Taiko Conference wrap-up

You wouldn't think it would take me a whole month to recover, but I've finally caught up post-Taiko Conference. Whew! TaikoProject members participated in many aspects of Taiko Conference; Maz and I performed in Taiko Ten and Bryan taught a workshop called Hip-Hop Taiko along with TP assistants. The event was a grand success... looking forward to 2013!

Lobsterfest 2011!

Last night, we performed at the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival!

We unloaded all of our equipment and air-bachi'd through our set behind the stage. Since we had some time before we went on, we decided to walk around the festival. There was SO MUCH food! There was, of course, lobster, but also many food trucks and other food vendors. The line to get the lobster dinner was extremely long. I was getting hungry just walking around, but we all decided to wait to eat until after the show (well, almost all of us...).

Then, it was our turn to perform on the main stage. The crowd was amazing! I love performing and I especially love performing to an awesome audience! We even saw a few familiar faces. :)

We quickly loaded the drums back into the van and headed towards the food once again to get our complimentary lobster dinner. I was dreading the line, but there wasn't one! Yay! It was fun eating lobster with everyone. Some of us demolished our lobsters! Candice used up ALL of her butter!! Okay, just kidding... but it looked like she did so I was telling everyone she did. hah. :p

Here we are!

On the left is Darren, Jen, Brian, and Candice (I sat between Brian and Candi).

On the right is Kevin, Jenny, Emily, Courtney, and Maz.

Liz and David were out looking for a non-lobster dinner and joined us a little bit later. Oh yes, Lobsterfest also gave us free drinks! :D

Thanks Lobsterfest for inviting us to perform and for the dinner!! We had a lot of fun!!!!

Rhythmic Relations 2011!!!

Greetings to all of the TAIKOPROJECT blog followers!! We are having quite the busy summer, full of performances, tours and a lot of travelling. But lets rewind things back to the end of June for a recap of our Rhythmic Relations 2011 show at the JACCC Plaza.

Stage setup at the JACCC Plaza

This past Rhythmic Relations was my first Rhythmic Relations concert and it was very stressful and tiring weekend, but in the long run it was a truly amazing experience to be a part of such a big show. The first act featured Bombu Taiko, Kitsune Taiko, Loma Pacific Taiko and the Chibi’s, all of the groups that we help teach throughout the year. Since I don’t get to see all of groups on a regular basis, it was really special to play the stroll with all of them at the top of the show. Everyone’s positive energy and excitement has always inspired me to play from the heart and it was truly so much fun! Being one of the newer members to the TAIKOPROJECT family, I was awestruck by all the songs performed by each group. Everyone had such big smiles on their faces and it was very evident that each person was giving their very best and enjoying every minute of it. You guys did an amazing job!!

Ryutaro Kaneko

For the second act, TAIKOPROJECT took the stage with Ryutaro Kaneko who was a member of Kodo, the taiko drumming ensemble on Sado Island in Japan. For many months before the concert, Bryan, Maz and Kris worked with Ryutaro to remix songs both from Kodo’s repertoire and TAIKOPROJECT’s repertoire. One of the songs we remixed was Kodo’s Bird Island, which is a very fast piece and we even got the chance to choreograph a paranku part which is common in Eisa, Okinawan taiko drumming. Thanks to Yumi, her choreography gave our performance a little more depth beyond stationary drumming that we are normally used to. Ryutaro was also given the opportunity to remix one of our songs and the song he showed a lot of interest in was Seiza, our piece that features the koto. Creating a new middle section to the piece featuring a four-drum taiko set solo and several new accompany parts, Ryutaro expanded the normally six-person song to a sixteen-person song. That is almost the entire TAIKOPROJECT cast!

