New Videos on Musespeak Youtube Channel

Videos from some our performances at SAJETAA's Hana Matsuri are up on my Youtube Channel.Here's one of them:

Proceeds from the event will go to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

We performed six Jpop numbers:

• "Tsubasa wo kudasai" from Neon Genesis Evangelion and K-On!

• "Houki Boshi" from Bleach

• "This is My Road" from Guin Saga

• "Crossbeats" by Pia no Jac

• "Fukai Mori" by Do As Infinity

• "Shima Uta" by The Boom

We're still playing around with the set but hope to perform it again soon.

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - Grand Master Masese

This week, we're checking out an instrument that is unlike anything we have in North America, the obukano. It hails from the Gusii village.Playing the obukano and singing is Grand Master Masese. He plays the obokano and nyatiti (lyre). He is also a comedian, poet, dancer and writer. He introduces the song extremely well in this video:

Latest Benefit Performance Made the News

Yesterday, my sibling and I performed at the Hana Matsuri, organized by the Southern Alberta JET Program Alumni Association (SAJETAA for short). Hana Matsuri is a Japanese celebration to welcome spring and to commemorate Buddha's birthday.

Since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, we have wanted to help with the relief efforts in any way that we can. When we signed up to perform, we thought, "Oh boy! We don't have a lot of time to put this together. Time to get cracking!"

We had one week. Three ensemble rehearsals. Sheet music for only two songs, chord charts for the rest, for those who want to know. Melodies had to be picked out entirely by ear.

I'm the first to admit that when the news camera guy walked in, there was a moment of panic: "OMG! We haven't had these pieces for very long. What if we bomb?". Incidentally, every classical artist's nightmare. We are trying to break the habit but every now and again, we succumb to old thought processes.

Thankfully, all went well. We triumphed over our trouble spots and smoothly adjusted whenever we went "off the page". For that, we have to thank God. We also have to thank our music teachers, especially Derek Stoll and Linda Pimentel, for stressing the essential stage survival skills: technique, sight-reading, improvisation, a strong ear and a strong foundation in music theory.

We were touched by our audience. It is really true that we feed off our audiences. It's a circle: musician gives to audience - audience reacts - musician feeds off reaction to give more. We see happy faces, we want to give more to the happy faces. We see people tearing up with emotion, we want to give them more because we know we've triggered something in their heart. Our audience becomes an integral part of our performance.

As a pianist, I don't really see the reactions of the audience, but I hear them. The sighs of pleasure,the laughter, the gasps of delight, the whispers, etc. We even hear the not-so positive comments with our "on-stage super hearing", such as "Is it over yet?", "I wanna go home now!", "This piece is sooooo long!"

As a singer, I see it all written on people's faces. There is a magical, mystical connection forged when you sing directly to someone. We don't get that connection when our eyes are focused on our instrument.

The festival itself was a success. There was an ikebana demonstration (too bad I didn't win a flower arrangement for Mom), taiko drumming demonstration by Midnight Taiko Kai, several things to buy, free food and tea and a "Let's Play Dress Up" corner with yukata. Sale and raffle proceeds went towards the Japan earthquake/tsunami relief efforts.

And yes - we made Global TV Calgary's 6:00 News approximately 11 minutes into the newscast. You can hear us playing HoukiBoshi in one segment and a bit of Tsubassawokudasai in other.

Selected songs from yesterday's performance will be added to Musespeak'sYoutube Channel.

(c) 2011 byMusespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

World Music Exploration - Traditional Music of Kenya

This month, my students and I are exploring the music of Kenya. There are 13 tribes in Kenya, each with a distinct style of Kenyan traditional music:

1. Akamba: highly percussive music

2. Bajuni: mainly male singers

3. Borana: feature the chamonge guitar (cooking pot strung like a guitar)

4. Chuka: polyrhythmic percussion music

5. Gusii: features an obokano (lute-like instrument) and a ground bow

6. Kikuyu: features female singers and dancers, featuring music for initiations, courting, weddings, hunting, and working

7. Luhya: features drums

8. Luo: feature drums, clappers, metal rings, ongeng'o or gara, shakers, strings instruments such as the nyatiti, wind instruments such as tung' a horn,Asili, a flute, Abu-! and singing

9. Maasai: call and response vocal music

10. Mijikenda: percussion music

11. Samburu: vocals, pipes, guitar

12. Taraab: singing with accompaniment with Arabic and Indian influences

13. Turkana: call and response music mostly, some horn

This week's clip is an example of call and response music:

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Gig Musings

I played background music at a corporate function last week. It's been a while since my last one. Sometimes, the crowd is low-key, while sometimes, they are a rambunctious crowd.

Last week, they were the latter. I could barely hear myself. In my 25 years of gigging, I have learned that in those situations, it really doesn't matter what you play so long as 1 - you don't stop and 2 - you play fast songs.

I improvised. I repeated songs. I sight read. Other than my ears ringing afterward, it was good.

My friends and I were supposed to be in Japan for Spring Break (as in, right this minute), but our plans fell apart, well before the March 11 disasters. Since we can't be there to help, we have been helping out from home. We've made cranes for Japan and have also signed up to help with the Calgary Japanese Community Association's Earthquake and Tsunami Relief efforts.

Which brings me to this week's challenge. My sibling and I (both being musicians) have offered to perform at some of the upcoming CJCA events. This means rapidly re-learning some insanely fast Jpop and JRock songs on piano, learning how to sing two new Japanese songs and getting more coordinatedwith accompanying myself on piano while singing with the songs I do know.

It's a case where practicing is just much more fun than bookkeeping. However, I did promise myself that I'd deal with the not-so-fun aspects of managing a business (administration) before practicing today. Wish me luck.

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.