Thursday started off early as Maryll and I headed up to our practice space around 11:00 am to make sure everything was in order for our workshop and also to get our wrists nice and warmed up. While I warmed up with some of the drills I learned from 30 Days to Better Shime I couldn’t help but get more and more excited with each passing minute.
“I can’t believe Kris and Maz are going to be here soon!”
Dan Sanchez is a member of Icho Daiko in Cleveland and alongside Maryll Phillips, hosted a four-hour improvisation intensive with me and Maz on Jan 6. Dan is a really talented taiko player with infectious energy and enthusiasm. I found this awesome pic of him on the interwebs! Dan will be blogging about our recent workshop.
Welcome, Dan!
Our annual fund drive is currently under way with a host of exciting announcements and thank-you gifts!
Please consider making a New Year’s donation to On Ensemble’s InventiOn 2011 program; supporting the creation of new taiko music and public-school educational outreach programs!
Send to:
On Ensemble c/o Kris Bergstrom
2000 W 162nd St #100
Torrance CA 90504
InventiOn 2011 is On Ensemble’s ambitious program of new music and music sharing. Did you know that California is last in the nation for arts funding? Did you know that California students receive 40% less than the national average of arts and music education? We’re trying to change this!
For every $1000 we raise, On Ensemble will provide a hands-on taiko workshop to public school students!
InventiOn 2011 includes creative sessions with exciting artists as On Ensemble ramps up to our biggest performance yet, Taiko 2.0 at Cerritos Center.
Hello from Cleveland! We spent yesterday with Maryll and Dan of Icho Daiko doing a 4-hour improvisation intensive, focusing on taiko-set playing and slant-drum soloing. It was really, really fun! Maryll and Dan are really motivated and enthusiastic. Thank you guys!
It was Maz’ birthday yesterday. Everyone say, Happy Birthday, Maz! We went out to eat after the workshop, and were joined by three friends from a previous visit to Cleveland: Brittany, Nathan, and Bo. It was nice to have everyone together.
Becky at Cleveland’s About the Cake made this little vegan delight for us. Thank you, Becky!
Last night we spent the evening with a great high school friend of mine, Matt Watson. Maz got to see photos of me and Matt from engineering camp at Rose Hulman in 1994. Ah so many years of geekdom.
Today we taught two workshops to the wonderful folks of Fort Wayne Taiko! We did Slant Drum Form and Movement, as well as Bon Taiko Bonanza. It was 5 hours of drumming fun and everyone made a ton of progress. Thank you to Fort Wayne Taiko for the food, fun, and rhythms, and to Jackie for putting us up for the nights in Fort Wayne!
On our way Bloomington, we stopped to get gas in the middle of Missouri nowhere. We were shocked to realize it was the same little gas station of the “If you don’t know nothin’, I don’t know nothin’.” incident a few years back. Here’s the story.
Maz really needs to go to the bathroom so we pull off at the next available exit. There is nothing to our left, but to the right sits a lonely Conoco. “Thank goodness!” says Maz. Maz enters the station and glances around. “Which way is the bathroom?” The surly attendant replies with a monotonic drawl and a frown, “We ain’t had water here for 3 days.” Maz’ consternation is apparent so the attendant continues, “I been goin’ out back…” “Out back?” Maz asks. “On the buildin’…” There is a pause as Maz imagines peeing on the back of the building. With the same monotonic drawl, the attendant says, “If you don’t know nothin’, I don’t know nothin.” The immediacy of his need pushes Maz to take the advice. As he sheepishly makes his way back through the station to leave, the attendant says, “Come again.”
The attendant this time was a different person, equally surly. Still no water. No matter though, we had a little patch of ice to play on and our lunch included the anxiously awaited sprouts, so we were happy.
The drive through the Rockies from Moab to Denver was a little dicey at times. We used chains, but all the same, our front-wheel-drive van (with a relatively heavy trailer) struggled to get traction. On the last hill before the Eisenhower Tunnel, we spun the wheels going 10mph for a few tense minutes but somehow made it over the pass. Whew!
We spent New Year’s Eve with Aiko and her family in Denver. It was the perfect way to wind down, with healthy snacks, ping pong, and video games. Thank you Aiko, Yuuji, Matthew, and Connor!
Maz scores! from Kristofer Bergstrom on Vimeo.
After Denver we went to Yutan NE and met Lincoln Kokyo Taiko. We spent new year’s day playing bon taiko and eating Maureen’s mom’s osechi ryouri, the traditional Japanese new year’s foods. Everything was delicious, Emiko! It was a wonderful way to start 2011! Thank you Kokyo!
Today we did another bon taiko workshop… this time in Olathe KS with Ki Daiko and Three Trails Taiko. We had a fantastic time with Dianne, Keiko, and the whole gang. The enthusiasm was really energizing! Thank you, everyone!
