidi Chan will be featured as part of the program.

3. How can everyone learn more and get tickets?
Check out the website: shastayama.org 

4. What is your favorite part of ShastaYama?
My favorite part is performing and giving back to the area I grew up in.  Mt. Shasta is an amazing, spiritual place where I feel at peace.  The land, air, and water is as pure as it gets nowadays which I definitely took for granted when I was growing up there.  It holds a special place in my heart. 

5. Do you have any upcoming events you would like to mention?
On Ensemble is also taking part of Summer Sounds at the Hollywood Bowl from July 25-29.  The website says:  "Built on the pulsating beats of taiko drumming, the traditional music and instruments of Japan are blended with styles from the West in ways that will let your imagination soar." http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/summersounds-2016

Personally, I have a big event in Los Angeles with my other group, TAIKOPROJECT.  We are performing for the re-opening of the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on July 8.  Collaborating with Grammy Award-winning Quetzal (a Chicano rock band), we are "exploring common musical ground to create a new sound that is quintessentially Los Angeles".
-This quote was taken from the Ford website: http://fordtheatres.org/en/events/details/id/1021

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Masato Baba at ShastaYama 2012 (photo credit: Karrie Ann Snure)

Masato is considered one of America's most outstanding taiko talents. He began taiko training at the age of 6 when his parents, Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer, founded Shasta Taiko. As a member of Shasta Taiko, he gained the valuable experience performing, teaching, and touring throughout his formative years. Masato polished and refined his taiko skills for over 7 years touring world-wide with renowned American Taiko Master Kenny Endo. He also served as the Youth Director of Endo's Taiko Center of the Pacific based in Honolulu. Baba studied taiko in Japan with Nihon Taiko Dojo and fue (Japanese bamboo flute) with Kyosuke Suzuki of the Wakayama School. Masato Baba has emerged as one of the most respected taiko artists in America. He is a pivotal member of highly acclaimed ON Ensemble. Masato is an original member of TAIKOPROJECT, served as their Musical Director and is now the Artistic Director of the multimedia theater company. Maz also is the lead instructor for several Los Angeles based taiko groups. Baba was also the lead coordinator of the successful "World Taiko Gathering" held in Los Angeles in 2014. Baba was featured in the DVD "Spirit of Taiko," a history of American taiko that focuses on 3 American taiko generations represented by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, Kenny Endo, and Masato Baba. Masato has performed at the 2009 Acadamy Awards, on The Voice, and with Alicia Keyes on "The X Factor”. Masato Baba is influencing and inspiring the growth of taiko, performing and conducting workshops across the country and around the world. With his parents, Masato is helping to establish and develop ShastaYama's growing reputation.