This concert took a lot of work, but with everyone’s combined effort we pulled off a very fun and exciting show. Thanks to the JACCC for providing us with such a nice stage setup and countless hours of help. A special thank you to all of our donors, without your generous support we would not have the chance to share our passion of taiko with the community. A huge thank you to all the friends, family, and fans of TAIKOPROJECT for coming out to the performance. We would also like to show the upmost gratitude to Ryutaro, for taking time out of his schedule to teach and participate in our Rhythmic Relations 2011 show. Thanks for reading TAIKOPROJECT blog followers and see you next time!! :]

TAIKOPROJECT, Bombu Taiko, Kitsune Taiko, Loma Pacific Taiko, Chibis

Our Happy Taiko Family!!! :D

Continuum show in Casper, Wyoming

August was a busy flying month for me. After the fun adventures in Coeur d'Alene, I flew back to LAX only to take another flight to Mammoth Lakes the same day for a family vacation. This was a good chance for me to relax and do some fishing, hiking, and even try to take photos of the Perseid meteor shower. But don't you worry, after my vacation ended I got right back on a plane with my bachi in order to meet up with the rest of the cast in Wyoming.

Our Casper, WY show was on Sunday, August 14. I flew into Denver on Saturday and met up with Scott. From there we rented a car and had a bit of a drive to Casper. There were very few cities (or anything besides flat land) along our route. The occasional tree or cow was enough to get Scott and me excited! When we finally made it to Casper about 5 hours later, we joined Maz, David, Liz, Jen, and Yumi for dinner at On the Border. I ordered something called the Big Bordurrito because it sounded big. It was :).

Sunday was the day of our Continuum show. After breakfast, we drove to Natrona County High School. Our show was in the auditorium, which looked to be built quite a long time ago. The building had a lot of nice details inside and out, which I took immediate notice of because I thought it was quite nifty. Once we finished unloading with the help of their crew, we prepped everything for our tech and run through.

Originally, Bryan was cast for this show, but he couldn't do it anymore once TP was confirmed for the VH1 Do Something Awards on the same weekend. I took his place and was excited to do the show, but was a little apprehensive as well. I had to learn and perform several new parts that I had never done before, including odaiko for BTO. So not only did I have to fill Bryan's shoes, but his fundoshi as well... Luckily for me, I'm not being literal! I had my own fundoshi to wear for the occasion. The auditorium actually had no air conditioning, so fundoshi was probably the most comfy thing to wear. During our tech, we were all hot and sweaty, so I suggested we all perform in fundoshi, but that motion didn't pass!

We had a few hours of time to rest and eat before the show. Thank you to our presenter who had prepared a delicious dinner for us! When it was finally showtime, we went out with a lot of energy and had a great show. We had the chance to meet and talk with people in the lobby afterwards, which is always fun.

We wanted to celebrate and wind down the night, but almost everywhere was closed. Much to David's delight, the only place we found open was a Wendy's. We all ended up eating Frostys and sea salt fries, yum!

The next morning, Jen, Yumi, Liz, Scott and I said our good byes to David and Maz as they continued on their romantic journey together. The five of us got comfortable in our Corolla and headed back to Denver with a few hours of time to spare before our flight. We decided to walk around downtown Denver for a bit. We ate some pizza at the Mellow Mushroom and took a nice stroll by the river. This was a quick and tiring trip for me, but I thought everything went really well and we all had a good time!

On stage for tech

Looking tired at hotel breakfast, my skillet!

Watching people tubing on Platte River in Denver.

Pizza at Mellow Mushroom, delish!

Yumi and Jen sit at a bench made for giants before heading to airport.

be inspired... Do something!

As if the Grammy’s and traveling to the UK weren’t enough, this year TP received yet another amazing opportunity to be part of the relatively new VH1 Do Something Awards Show hosted by Jane Lynch! There were twelve of us in total that were scheduled to perform throughout the show.

A little about this awards show, “Do Something” is a wonderful organization that aims to recognize everyday individuals under 25 years who strive to make a difference in the world. This year... there were some amazing finalists whose focus ranged from promoting healthy habits and eating, to reaching out to military widows/widowers , to providing high school teenagers with physical and mental disabilities with an opportunity to be included. It was our great pleasure to be able to play as they strolled down the aisle to be recognized for their accomplishments. =D This was a star-studded event which left some of us in awe that this show was not more well-known. From the moment we arrived, I zoomed in to the area reserved for celebrities with their picture reserving their seats from Mario Lopez, to Tyra Banks, to Will Ferrell. The tech day/rehearsal day as well as the day of were long hours spent getting private shows with performances from One Republic, Demi Lovato, and Foster the People among others. And the icing on the cake, was that our “waiting area” happened to be the place where the celebrity winners would just so happen to walk down to get their picture taken. EEK!

