Workshop With Yukai Daiko
Kris and I held workshops yesterday with Yukai Daiko. Yukai has always been so supportive to On Ensemble and TAIKOPROJECT. Thanks to Yuta Kato, the founder of Yukai and former member of both On and TP, they have always been there for us when we need help at our concerts. So, in return for those favors, we hope to give workshops to them from time to time. Thank you Yukai!
We had a great time performing at the Oceanside Public Library’s 2008 World Music Series! It was a great sounding theater and a great audience. A big thank you goes out to Kristine, Deborah and the Friend’s of the Oceanside Public Library for their help in bringing us to their community.
Also thank you to everybody who came out to see our performance. It was especially nice to see members of UCSD Asayake Taiko at the performance. We connected with Asayake Taiko at the Collegiate Taiko Invitational this year. On Ensemble was paired with Asayake Taiko for a master class session and we were particularly impressed with their energy and eagerness to learn and improve. Also a shout out to Stanford Taiko’s Elle who keeps showing up at On Ensemble events this summer!
Stanford Taiko went on a massive three week tour with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, Stanford CHamber Chorale, Stanford Choral Union and the St. Lawrence String Quartet early this summer. Stories and pictures from the tour are featured in this month’s Stanford Magazine. How cool is that? I know I’m starting to sound like an old man but back when Kris and I were in Stanford Taiko there were no international tours and we had to haul drums 300 feet in the cold California winters just to practice…
Tickets for ON ’08: YOBU, our fifth annual home concert are now on sale! This year’s concert will be held at the Aratani/Japan America Theater in downtown Los Angeles, on Saturday November 8th.
YOBU is extra special for us because Kris will be receiving his natori for nagauta shamisen! Kris’ sensei Kineya Katsuyukie will be flying from Japan to perform with Kris in his natori debut. Getting a natori (professional stage name) from a nagauta school is a big deal. There are only few artists in the United States with a natori in nagauta and the only taiko player in the United States with a natori is the legendary taiko pioneer Kenny Endo. We’re very proud of Kris as he makes a bit of taiko history and hope you’ll be there to celebrate with us!
ON ’08 : YOBU
Saturday, November 8th, 8pm
Aratani/Japan America Theater
244 S San Pedro St
Los Angeles CA 90012
Box Office: (213) 680-3700
$30 Orchestra/$25 Balcony
$25/$20 for JACCC Members, Seniors, Students, and Groups of 10+
I’d really like to thank Maz for the iBook G4 computer. This brings me one step closer to being creative with compositions and recording, and staying more in the loop with the band since I’m far away in Ashland, Oregon.
Kelvin
I didn’t watch the VMAs this year but heard that Kanye West sang his new song “Love Lockdown” with a bunch of taiko players as backup from Danny this morning. I searched the web and found the video but couldn’t find anything about who the taiko players were. According to Maz it was members from Zendeko and Kishin so I went to their website but couldn’t find any information… Can anyone confirm who it was?
Anyways, more great exposure for taiko! Seems like there is taiko everywhere these days! Great job to whoever was involved, it was a cool concept. Kanye West with back-up taiko robots… very cool.
Kaoru Watanabe
On Ensemble’s good friend and amazing Japanese flutist, Kaoru Watanabe, will be performing in Los Angeles. On Sept 13 and 14, he’ll be performing new works at:
Saturday, September 13, 8pm
Sunday, September 14, 7pm
Rosalie & Alva’s Performance Gallery
1417 W. Eighth Street, San Pedro, CA 90732
Admission: $15 at the door
For reservations, email YearofQi@yahoo.com or call (310) 408-2020
Visit www.LeeWangDance.org/calendar.html
On Sept 19, Kaoru will be performing as part of Mare Serenitatis, a multimedia performance produced by Hirokazu Kosaka. Mr Kosaka was my boss when I worked at the JACCC and is extremely creative. I’m sure this is going to be a great show!
I started doing a bit of research about the second half of the mobile-dream-home equation — parking the trailer home on an actual lot and tying it into the standard utilities. The idea is that after spending a number of years in trailer parks getting a sense for the general livability of the house and livability of the town, we’d buy an actual lot and put the trailer home there. The question is:
Do land-use restrictions make this illegal?
Along with performances in the Minneapolis area and Winnipeg, On Ensemble will be visiting taiko groups along the route and offering a number of taiko workshops! If you’re a taiko player in or around any of the following cities, please let us know if you’re interested in a workshop or private lesson!
On Ensemble taiko workshops coming to:
Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Lincoln, St Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Winnipeg