Tonight we performed at the Asano Taiko 400th Anniversary Celebration opening concert.
There were some pretty amazing performances by a lot of wonderful performers, and it was humbling to be a part of it all. Opportunities like this are once-in-a-lifetime.
Kristy and I were joined by Megan, Aya and Chabo of Shidara, and we did an extended arrangement of Kokorozashi.
It was reasonably tight, but not as free nor as powerful as it could have been.
We were on beat. We hit all the breaks. The solos weren’t bad. It just wasn’t one of those 2%-everything-in-the-zone performances. That’d be the kind one would hope to pull off on a night like tonight…and most of the performers did. I don’t think I am being overly self-critical. It’s an honest assessment.
Then, too, this is Japan, and the calibre of the wadaiko that happens here is just so extremely great, one really has to put forth exceptional effort without holding anything back for the performance to hold its own, and give just a little bit more on top of that for the performance to stand out.
I am second-guessing myself. There were a lot of ways we could have arranged the piece, and maybe I didn’t make the right choices. Maybe…a lot of things. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t the best. All in all it was great, though…being here.
My heart is full of joy and gratitude.
Hi Tiffany, it was nice to meet you yesterday at Asano. By the way, you guys looked great at the opening concert. Whether you were “in the zone” or not, I know everyone enjoyed it. Hope you’ll have a safe trip home.