Back in from the performance in Chico last night and a few of us, including Mitsuru-san, are in the Sac Taiko Dojo waiting to be able to check them in to their hotels for the evening.
Now, we have this old practice koto that was donated to the group by Ed Jestes after his wife, Toshiko, passed away. Mitsuru-san asked if he could take it out of its case and then he proceeded to set it up, tune it and play it. This koto is an inexpensive practice instrument, yet he played it lovingly…starting with (a bit of an amped up version of) sakura, then re-tuning it and playing something that sounded almost like arirang, and re-tuning it again and playing improvisationally.
Watching him move the individual bridges as he plays is a profound experience, and it struck me that aside from a mastery of music theory he’s also a master of *string theory* — not in the literal (physics) sense, but in another sense that also has a lot to do with physics and/or the physical and tonal properties of strings.
One of the best parts of life as a performing artist is occasionally getting to spend time around artists and musicians like him. He brought a 20-string koto with him from Japan and the music he creates while playing it is astounding…sublime…wild…(insert your own superlative here). Getting a chance to hear him and to watch him at every show, and here in my own dojo…that’s just an incredible blessing. He remarked that getting a chance to play this 13-stringed koto was a treat for him, as it’s been a long time since he’s played one…and joked a little about the hardness of the strings and the possibility of playing it until his fingers bled as his plectrums were packed away with the rest of the instruments in the Tour Truck.
My mind snapped back to the time Hachin-san (a Shidara staff member) had spoken of a drum that was surely happy because someone who played it had evoked such powerful sound from it, and I was thinking pretty much the same thing about this koto…that this koto…or the spirit of this koto…must surely be happy to be played so lovingly.
I am always torn when I see an instrument on display and think it’s a bit sad to see one in a case behind glass, because it was made and meant to be played. This koto isn’t locked away, but it is not often used. It is here so that any member with an interest would have an instrument to use if they wanted to learn to play, but there hasn’t been a lot of time for folks to pursue anything beyond taiko…but if for no other reason, it was here today and it brought joy to someone who delighted in playing it and who created incredible music with it. That’s a special little bit of serendipity.
* * * * *
The audience in Chico last night was a bit less energetic than most others up ’til now, which is odd in a way because the energy of the performers was at a peak I hadn’t seen until last night.
There’s a flow to touring and, while every show is *good* at this level of performing, some days are higher energy days. A lot has to do with the touring conditions and the pacing of the schedule. Sometimes it’s just about mood, though. The mood last night was very genki.
We are coming off of seeing the Grand Canyon and being in Moab and the cultural exchange with the Dineh Tah’ Navajo Dance group from New Mexico.
That exchange was somewhat logistically complicated from an organizational standpoint, but ended up being a very touching and magical experience for the Shidara members and staff.
While Moab Taiko folks had set up the event, Dineh Tah’ acted as hosts welcoming Shidara, blessing them and the tour and the instruments.
I don’t have words to describe what I felt and how I felt being a part of this and watching them dance. This tour has been full of moments like this, but so far I think this particular experience moved me the most. I am especially grateful for the chance to meet Shawn Price, though very briefly. I hope to have a chance to talk with him again some day.
Most of the Shidara members are teaching workshops today at the Emeryville Taiko studio. The schedule this weekend is pretty intense. They come back to Sac and we whisk them over to the State Fair where they will perform at the main stage with Sacramento Taiko Dan. Then it’s back to Los Angeles and then back up for the performance in Santa Rosa and the last concert here in Sac. We pack up the drums and head to SF and ship everything out and then they are on a plane home and back to their normal (grueling) schedule.
I have about a week at home before things get crazy for me again. Taiko Camp, then off to Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island for the start of the 2-week Saihou Kotengu residency for the Old Schoolhouse (including a tour of lower mainland BC).
Saihou Kotengu works closely with Imafuku Yu’s group, Iwami no Kaze. Imafuku-san is a former Ondekoza member and he has been spending a lot of time doing Kagura as well as Taiko. I wish I could hook him up with the Dineh Tah’ group, too…so many people who interact with the sacred as a part of their daily lives and artistry…if I was a bit more insane I’d try to bring them all together.
I’m not that insane any more.
Which is not to say I’m all that sane, either. I’ll get a few days in Portland on my way back down to Sacramento before I leave for Matsuyama & Hachijo-jima. All of that takes me right up to November, which I have not one clue about with regards to scheduling, except I need to try to get to MN to hook up with the Mu Daiko folks earlier than later in the month, and ITF is happening and I always have that down in the calendar, and then back to MN in December. Taikoza is prolly going to Russia Dec 1-12 and I might have gone but I can’t make that tour because I’m in MN that first weekend of Dec. I am off to Moab in January, there’ll be a workshop tour with Chabo in February, then I am back in Vancouver in March, Moab again in April then probably off to Sadogashima for the Kasuga Matsuri.
In the midst of all that I’ll be turning 40, though I probably won’t have time to notice or process it.
I’m actually looking forward to this birthday, have been since I was about 9.
But I digress. I am still Taiko Baka, and pretty much everything I do and everything I am about is *making good taiko happen* as best I can. It’s my greatest vice and my greatest passion. Being able to help bring Shidara to the US for this tour is such a great thing, though. Their stuff is so great I’ve had tears in my eyes at every performance. My students who get a chance to see them get a chance to see some of what is ultimately possible with this instrument and art form. Heck…anybody who sees them will.
It’s all so pure and so passionate it makes me happy just to be alive.