Highlights from the 2013 Calgary Omatsuri

The 2013 Calgary Japanese Festival - the Calgary Omatsuri - has come and gone. It was a splendid event, with a wide range of programming, entertainment and demonstrations to give attendees of a taste of Japanese culture, history and traditions. We could not have asked for a better day. It was sunny (most of the time) and it was hot on August 17, 2013.

As I mentioned in my last post, Omatsuri Entertainment Director, Kathleen "Irulanne" Boucher asked me to document the Japanese Festival and to interview as many performers as I could. It made for a long day, but I had a blast! たのしかった です。

I did a bit of an experiment with the recording. My gear for the day comprised of my GoPro Hero2 camera, my keitai (used as a wi-fi remote/viewing screen) and my Zoom H2 portable recorder (used as an external microphone). The fish eye effect was rather neat with the GoPro. I even managed to film while dancing the Tanko Bushi, although I got motion sickness from just watching the clip when I started moving the camera as a shovel. Not to worry, I didn't include that part in my vlog.

The interviews were great. I managed to interview Martial Simard (shakuhachi), Dave Rathnow, Roku-Dan Iaido practitioner and instructor at Shin Ken Kai Nobara, Midnight Taiko Kai, Mizue Asai-Kaufmann and Kaori Akiyama (koto players), Anything Goes, the Kotobuki Senior Group, two musicians from the Jpop and Anime Talent Show and finally, the Minyo Dancers from Lethbridge, They will form the next few posts.

I was quite sad to hear that the the sword making demonstration was cancelled. In hindsight, it would have been very difficult for me to cover that session AND all the programming outside.

The children's games, such as this one pictured below, sold out quickly:

Inside, there were several booths, showcasing Japanese handcrafts, tea, snacks and the Calgary Japanese Community Association's history project: Okage Sama De ("I Am Because of You"). Some of the events that took place inside included an ikebana demonstration as well as a green tea presentation.

Making its debut at the Calgary Omatsuri was the Shogun Grill Food Truck, run by the family that owns Foster's Bakery. The takoyaki was so flavourful and tender:

Gomen! I forgot to take a food porn shot of my okonomiyaki and my mochi balls.

All right, without further ado, here's my first vlog of Calgary Omatsuri highlights on my new otaku/geek awesomeness channel on YouTube, ChibiSamuraiTV:

Professional Musicians Talk About Practicing

It's always neat to hear what advice other people have to share about something you do. I've tracked down a few short interviews with professional musicians discussing practicing music. Enjoy! Conrad Doucette, Musician and Music Journalist on Creative Ways to Practice Your Instrument:

Violinist Midori on Practicing:

Where to Find Lead Sheets and Fake Books Online

Fake books and lead sheets are used by many musicians, from amateurs to professionals. They provide music makers with a springboard for embellishing or improvising solo or in collaboration. They also provide musicians an opportunity to practice their keyboard harmony skills.

What is a Fake Book? What is a Lead Sheet?

look inside

The Ultimate Fake Book - 5th Edition C Edition. Composed by Various. Hal Leonard Fake Books. Standards, Pop, Country and Rock. Fakebook (spiral bound). With vocal melody, lyrics and chord names. 808 pages. Published by Hal Leonard (HL.240024).

A lead sheet is an arrangement of a musical score that contains the melody, lyrics and chord symbols. According to Blake Neely, “The accompaniment part of the song is left to you, the performer. You have to ‘fake’ your own accompaniment or arrangement.” (Neely, Blake. How to Play from a Fake Book, Keyboard Edition. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1999).

Fake books or “real books” contain hundreds of lead sheets. There are fake books for classical music, wedding music, pop and rock, ethnic music, jazz, Latin music, and more.

Buy Fake Books Online

Most music retailers carry a selection of fake books. Larger retailers are equipped to handle online purchases.

Musicians can also order fake books directly from music publishers, such as the Hal Leonard Corporation. Online book retailers, such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, also carry fake books.

Free Lead Sheets Online

Various websites offer free lead sheets online legally. Free sheet music that is legal falls under the Free Art License, which "grants the right to freely copy, distribute, and transform creative works without infringing the author's rights."(Free Art License 1.3, accessed July 6, 2010).

