"You are one crazy a** son of a b..." That's what's what I said to myself as I waited in the airport terminal for my Narita-bound flight out of the Los Angeles International Airport. The realization that I'd be leaving the country for the better part of my post-college life was dawning upon me. This would be my last time in the US for a very long period of time. Few words can describe the feeling of simultaneous excitement and sheer panic when one comes to such a realization. I was mentally torn in two opposite directions, and I all I could do was continue walking toward my plane. There's no turning back, and you know what...that's a good thing.
I'm beginning to embark on what must be the biggest (and craziest) move of my life- an indeterminately length stay in Japan with a perceived minimum number of years to stay and no maximum; a move to a country that I spent a maximum of 5 months in; a move to a culture I am only vaguely familiar with and with a language I haven't effectively spoken in 3 years; a move to a place where I have no job and no visa; and a move to a place where I am welcoming all of these challenges with a beginner's sense of confidence, excitement, and optimism. The number of possibilities and the unpredictability of my future is incredible- scary, but incredible. There are so many opportunities for failure, misdirection, personal decline, and yet opportunities to succeed, learn, and grow.
When I tell people that I'm going to Japan they say that's great. When I tell them I'm going without a job, without a visa, and not much more than a place to stay, the smile wipes from their face and they call me crazy. While I do admit that this move is pretty crazy, it's something that I've wanted and looked forward to ever since l ended my study abroad in Kyoto and Tokyo 3 years ago. To me, my next several years in Japan might be among the most meaningful in my post college life. Rather than list the seemingly endless number of possibilities of why, I'll just focus on two- culture and taiko.
I've wanted to study abroad in Japan ever since I was in high school. I finally got the opportunity to do it my junior year in college through Stanford's Kyoto SCTI study abroad program- a 5-month-long experience filled with Japanese studies, complete immersion into Japanese culture, and an internship in Tokyo. I gained so much from the experience and to this day, consider it the best experience of my life. It sounds melodramatic, I know, but it's in all honesty, completely true. However, there was one problem with the experience...it was too short. As quickly as I had boarded the plane, the experience ended, and I could only think of how I wanted to go back. Living in Japan gave me the unparalleled opportunity to experience the cultural part of me I only knew through hearsay and speculation. Growing up as a fourth-generation Japanese American provides a serious handicap to staying in touch with one's cultural roots. Exposure to Japanese culture is minimal, and that which is experienced has been filtered and watered down over four generations of brewing in America's melting pot. However, my experience in Japan only scratched the surface of my cultural understanding and my Japanese was only beginning to become comfortable. Living in Japan will be an opportunity to finish what I started and to fully discover and immerse myself in the cultural part of me long unknown and longing to be known.
The second reason probably seems like a no-brainer. Taiko. Duh. Japan is the birth-place of the art form I know, love, and want to pursue professionally. If taiko weren't a reason to go then this blog wouldn't even exist in the first place- this is, afterall, a blog about my experiences and trials toward "taiko enlightenment". But my reason for going to Japan to study taiko isn't quite as simple as just learning from the masters who helped shape the art form or gaining the necessary skills to feel comfortable pursuing this as a profession. While, yes, those reasons are included, one of the big reasons to study taiko in Japan is perspective. Yes, perspective. My taiko experience up until now has been primarily limited to kumi-daiko, the ensemble form of taiko most commonly seen and developed only 50 years ago. While I did have the fortune of experiencing some of the traditional and neo-traditional aspects of taiko while in Hawaii, really seeing the full view of traditional taiko that has influenced so much of Kenny Endo Sensei's music will give me the big taiko picture. I want to see and understand the broad spectrum of taiko that exists to map out where I can take the art form.
Having worked as a graphic designer and visual artist for many years (both professionally and not-so professionally), I've come to realize that researching what else exists in the realm of your art and design is an essential part to creating new ideas. Inspiration comes from many sources and often times existing work in your field can spring board new ideas or even more successful ones. Taiko is no different. As a musician, I've realized that the music I create is heavily influenced by the music I know, listen to, and understand. Having the broadest range of music that falls under such a category gives me more influences to draw upon for inspiration- ultimately giving me many colors to paint an expression of self through music that is new and unique.
