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We just finished adding new functionality to OnEnsemble.org! You can now share anything you find our website easily across the entire spectrum of social media outlets. At the bottom of each post and page you’ll find the “ShareThis” button which will allow you to post an update to pretty much any social media site you can imagine.

The big news is that we’ve completely revamped our Music page!  You can now listen to any track from any one of our albums and we’ve updated the music page with pretty much every live recording we have.  The live mp3s are even free to download!  In fact please download them because our sever isn’t really set up for streaming and this whole thing is a bit of an experiment.  More website updates coming!

Thanks to the generous contributions of 102 donors, the FoundatiOn Team has reached our 2009 goal of $10,000! We had an inspiring spurt toward the end, along with some of our largest donations ever, pushing the grand total to $11,445.51!  We did it!  YOU did it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!

You made Works in Progress, and eight, brand-new taiko compositions possible!

You have also brought taiko to dozens of public school students! As promised, On Ensemble will be providing 10 hands-on taiko workshops, free of charge to Glassell Park Elementary School!  For the past few months, we have been working with the principle to structure the program to provide maximum benefit to the 4th and 5th grade classes.  On Ensemble is extremely excited to help bring more arts education to public schools.  Did you know that California elementary students receive 35% less music and visual arts instruction than the national average?!  Thank you to the FoundatiOn Team for helping us do something about it!

From me personally also… thank you, thank you.  I am extremely moved by the incredible support On Ensemble receives.  Multiple times during the fund drive I found myself choked up, totally inspired by your generosity.  It means the world to me that so many of you value On Ensemble’s music, our efforts in the taiko world, and our work in the larger community.  Thank you, thank you.

Works In Progress ‘09 is done!  As usual we have many people to thank starting with our amazing guest artists Russel, Jeanne, Kaoru and David.  Another huge shout out goes out to Yoko for making us sound good and to our great volunteers Courtney and Tomomi, and Hiroka for cooking dinner for the crew!  Thank you to all of our friends, family and fans who sold-out the show and helped make this year’s Works In Progress our most successful to date.

Thank you to all of our FoundatiOn Team Donors!

We are close to our goal of $10,000! Read more here!

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!

This month Shoji will be traveling to Mongolia as part of the Khoomei-Taiko Ensemble, a collaboration featuring khoomei (throat singing), taiko, Japanese flutes, morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), Mongolian jaw harp, long song and matgaal (praise) songs.  The idea of a larger collaboration that would explore the cultural connections between Japan, Mongolia and the United States was born out of a 2007 collaborative performance between Kaoru (fue, noh kan), Shoji (throat singing, taiko) and Zulsar (throat singing, morin khuur) held at the American Museum of Natural History.

The Khoomei-Taiko Ensemble features Miki Maruta (koto) and Tetsuro Naito (taiko) from Japan, Khongorzul Ganbaatar (long song), Teserendorj Tseyen (praise song), Shinetsog Dorjnyam (khoomei singer) from Mongolia and Shoji Kameda (taiko throat singing) and Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese flutes and Khoomei-Taiko Ensemble Artistic Director) from the United States.

Khoomei-Taiko Ensemble 2009 Tour:
Thurs, Oct 8th – Japan Information & Cultural Center, Washington, DC
Fri, Oct 9th – John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
Fri, Oct 16th – Symphony Space, New York, NY
Sat, Oct 17th – Charles B. Wang Center Theatre, Stony Brook, NY
Sun, Oct 18th – Taiko Workshop with Tetsuro Naito, Japan Society, NY
Tues, Oct 20th – Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn, NY
Thurs, Oct 22nd – Japanese Music performance/converstaion, Wing Luke Asian Museum, Seattle, WA
Fri, Oct 23rd – Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee, Wenatchee, WA
Sun, Oct 25th – Town Hall Seattle, Seattle, WA

Not too often you get to put Chico and Mongolia in the same same sentence but that’s where On Ensemble members will be next!

Kris, Maz and Kelvin will be performing at the 16th Annual Chico World Music Festival held at Chico State University on Saturday September 19th at 1:00pm and 3:30pm.  The best part is that this is a FREE performance so be sure to catch them if you are in the area!

Meanwhile Shoji will be leaving for Mongolia to participate in the Khoomei-Taiko Ensemble a collaboration between musicians from Mongolia, Japan and United States.  More details soon!

This week we’ll be in Phoenix for the Western Arts Alliance Annual Conference.  We are represented by Cadence Arts Network at Exhibit #400.

Showcase schedule:
Affiliated Showcase:  Tuesday Sept 1st, 9:20pm – South Mountain Room, Downtown Sheraton
Juried Showcase:  Thursday Sept 3rd, 4:55pm – Stage West, Herberger Theatre Center
Affiliated Showcase:  Thursday Sept 3rd, 9:20pm – South Mountain Room, Downtown Sheraton

Our next performance will be a FREE outdoor concert at the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena.  Our performance is part of the Pavilion’s Free Music Under the Stars series that features a diverse line up of 30 concerts every Wednesday through Sunday for ten weeks!  Check out the Levitt Pavilion’s website for the full line-up.

Friday Aug 28th
8:00pm, FREE
Levitt Pavilion
Pasadena