This is a small selection of lead sheets posted by the original arrangers:

Wikifonia is a site where musicians can share their lead sheet arrangements. There is a wide variety of music available, including pop, jazz and rock. Visitors can transpose the arrangement prior to printing and make requests for an arrangement to be made.

Sibelius Music contains over 94,000 scores on its website. There are lead sheets available for pop, rock, jazz and worship music. Viewers can listen to musical selections as well as transpose lead sheets prior to printing. Scorch software is required to view the scores properly.

ChordMusic.net contains over 1,800 songs for chord piano, keyboard, guitar, and voice. Musicians can find music by ABBA, Elvis and the Beatles. The site also contains a chord finder. A small donation is required prior to downloading these lead sheets.

Things to Watch for When Downloading Free Lead Sheets

There are two things to watch out for when searching for free sheet music online: illegal scans of copyrighted scores, and poor arrangements.

While a transcription shared freely by the arranger is legal, scanning a lead sheet that is copyrighted by someone else is not. Musicians should inspect the music score carefully to confirm its authenticity. Fuzzy quality is a sign of photocopying or scanning.

Prior to downloading free lead sheets, it is prudent to review several different arrangements. Musicians should check the chord symbols and rhythms to see if these elements are consistent (they should be close). Some lead sheets will contain simplified chords. Music students should consult with their music teacher if they require assistance in this area.

Fake books and lead sheets provide musicians with a road map to follow as they explore embellishing and improvisation. Whether they are playing solo or in a group, fake books and lead sheets can offer musicians countless hours of repertoire and enjoyment.

Originally published on Suite101.com on July 6, 2010. Updated August 7, 2013.

The Moving Instant at The BeatNiq Review, February 4 and 5, 2011

Grunge met jazz, jazz rock, bebop and gospel when the The Moving Instant, took to the stage at The BeatNiq Jazz and Social Club on Friday, February 4, 2011. They performed a number of original compositions and standards.

The group, comprised of Jason Graham, Stefano Valdo and Gavin Sorochan looked at home on stage at The BeatNiq Jazz and Social Club when they performed. The jazz fusion trio welcomed guest musician Steve Fletcher on keyboards.

Grunge, Bebop and Mindblowing Licks in the First Set

“Track 1”, written by Jason Graham is a jazz rock number that was reminiscent of some classic Santana songs. While Graham's solo on electric guitar was edgy and very rock influenced, Steve Fletcher's hummingbird-like solo contained elements of bebop.

“I'm a product of the grunge era,” admitted Graham before playing another original work called “Facelift”. He confessed to the audience that he grew up listening to the Stone Temple Pilots and other influential grunge bands. “Facelift” was the group's tribute to the Stone Temple Pilots.

“Crisis at Christmas” is a number written by bassist Stefano Valdo, who performed on a fretless bass. This was one of the few slow numbers on the programme. The melancholy timbre gradually built up momentum.

Gavin Sorochan's drum solo was riveting. The driving beat metamorphosed into equally driving rolls and complex rhythms. Just as mesmerizing was Sorochan's expressiveness at his instrument.

The group wrapped up the first set with a John Scofield number, “Filibuster”. Also featured in the first set was another Jason Graham number, “Nothing Crass”.

Funky Grooves, Gospel and Standards Mark the Second Set

The Moving Instant launched the second set with a cover tune called “Crash Course”. Graham's guitar solo weaved at a moderate pace before gathering steam. Valdo, who switched to a fretted electric bass, played a funk-influenced solo. The guitars comped with a rock groove throughout Sorochan's drum solo.

“BFD” was written by Graham and Valdo. This began with a driving drum riff before the other instrumentalists joined in. This number evoked images of video game fight scenes its the aggressive, funk rhythms. Steve Fletcher demonstrated his versatility by switching from a funk groove to a gospel-influenced one in the blink of an eye.