So...this brings me back to the airplane, the plane ticket, and that simultaneous feeling of excitement and fear. Japan represents both of those to me. Fear of failure, of what I may discover, and of the challenges ahead, And yet... excitement for all of them and what I can learn from every failure, every discovery, and every challenge. Now, more than ever, I'm going into my next adventure with a beginner's mind.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Birthday Love
Well, April 18th has come and gone, and while it seemed really short (as all good things do), it was great! Now, when I begin to tell you exactly what my birthday consisted of, you're going to probably be thinking, "you're birthday was great?" Don't believe me? Well here is what my birthday primarily consisted of.
Work.
Yes, work. Me sitting in front of computer all day and currently now at night. Of course I did get up, eat, take a nap, check my email, and do some other stuff, but it mainly consisted of me working. Now...its not totally bad. Working means that I'm making money, because my job does, afterall, depend on how busy I am to be making any sort of real money (because I work as a freelance designer). So...being not busy is not really good (even though its good for relaxation) because it means that I'm in the poor house. But of course, working on your birthday isn't all that great either.
So...you're probably asking now, "You're birthday was great?" I told you, you would. And no, work did not make my birthday great. But I will tell you what did. Friends. My birthday doesn't so much remind me of how old I am, but more of how many friends I have, and how grateful I am to have so many friends. I received an unbelievable number of facebook wallposts and messages, emails, text messages, and phone calls from friends I speak to often, and those who I haven't spoken to in a long while, and everyone's well wishes really reminded me of how lucky I am to have so many friends in my life. My friends are really what made my birthday great (not the work), so thank you to everyone for sending so much aloha my way.
Of course...there is also one other thing that made my birthday great...dinner with my landlord. Now unless you know Andy, you're probably really thinking, "okay, this guy has been spending too much time in front of the computer. Dinner with your landlord?!?" But that's right folks, my landlord Andy, probably the best landlord I will EVER have, took me out to a fantastic dinner at Alan Wong's "The Pineapple Room" in the esteemed Ala Moana shopping center. To roughly sum up the expensive meal, I ate a fantastic Kiawe grilled steak, a pear salad, some sort of chocolate desert I can't remember the name of (but was incredibly delicious), martinis, wine, cognac, and some awesome Kau coffee. The dessert was actually compliments of the restaurant because it was my birthday, and they even wrote "happy birthday Adam" on the plate!" All in all, a fantastic meal, with my fantastic landlord, and my (of course) fantastic housemates (David and Kelsey).
So, even though I spent most of my day working, I really couldn't have asked for a whole lot more on my birthday. (okay...maybe I could've asked for no work to do) Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate and love you all!
P.S. I really need to start getting some posts with pictures, don't I? =P
Work.
Yes, work. Me sitting in front of computer all day and currently now at night. Of course I did get up, eat, take a nap, check my email, and do some other stuff, but it mainly consisted of me working. Now...its not totally bad. Working means that I'm making money, because my job does, afterall, depend on how busy I am to be making any sort of real money (because I work as a freelance designer). So...being not busy is not really good (even though its good for relaxation) because it means that I'm in the poor house. But of course, working on your birthday isn't all that great either.
So...you're probably asking now, "You're birthday was great?" I told you, you would. And no, work did not make my birthday great. But I will tell you what did. Friends. My birthday doesn't so much remind me of how old I am, but more of how many friends I have, and how grateful I am to have so many friends. I received an unbelievable number of facebook wallposts and messages, emails, text messages, and phone calls from friends I speak to often, and those who I haven't spoken to in a long while, and everyone's well wishes really reminded me of how lucky I am to have so many friends in my life. My friends are really what made my birthday great (not the work), so thank you to everyone for sending so much aloha my way.