The hardest part of the gig?

Restraining myself from not sneaking a close up picture of....

david beckham! This picture was LITERALLY taken with me right next to the photographer as Kevin and I were trying to get onto the stage.... They were blocking the staircase... *swoon*

The okedo players making the entrance for the 5 finalists...

The chu players on stage. =D

In all seriousness, this truly was a wonderful experience, with the reminder of the value of doing good for others. The winner of the show was Sarah Cronk who initiated a series of all-inclusive cheerleading troupes in high schools around the world . Inspired by her older brother who has a diagnosis of Autism, but has shown her that the sky is the limit, Sarah acknowledges the potential hardships of high school and “fitting in” and has worked to raise awareness of schools everywhere that the world is big enough to accept people of all shapes, sizes, AND abilities. But all these finalists should be commended for their great work and efforts. No matter how big or small the venture, these individuals have touched lives and consequently will inspire others to make a difference in the world.

Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California Adventure!

Day 1, August 4
David and I left Los Angeles for my home town, Mt. Shasta, CA! I actually just came back from there on Monday after my parents' big taiko festival, ShastaYama. The past couple of days have been crazy trying to pack and get ready for the road. David's aunt Karen made us a yummy lunch of musubi, chicken, and sandwiches, but what I was really impressed by was the awesome ginger chocolate cookies she made for us. Thank you Aunt Karen! I want that recipe. We had a nice salmon and chicken sausage dinner from the bbq with my parents.

Day 2, August 5
Loooong 12 hour drive to Coeur d'Alene, ID. We were pumped up about the first of many Indian curry lunches from Trader Joe's that Kris always makes on our tours. The first lunch was frickin' spicy!!! I think cumin was coming out of our pores. During the morning it looked like it was snowing, but to our disgust, it was actually a cloud of bugs which went on for a good 5 minutes. Our windshield was caked with nasty bug juice. Sorry bugs! Arrived in Coeur d'Alene in time for a nice Applebee's dinner. David enjoyed a quesadilla burger. We went to the stage, loaded in, started a soundcheck and everyone else arrived. Then we went back to Applebee's for a beer while everyone else was starved for dinner, but we forgot Liz at the venue! Sorry Liz! That was a first. Bad communication. We went back to get her. She was fine. Applebee's was fun. You can read her in-depth blog about the adventure below.

Day 3, August 6
Got to sleep in a bit. Headed over to the venue to practice a couple of pieces. Walked around the "Art on the Green Festival". It was huge! Hundreds of vendors and the location was nice right on the Lake Coeur d'Alene. Performance went well. The first of many to come.

Day 4, August 7
Bryan, Yuri, Brian, and Scott leave the hotel at like 3:30am. I said goodbye, then went back to sleep. David, Liz, and I drive to Ontario, OR on a small two way highway through Hell's Canyon. It was beautiful. Today we drove through the smallest population we've ever seen: 10 people! We arrived at the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple and had dinner with Reverend Fujimoto and Michelle.

Day 5, August 8
Went running with Liz and made omelets afterwards. Good to feel healthy. We had our first workshops on Many Sides and Stage Presence with Sangha Taiko. It was fun and the group was very enthusiastic.

Day 6, August 9
Went running and ate omelets again! Yay! David loves candy and sweets, so we put together his breakfast in a cardboard box with candy and coke and wrote "David's breakfast" on it. He had a good laugh. Had our second workshop with another group in the are with mainly kids. They did well.