The group ended their show with a John Coltrane classic, “Giant Steps”. “Fast” doesn't begin to describe this number. The tempo and rapidly changing harmonies make this number a challenging one to play (but so much fun to hear). Graham, Sorochan, Valdo and Fletcher did not miss a beat during their rapidly flowing lines. Even at that fast tempo, each musician was able to play some very punchy rhythms.

Also performed in the second set were “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis, “Big Jewel” by Stefano Valdo and “You're Only Young Once” by Jason Graham. For an encore, The Moving Instant played another Miles Davis classic, “All Blues”.

All four musicians demonstrated technical virtuosity, confidence and love for their art. They were evenly matched. For the most part, the balance was good, although there were times that it was hard to hear the keyboard and bass over the drums.

The most frustrating element to the evening was the lack of audience etiquette. At times, it was difficult to hear the bass and keyboards simply because several members of the audience were talking loudly throughout the performances.

Just as disturbing was the small amount of applause after technically demanding solos played with aplomb. There is a difference between background music and performance music. The Moving Instant played the latter, which should have generated more applause than was given.

The Moving Instant Plays the BeatNiq

The Moving Instant is a jazz fusion trio made up of Jason Graham, Stefano Valdo and Gavin Sorochan. The group was formed in 2009. Joining them for this performance was Steve Fletcher on keyboard. All musicians are based in Calgary, Alberta and perform in a number of groups, including the Allistair Elliot Band and the Tricia Edwards Quartet.

Jazz fusion trio The Moving Instant played to a lively crowd at The BeatNiq in Calgary, Alberta on February 4 & 5, 2011. Jason Graham (guitar), Stefano Valdo (bass) and Gavin Sorochan (drums), along with special guest Steve Fletcher (keyboards) delivered technically demanding and impressive solos.

Originally published on Suite101.com on February 7, 2011. Updated August 7, 2013. Please note that the BeatNiq has closed since the original  publication of this article. The venue has since re-opened as The Wine-Ohs.

Explore Japanese Culture at the 2013 Calgary Japanese Festival

It always looks like the characters are having so much fun at Japanese festivals in anime shows - the lanterns, the takoyaki, the yakisoba, the games, the neat marriage of old and new. If only we have something like it here...

As of the summer of 2011, we can say that we have our own Japanese festival. Now in its third year, the Calgary Japanese Festival Omatsuri offers frugal family- friendly activities to do in Calgary worth checking out.

The Omatsuri offers plenty to do in Calgary next weekend, including music, dance, food, games, cultural displays and merchandise. This year's celebration is slated for Saturday, August 17 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Bridgeland Riverside Community Centre & Park. 

After the opening ceremonies, there will be an Omikoshi parade (portable shrine). There is also a yukata contest open to anyone who is dressed in this traditional festival outfit.

The Kotokuki Senior Group will be treating attendees to several performances, including the Sumida-gawa play, the Tankou Bushi dance and  Aowa dancing. Having volunteered with many of the Kotokuki seniors at the Calgary Japanese Community Association's 2011 tsunami and earthquake relief efforts, I can tell you that this is one energetic group!

Other performances include my Calgary Japanese Language School classmate Martial Simard on shakuhachi, Midnight Taiko Drums, the Minyo Dancers of Lethbridge and a koto performance featuring Mizue Asai-Kaufmann and Kaori Akiyama. Closing this diverse cultural and entertainment program will be the anime and cosplay band Anything Goes.

There will also be a couple of Japanese martial arts demonstrations. Seiichi Yamashiro-sensei and Frank Prystupa-sensei from the Karate Alberta Association will do a demonstration, while Dave Rathnow-sensei of Shin Ken Kai Nobara dojo will do an Iaido demonstration. 

This is the first year that there will be a J-pop and Anime Talent Show. This will feature singers from throughout Alberta.

My role has varied with the Calgary Omatsuri. The first year, I went as a normal attendee. Last year, I was on the entertainment committee, helping with the sound set-up and conscripting recruiting volunteers. This year, the entertainment chair, Kathleen Irulanne Boucher-san has asked me to interview the entertainers, collecting audio/visual footage of the Calgary Omasuri. 私は楽しみにしています! Stay tuned for interviews and my review of this Calgary cultural festival here! じゃあまたね!