Of course...there is also one other thing that made my birthday great...dinner with my landlord. Now unless you know Andy, you're probably really thinking, "okay, this guy has been spending too much time in front of the computer. Dinner with your landlord?!?" But that's right folks, my landlord Andy, probably the best landlord I will EVER have, took me out to a fantastic dinner at Alan Wong's "The Pineapple Room" in the esteemed Ala Moana shopping center. To roughly sum up the expensive meal, I ate a fantastic Kiawe grilled steak, a pear salad, some sort of chocolate desert I can't remember the name of (but was incredibly delicious), martinis, wine, cognac, and some awesome Kau coffee. The dessert was actually compliments of the restaurant because it was my birthday, and they even wrote "happy birthday Adam" on the plate!" All in all, a fantastic meal, with my fantastic landlord, and my (of course) fantastic housemates (David and Kelsey).
So, even though I spent most of my day working, I really couldn't have asked for a whole lot more on my birthday. (okay...maybe I could've asked for no work to do) Thank you everyone!! I really appreciate and love you all!
P.S. I really need to start getting some posts with pictures, don't I? =P
Monday, March 24, 2008
The 56th Cherry Blossom Festival Ball (aka, Cherry Blossom Festival Ball Round 2)
So...my last really eventful post (before this past one), was about the Cherry Blossom Festival....and strangely enough, a full year has gone by and we're here again- The Cherry Blossom Festival Ball.
To my surprise, if you type "Cherry Blossom Festival Ball Hawaii" into your Google search window, my blog post from last year comes up 2nd!!! One of the contestants from this year actually mentioned to me that she read my blog post from last year to get an idea of how formal the event is so her boyfriend could dress appropriately. Incidentally, she also also read about my mismatching shoe debacle from last year. =P
But that was not to occur this year!! I checked, double-checked, and triple-checked those shoe bags to ensure that I had the proper shoes with me, and I even came extra prepared with a change of watches, hair gel, toothbrush, and cologne. I was completely ready for the event this time. But before I begin my explanation of the event itself, a little backstory is needed. Gather 'round my children, papa has a story for you.
When I arrived in Hawaii in January one year ago, I was not only greeted by the humid Hawaiian weather, but also a whole group of beautiful young ladies. Okay, okay, so it's not exactly as picture perfect as you are probably imagining, but its not too far from the truth either. On my first evening in Hawaii, I was picked up from the airport and taken straight to taiko practice, where the 55th Cherry Blossom Queen Contestants were receiving an introduction to taiko.
So, one year later, its already come back to that time of year. Starting in January, the new group of 15 Cherry Blossom Queen Contestants began their 10 workshops of taiko training for the opening number of the festival ball. Its really "natsukashii" (Japanese word meaning something close to "nostalgic") to be going through this experience again and to be teaching Sakura Mikoshi (which I admittedly had forgotten despite having helped write it).
The girls began their taiko journey in mid January through a series of weekly Wednesday workshops (10 total) to (in very crash-course fashion) learn some history about taiko, the basics of playing, and learn the piece which they would perform in front of their friends, family, and an audience numbering in the hundreds as the opening number for the Cherry Blossom Festival Ball. The girls were all very dedicated, and great to teach because they were so eager to learn and to improve, even if they would never play taiko again after the end of the workshops. Even though our lessons technically were supposed to go from 8:00pm to 9:15pm or so, we would frequently stay until around 9:45, not because we forced the girls to, but because they wanted to run the piece one more time, or wanted one more chance to get a part right.
The workshops flew by quickly, and before we knew it, it was the end of March and we were rehearsing in the ballroom where the festival ball would be taking place. The festival ball took place at the Sheraton Waikiki, the flagship hotel of the several Sheratons throughout Waikiki, and one of the largest hotels in Waikiki. The ballroom was among the largest in the hotel, with high ceilings, and chandeliers with red accent lighting. The stage was very prominent at the back of the room (and also very wide), and draped with black curtains. It was simple, and even more minimalist than the previous year, but very elegant for the most elegant and grand of Cherry Blossom Festival events.