Day 7, August 10
Running and omelets! We ate 9 eggs each in the 3 mornings we were here! Thank you so much to the Idaho-Oregon Buddhist Temple, Reverend Fujimoto, Michelle, and Sharmon for putting us up. We had the best time ever! David, Liz, and I picked up Jen and Yumi at the Boise Airport en route to Idaho Falls. We stopped at the Minidoka Internment Camp. My mom was born there. It was very surreal. I can't believe my family was forced to live out here in the middle of nowhere. Drove the rest of the way to Idaho Falls and checked in to our awesome hotel on the river! We went to the supermarket to stock up on breakfast foods and candy for David.

Day 8, August 11
Met up with Fireman Bob from Snake River Taiko. He let us use his practice taiko for the workshop we taught to kids for the Snake River Festival which the presenter set up. Went to the theater and did our tech rehearsal and relaxed until the show started which went well. I always love doing lecture/demonstrations for kids. We went back to the hotel and watched "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" which is one of the funniest movies ever.

Day 9, August 12
More of the same today. After the show we stayed up really late to see the meteor shower. David saw 14, Yumi and Jen saw about 8, and I only saw like 5. I blame it on my age. Went to sleep at like 4am.

Day 10, August 13
The drive started off beautiful. Eastern Idaho and western Wyoming are very picturesque. We drove just south of Yellowstone and through Grand Teton. However, we went down a very steep 10% grade and the van brakes were burning and shaking very violently. I was in second gear and it was still bad. Fortunately, we made it down to Jackson Hole, WY and found a Big O Tires and replaced the brakes... thank god for gps and smart phones and civilization. We were very lucky to be able to make it to a town with a garage that was open on a Saturday! Drove carefully the rest of the way to Casper and met up with Scott and Brian for dinner. Ran over the set for the concert the next day.

Day 11, August 14
Breakfast! Headed to the theater for our tech rehearsal. It went really fast. We actually had three hours to relax before the performance. A rarity! The concert was fun, but we all felt the altitude at the end. It was hard to get through Here We Go Now!! It was over 5,000 feet in Casper. We tried to go get a beer after the concert, but EVERYTHING closes at 10pm on Sunday. Bummer. We ended up getting frosties and fries at Wendy's which David was excited about of course.

Day 12, August 15
Jen, Yumi, Brian, Liz, and Scott depart in the morning for the Denver airport. It's back to only David and I again! We met up with the presenter, Carolyn, for a yummy Mexican lunch then headed back to the theater to teach a couple of public workshops. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. Nice to have some Asian food on the road.

Day 13, August 16
Drove to Salt Lake City and met up with Bo and Kenshin Taiko for dinner, then taught them an Omiyage workshop. Thanks Bo and Kenshin Taiko for having us! We had fun!

Day 14, August 17
Long drive to Reno. Stopped at Starbucks to do a little work and randomly bumped into Rieko, our contact for the Reno Taiko workshop. They were a fun bunch of people. Seemed like they all knew each other very well. Good job Reno Taiko! Thank you Leslie for housing us!

Day 15, August 18
Drove to Stanford for the Taiko Conference. Taiko Conference is always crazy, but we had fun and it was good to see all those familiar faces and new faces.

Day 18, August 21
Drove back to LA! Courtney and Jen joined us on the drive down with little sleep over the crazy weekend in order to make it back for the Nisei Week performance. Otsukaresama everyone!

Fun facts about the trip:
-Miles driven: close to 4,000!
-States passed through: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.
-Workshops taught: Eight. Ten including conference.
-Smallest town population that we passed through: 10 somewhere in Wyoming.
-Trader Joe's curry lunches consumed: 18! We had four people at once eating curry.
-This was the first time in TP history where we left someone behind. Sorry Liz!
-Maz and David spent about 61 hours in the van.

Drive from Coeur d'Alene to Ontario, OR

Farmer's market in Ontario, OR! Melon heads.

Workshop with Sangha Taiko

Maz's breakfast on the left, David's on the right

Remnants of the Minidoka Internment Camp

Overlooking Jackson Holy, WY right before our scary brake malfunction

Viewing shooting stars taken from Jen's camera. Looks like the day doesn't it?