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Wow now I can say I performed at Carnegie Hall and I wouldn’t even be lying.  The concert version of Eric Whitacre’s Paradise Lost : Shadows and Wings was quite an event.  The choir was massive, the beats were massive, the soloist were amazing and much fun was had.

Yesterday I taught a workshop to Kaoru’s taiko center and we rehearsed for our upcoming gig at DROM.  I’m planning on spending the next couple of days seeing as much music and eating as much good food as I can.  Kaoru and his wife Mari have also got me hooked on Lost.  Though they are at the end of season 5  and I can’t really imagine anything being more confusing than starting to watch this show from this point.  I spend every episode confused beyond imagination but find the whole experience oddly compelling.

Holy moly!  Shoji and I got into New York Saturday night and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since.  The night we got in, we had and awesome dinner at Chevella’s with our awesome hosts and good friends, Kaoru and Mari.

The next day, we sat down and wrote out our scores for Paradise Lost.  I taught an Omiyage workshop at Kaoru’s school, the Kaoru Watanabe Taiko Center.  Shoji will be back at the school on Wednesday to fine tune the song.

Today, we had a rehearsal for Eric Whitacre’s Paradise Lost in which we perform in tomorrow at Carnegie Hall!  We didn’t really know what to expect, but today’s rehearsal was amazing.  There are over 400 singers in the choir, seven lead singers, Eric (the creator and conductor), Greg (musical director and DJ), Fang Fang (cello virtuoso), the narrator, and us.  I was overwhelmed by the power of 400 singers.  It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard.  Amazing…

Video doesn’t really do it justice, but here is a clip:  PLChoir

The musicians, Greg, Eric, the narrator, and the leads!  Come check out the concert tomorrow if you’re in NYC!

Maz and I are headed to New York this month!  First we will performing Tuesday June 15th at Carnegie Hall for the New York premiere of Eric Whitacre’s Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings.  We were lucky enough to work with Eric two years ago when he premiered Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings at the Boston Court Theater in Pasadena.  The New York performance will be the concert version which probably means no elaborate fight to the death angel battle scenes but it’ll be an experience none the less!

Then on Saturday June 19th at 9pm we’ll be performing with at DROM with Kaoru Watanabe (flutes and taiko), Yuka Yamamoto (vocals, ukele), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) and Barbara Merjan (drums and taiko) as a part of NakaNaka a performance series that Kaoru facilitates.  Should be a lot of fun!