Now, before I continue any further, I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, "yes, this story is nice, but where are the pictures of the girls?!" Unfortunately my friends, I didn't bring my camera (which has now been replaced with an older version of the model I formally owned) to any of the events or practices, but you can see the contestants on the Cherry Blossom website here
As you can imagine, the girls looked stunning for the evening of the ball. Each of the girls was decked out with professionally done hair and make-up, and had a lineup of western formal evening gowns and Japanese Kimono to wear for the evening. However, despite looking so beautiful, the girls were nervous (and rightfully so given the lineup of things they had ahead of them for the evening). So, before we got on stage for Sakura Mikoshi, I held a short focus session as I had done one year prior to calm the girls and get them mentally prepared for the big evening ahead of them.
After a wait (which seemed like forever) we finally got on stage, the lights went up, the announcer began his introductory speech, and we began the piece. Despite having only had 10 practices to learn and perform the piece, despite their nervousness, despite all of the things that were running through their minds, despite the crazy club-esque lighting going on, and even despite a couple dropped sticks (which were recovered very well), the girls performed beautifully. Everything came together with so much energy and enthusiasm that I can really only say as their teacher that I was proud of them for what they accomplished in such a short time.
It was great getting to know the girls over the course of the 10 weeks, and really see them for than just a pretty face, but as deep people with great ambitions and cute, unique personalities. Its unfortunate that only a select number of them can make it to the court (because I'm rooting for all of them), but for their effort and growth, and I think they all won.
Its been great getting to go through this process a second time, and it'll definitely be something that I'll remember for some time to come (...and not just because I was working with pretty girls...although that does help jog the memory). Congratulations to the new Cherry Blossom Court! ..and for my readers...sorry for the lack of pictures. =P
To my surprise, if you type "Cherry Blossom Festival Ball Hawaii" into your Google search window, my blog post from last year comes up 2nd!!! One of the contestants from this year actually mentioned to me that she read my blog post from last year to get an idea of how formal the event is so her boyfriend could dress appropriately. Incidentally, she also also read about my mismatching shoe debacle from last year. =P
But that was not to occur this year!! I checked, double-checked, and triple-checked those shoe bags to ensure that I had the proper shoes with me, and I even came extra prepared with a change of watches, hair gel, toothbrush, and cologne. I was completely ready for the event this time. But before I begin my explanation of the event itself, a little backstory is needed. Gather 'round my children, papa has a story for you.
When I arrived in Hawaii in January one year ago, I was not only greeted by the humid Hawaiian weather, but also a whole group of beautiful young ladies. Okay, okay, so it's not exactly as picture perfect as you are probably imagining, but its not too far from the truth either. On my first evening in Hawaii, I was picked up from the airport and taken straight to taiko practice, where the 55th Cherry Blossom Queen Contestants were receiving an introduction to taiko.
So, one year later, its already come back to that time of year. Starting in January, the new group of 15 Cherry Blossom Queen Contestants began their 10 workshops of taiko training for the opening number of the festival ball. Its really "natsukashii" (Japanese word meaning something close to "nostalgic") to be going through this experience again and to be teaching Sakura Mikoshi (which I admittedly had forgotten despite having helped write it).
The girls began their taiko journey in mid January through a series of weekly Wednesday workshops (10 total) to (in very crash-course fashion) learn some history about taiko, the basics of playing, and learn the piece which they would perform in front of their friends, family, and an audience numbering in the hundreds as the opening number for the Cherry Blossom Festival Ball. The girls were all very dedicated, and great to teach because they were so eager to learn and to improve, even if they would never play taiko again after the end of the workshops. Even though our lessons technically were supposed to go from 8:00pm to 9:15pm or so, we would frequently stay until around 9:45, not because we forced the girls to, but because they wanted to run the piece one more time, or wanted one more chance to get a part right.
The workshops flew by quickly, and before we knew it, it was the end of March and we were rehearsing in the ballroom where the festival ball would be taking place. The festival ball took place at the Sheraton Waikiki, the flagship hotel of the several Sheratons throughout Waikiki, and one of the largest hotels in Waikiki. The ballroom was among the largest in the hotel, with high ceilings, and chandeliers with red accent lighting. The stage was very prominent at the back of the room (and also very wide), and draped with black curtains. It was simple, and even more minimalist than the previous year, but very elegant for the most elegant and grand of Cherry Blossom Festival events.
