Kelvin has been down to LA a few times now to work on new songs for our “Works In Progress ’09″ concert on December 12. We have all sorts of new stuff that’s fun and challenging. I’ve actually pulled out my old bass for this concert. It’s been so long, but I miss it. Here is a clip of Kelvin’s new song with him on vocals and guitar, Kris on taiko, and me on drumset.
Witness the debut of On Ensemble music! New instruments join the On Ensemble mix, including gamelan gongs and home-made electronic drums, in never-before-seen compositions by each of the group’s members. Artistic risk-taking and experimentation lead the way in On Ensemble’s most important performance of the year. With special guests Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer (Maz and Shoji’s first teachers) of Shasta Taiko and David Wells!
On Ensemble Presents: Works In Progress ’09
A concert of all new works featuring Russel Baba and Jeanne Mercer
December 12, 2009, 8:00pm
The Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Tickets: $25 available online at: Brown Paper Tickets or by phone at: 1-800-838-3006
FoundatiOn Team fund drive now underway!
Help us reach our goal of $10,000! Read more here!
Hi all! So, a few months ago, I posted a blog about TAIKOPROJECT looking for a warehouse. That particular warehouse didn’t work out, BUT Bryan found a new one down in Long Beach and signed the lease! It’s currently being renovated since it was basically a large space with nothing in it and it needs some work. That being said, go to TAIKOPROJECT’s website for information about the future Southern California’s only dedicated Taiko studio. Exciting!!!
Kris and I both taught workshops this past weekend in UCLA at Yukai Daiko’s Taiko Camp. Every year, before the school year starts, Yukai holds a taiko camp to which Kris and I both taught at last year as well. This year, I did one of my newer workshops called “How to Kiai Confidently While Playing Taiko”. Kiai are hard because it’s another thing added to the form of Taiko. You’ve got your stance, you’ve got your beats, you’ve got your movements, and then your kiai or vocal shouts. It was fun, but my voice was all tired from the day before at Chico! I was very impressed with Yukai this past year and I’m excited to see their advancements this year. Special thanks to Jessica and Isabella for organizing everything and to Danny for the following picture.
During Taiko Jam, Shoji thanked all of the taiko groups we stayed with during our crazy tours. From Seattle to St. Louis to Toronto to Boston (and all in-between), we have stayed in awesome homestays. We are forever grateful to those who have put us up. This time when we went to Phoenix, AZ for the WAA conference, Shoji and Kelvin stayed with Eileen and Patrick, and Kris and I stayed with Esther and Ken of Fushicho Daiko. We had a great time getting to know them. I’ve known Esther for a long time. She came up to Mt. Shasta to visit Shasta Taiko and Mark Miyoshi when Shoji and I were wee kids. Ken is a wonderful artist who has traveled the world playing his music and is a proud father of a wonderful kid who dubs himself Miro, “M-I-R-O”.
While Shoji and Kelvin spent time at WAA, I had a very rare experience which was shoe shopping with Kris Bergstrom! Everyone knows that Kris is a wonderful person, but has extreme traits like his veganism, chooses to only wear shorts, and he usually only shops for food, so shopping for shoes was a brand new experience for me!
Later on, Kris taught an introduction to his 30 Days to Better Shime program to members of Fushicho Daiko and members of their community groups. It’s a great program and you can download it for free on the above link.
Thank you Esther, Ken, and Fushicho Daiko for a wonderful time!
Bryan from TAIKOPROJECT has been obsessed with finding a warehouse for TAIKOPROJECT’s new home. We’re close. This might be it!
It’s a great space. It will take a bit of work to fix the place up to our satisfaction, but once it’s finished, this will be a great space to be in. Practices, rehearsals, small concerts, recordings, retreats… this will be a great resource! And hopefully On can help pitch in to use it too… =)
A taiko group always dreams of having a nice, big, open space. I hope this works out.
Last weekend Bryan from TAIKOPROJECT and I went to Japan to celebrate Asano’s 400th Year Anniversary. I can’t believe there has been a company (let alone a taiko company) that has survived for 400 years. Can you believe that?
The weekend was filled with performances, drum sales, merchandise sales, meeting many taiko people, and a reception. Congratulations Julia Asano!
Here’s Bryan in front of a huge odaiko. At the end of the weekend, there was a fun odaiko jam where we got to play this odaiko. It was probably the biggest taiko I’ve ever hit in my life and in the process, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, lead odaiko player from Kodo, lent me his odaiko bachi and I totally broke one! I’ve never done that before. Maybe I should take lessons from him…
After Tahoe, we had a nice stopover in Placerville. We had no idea where Placerville was or what to expect. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise! It was an old, quaint town with lots of character. The Cozmic Cafe was a great place. Good food and good people. Thanks to Chris for bringing us out and thank you to Jazz and Dan for housing us in your beautiful home!
The next morning, we drove to Stanford University, Kris and Shoji’s alma mater. Kris taught a timing workshop to Stanford Taiko. What a great bunch of kids! They learn so fast. After the workshop, we had lunch together and Blair, one of the members, asked Kris what his major was. Kris said he majored in English, but the joke was that all of the Blair’s teachers still talk about how Kris and Shoji’s major was taiko!