Now, before I continue any further, I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, "yes, this story is nice, but where are the pictures of the girls?!" Unfortunately my friends, I didn't bring my camera (which has now been replaced with an older version of the model I formally owned) to any of the events or practices, but you can see the contestants on the Cherry Blossom website here
As you can imagine, the girls looked stunning for the evening of the ball. Each of the girls was decked out with professionally done hair and make-up, and had a lineup of western formal evening gowns and Japanese Kimono to wear for the evening. However, despite looking so beautiful, the girls were nervous (and rightfully so given the lineup of things they had ahead of them for the evening). So, before we got on stage for Sakura Mikoshi, I held a short focus session as I had done one year prior to calm the girls and get them mentally prepared for the big evening ahead of them.
After a wait (which seemed like forever) we finally got on stage, the lights went up, the announcer began his introductory speech, and we began the piece. Despite having only had 10 practices to learn and perform the piece, despite their nervousness, despite all of the things that were running through their minds, despite the crazy club-esque lighting going on, and even despite a couple dropped sticks (which were recovered very well), the girls performed beautifully. Everything came together with so much energy and enthusiasm that I can really only say as their teacher that I was proud of them for what they accomplished in such a short time.
It was great getting to know the girls over the course of the 10 weeks, and really see them for than just a pretty face, but as deep people with great ambitions and cute, unique personalities. Its unfortunate that only a select number of them can make it to the court (because I'm rooting for all of them), but for their effort and growth, and I think they all won.
Its been great getting to go through this process a second time, and it'll definitely be something that I'll remember for some time to come (...and not just because I was working with pretty girls...although that does help jog the memory). Congratulations to the new Cherry Blossom Court! ..and for my readers...sorry for the lack of pictures. =P
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm Aliiiiiive!!!!!!!
Yes folks, this blog has just been resurrected from the grave like a zombie out of (insert favorite zombie movie title here). Its been a long, long, looooooong, time in coming, but this blog is out retirement and back in action like Rocky Balboa and Michael Jordon (but hopefully a better comeback than the previously mentioned names). So enough with the analogies, what's been going on since the last time I wrote?!
So...I'll do this in as brief a manner as possible. Which may or may not be possible given that its really hard to put a whole year's worth of events into a single (hopefully concise) post. But here's my attempt:
Since my last uneventful post, quite a bit has happened. I've acquired a moped out here in Hawaii, which has been a very very good investment. I purchased the vehicle from a store only a few blocks toward Waikiki from our house for $650. Unfortunately, after purchasing the $120 lock (because moped theft is one of the highest crimes in Hawaii), the vehicle registration, etc, etc, the cost of the machine went to somewhere around $800. After a few early problems, its been great! Its great to have a means of getting around the island. It provides an unbelievable amount of freedom and independence, even if I can't go on the freeway or go faster than 33 mph. =P
As you can probably guess, I've also played a whole lot of taiko since my last post. I'm a teacher of the Beginning II class at the taiko school here, and I also assist the Beginning 1 class that Sensei teaches. As far as performances go, I've been to quite a few places now. I've actually now been to every island in Hawaii except for two, one which used to be a military bombing site (and thus no one lives there), and the other you can only go to by invitation (and they only speak Hawaiian on this island). So...where have I been? Let's see...Oahu (I live here, so...duh), Kauai (beautiful place, rainiest spot on earth is here), Maui (great Chocolate factory here called "Maui Specialty Chocolates" and also a great youth taiko group called Zenshin Daiko [whose leader runs the chocolate factory]), Molokai (there's only one stop light on the entire island, famous for "sweet bread"), Lanai (two very, very, very exclusive hotels here. Bill Gates "rented" the island for his wedding...yes, the whole island), and the Big Island (has every major climate zone in the world, yes...even snow). I was actually just on the Big Island for the much referred to Big Island Tour that I went on last year. I was also on Maui for a short corporate gig, and on Kauai for less than 8 hours for two school performances.
KETE (Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble) had a big concert in front of the Hawaii State Art Museum on Nov. 2, 2007, where we played a slew of 20 minute sets in a span of less than 3 hours. It was a great concert, and we even played one of my pieces, which you can view by clicking here .
We actually another big concert coming up on June 27th at the Hawaii Theater (big performance venue in Hawaii) that we'll be sharing with a group from LA called Taiko Project . It should be a great show with several new pieces, and a new arrangement of my 3 Sizzlin' Beets piece with...4 people!
I'll also be going on my first Mainland tour from April 20th - 28th in Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan! I'm really looking forward to the experience, and preparing as much as much as possible for the concerts we'll be doing over there. I'll hopefully have the chance to actually perform "Symmetrical Soundscapes" (you can view Taiko Project performing the piece by clicking here ), one of my favorite of compositions of Sensei's since I was a child. Its always been my dream to perform this stage, and I will hopefully have the opportunity to do so on this tour.
Outside of taiko, I spent a lot of time with activities related to a non-profit called Volunteers in Asia (VIA) . I spent the past two summers involved in a program called American Language and Culture (ALC), a really great language and culture exchange program for students from Taiwan and Japan. These students spend a month at Stanford living in the Stanford dorms and taking English and American culture classes, while Stanford students (or ex-Stanford students like myself) plan activities for them and act as "hosts". I visited students from my ALC experience in Taiwan and Japan in June last year for two weeks, and I spent my July and August participating in the program again as a senior staff member with my good friend David Wells. I'll actually be participating in the program again (which most people can't believe) for my third and final time this summer as a senior staff member again.
As far as work related activities are concerned, (which aren't terribly exciting), I've actually started my own business as a freelance graphic and web designer (so let me know if you need web or graphic design work done). Its great working for myself- I get to wake up at noon and go to bed at 4am. =P I also get to do every taiko activity out here possible (which is the whole reason why I came out here). The only problem is that I have to spend most of my waking hours working on projects when I'm not playing taiko (which makes the experience feel a lot like school), and I'm not really making any sort of regular income.
To assist the regular income problem, I actually started working as a part-time after school teacher at a local high school in Hawaii through the Pacific Asian Affairs Council (PAAC). I never, EVER thought I'd be a teacher (especially when I was still in school), let alone a high school teacher. I've always had a great deal of respect for teachers, but after being a "real" teacher I must say that I have infinitely more respect than I already had for all teachers out there. It is NOT easy work. And its quite stressful (even though I only teach on Mondays and Wednesdays!). You have to constantly think about the material that you're going to teach your class, and worry about the effectiveness of your teaching, and if the students are actually learning or being receptive of what you're teaching. The experience was really stressful for me at the beginning, but now that I've been doing this, its starting to get a lot easier. The experience is definitely a great learning experience for me though, and I have sooooooo much respect for teachers. So, so, so much respect.
Still with me over there? So that's what I've been doing and have been up to in a very, very small nutshell. My apologies for the lack of pictures. My camera was unfortunately lost on my last Big Island Tour, but I'll try to make more "visual" posts in the future for those of you who (like me) don't have the attention-span to stare at a page full of letters and words.
So...I'm back in action now!! Look forward to my next post on the 2008 Cherry Blossom Festival pageant ball! Yay for pretty girls!
So...I'll do this in as brief a manner as possible. Which may or may not be possible given that its really hard to put a whole year's worth of events into a single (hopefully concise) post. But here's my attempt:
Since my last uneventful post, quite a bit has happened. I've acquired a moped out here in Hawaii, which has been a very very good investment. I purchased the vehicle from a store only a few blocks toward Waikiki from our house for $650. Unfortunately, after purchasing the $120 lock (because moped theft is one of the highest crimes in Hawaii), the vehicle registration, etc, etc, the cost of the machine went to somewhere around $800. After a few early problems, its been great! Its great to have a means of getting around the island. It provides an unbelievable amount of freedom and independence, even if I can't go on the freeway or go faster than 33 mph. =P
As you can probably guess, I've also played a whole lot of taiko since my last post. I'm a teacher of the Beginning II class at the taiko school here, and I also assist the Beginning 1 class that Sensei teaches. As far as performances go, I've been to quite a few places now. I've actually now been to every island in Hawaii except for two, one which used to be a military bombing site (and thus no one lives there), and the other you can only go to by invitation (and they only speak Hawaiian on this island). So...where have I been? Let's see...Oahu (I live here, so...duh), Kauai (beautiful place, rainiest spot on earth is here), Maui (great Chocolate factory here called "Maui Specialty Chocolates" and also a great youth taiko group called Zenshin Daiko [whose leader runs the chocolate factory]), Molokai (there's only one stop light on the entire island, famous for "sweet bread"), Lanai (two very, very, very exclusive hotels here. Bill Gates "rented" the island for his wedding...yes, the whole island), and the Big Island (has every major climate zone in the world, yes...even snow). I was actually just on the Big Island for the much referred to Big Island Tour that I went on last year. I was also on Maui for a short corporate gig, and on Kauai for less than 8 hours for two school performances.
KETE (Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble) had a big concert in front of the Hawaii State Art Museum on Nov. 2, 2007, where we played a slew of 20 minute sets in a span of less than 3 hours. It was a great concert, and we even played one of my pieces, which you can view by clicking here .
We actually another big concert coming up on June 27th at the Hawaii Theater (big performance venue in Hawaii) that we'll be sharing with a group from LA called Taiko Project . It should be a great show with several new pieces, and a new arrangement of my 3 Sizzlin' Beets piece with...4 people!
I'll also be going on my first Mainland tour from April 20th - 28th in Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan! I'm really looking forward to the experience, and preparing as much as much as possible for the concerts we'll be doing over there. I'll hopefully have the chance to actually perform "Symmetrical Soundscapes" (you can view Taiko Project performing the piece by clicking here ), one of my favorite of compositions of Sensei's since I was a child. Its always been my dream to perform this stage, and I will hopefully have the opportunity to do so on this tour.
Outside of taiko, I spent a lot of time with activities related to a non-profit called Volunteers in Asia (VIA) . I spent the past two summers involved in a program called American Language and Culture (ALC), a really great language and culture exchange program for students from Taiwan and Japan. These students spend a month at Stanford living in the Stanford dorms and taking English and American culture classes, while Stanford students (or ex-Stanford students like myself) plan activities for them and act as "hosts". I visited students from my ALC experience in Taiwan and Japan in June last year for two weeks, and I spent my July and August participating in the program again as a senior staff member with my good friend David Wells. I'll actually be participating in the program again (which most people can't believe) for my third and final time this summer as a senior staff member again.
As far as work related activities are concerned, (which aren't terribly exciting), I've actually started my own business as a freelance graphic and web designer (so let me know if you need web or graphic design work done). Its great working for myself- I get to wake up at noon and go to bed at 4am. =P I also get to do every taiko activity out here possible (which is the whole reason why I came out here). The only problem is that I have to spend most of my waking hours working on projects when I'm not playing taiko (which makes the experience feel a lot like school), and I'm not really making any sort of regular income.
To assist the regular income problem, I actually started working as a part-time after school teacher at a local high school in Hawaii through the Pacific Asian Affairs Council (PAAC). I never, EVER thought I'd be a teacher (especially when I was still in school), let alone a high school teacher. I've always had a great deal of respect for teachers, but after being a "real" teacher I must say that I have infinitely more respect than I already had for all teachers out there. It is NOT easy work. And its quite stressful (even though I only teach on Mondays and Wednesdays!). You have to constantly think about the material that you're going to teach your class, and worry about the effectiveness of your teaching, and if the students are actually learning or being receptive of what you're teaching. The experience was really stressful for me at the beginning, but now that I've been doing this, its starting to get a lot easier. The experience is definitely a great learning experience for me though, and I have sooooooo much respect for teachers. So, so, so much respect.
Still with me over there? So that's what I've been doing and have been up to in a very, very small nutshell. My apologies for the lack of pictures. My camera was unfortunately lost on my last Big Island Tour, but I'll try to make more "visual" posts in the future for those of you who (like me) don't have the attention-span to stare at a page full of letters and words.
So...I'm back in action now!! Look forward to my next post on the 2008 Cherry Blossom Festival pageant ball! Yay for pretty girls!
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