Omatsuri J-Pop and Anime Talent Show Highlights

I'm going a little out of sequence from the Calgary Omatsuri programming schedule, simply because I feel the need to stir things up a little. A new addition to the Calgary Japanese Festival programming was the addition of a J-pop and Anime Talent Show. This part of the show featured young singers from across Alberta. They each had a chance to sing one number earlier in the day. The talent show itself was the second last event on the programme. Here is a video compilation of some of the performers:

The performers featured are: Sierra, Rachelle, Bryan, Colton, Yan (YT: Blue Reminiscence) and Kathleen (YT: Irulanne). They performed "Tsukiakari no Dearest"  - Camus and Mikaze Ai, "Hikari" (AKA "Simple and Clean") from Kingdom Hearts and "Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau" from Luna Haruna and Fate/Zero.

I also had the opportunity to interview Bryan and Colton, two of the performers. I'll upload that one once I'm done editing it.

Interested in checking out the featured songs? Here they are:

Uta no Prince-Sama Duet CD Reiji & Ranmaru / Ai & Camus

Game Music

COLORS

Hikaru Utada

Sora wa Takaky Kaze wa Utau [w/ DVD, Limited Edition]

Runa Haruna

Renshikan Karate Demonstration at the 2013 Calgary Omatsuri

At the 2013 Calgary Japanese Festival, members of the CJCA Renshikan Karate Club and Fish Creek Renshikan Karate Club perform at karate demonstration. In this clip, they perform basic blocks and kicks:

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch up to Sey Yamashiro-sensei or Frank Prystupa-sensei for an interview. At least, I can share with you some information and point you in the right direction if you'd like more information.

Perhaps, karate is the Japanese martial art that most people are familiar with. My generation grew up with the original Karate Kid and Miyagi-sensei ("Wax on, Wax off.")

"Karate" means "empty hand". It is a form of self-defense, as Frank Prystupa-sensei described in the demonstration.

They learn a variety of blocks and kicks in the form of kata (forms). In addition to grading, practitioners can participate in tournaments.

Here's where things get interesting. There are so many different schools of karate. The style that is shown here is called Renshikan-Ryu. It is a relatively young style, founded by Japanese-Canadian David Akutagawa (1927 - 2008). It is a combination of two older schools: Shito-ryu karate and Chito-ryu karate. Akutagawa sensei was an eighth dan in Shito-ryu, a sixth dan Shihan and renshi in Chito-ryu.

For more information on karate, or to find a dojo near you, check out the following:

Japanese Martial Arts (book)

Karate Alberta Association

Karate Canada

Karate USA

The Karate Dojo: Traditions and Tales of a Martial Art (book)

In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts (book)

About the Featured Photo: Members of the CJCA and Fish Creek  Renshikan Karate Clubs demonstrate a kick at the Calgary Omatsuri. Photo by Christine Kohl. Publisher: Kathleen "Irulanne" Boucher.

Music Practice Advice from Barney the Dinosaur

I was never a huge fan of Barney the Dinosaur (he just wasn't as cool as Snuffy and Big Bird to me). However, I recently came across this two-part episode where Barney and his friends talk about how practice makes music.

Pianist Greg Murray shows the kids a few neat things that you can do with music once you've worked hard to learn a song. In this clip, Greg plays some different variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star:

Barney & Friends: Practice Makes Music (Part 1):

And Part 2 of Practice Makes Music:

The main point to take away is that Barney the Dinosaur's friend Greg practiced a lot to get to the point where he could have fun with any song, whether it was Mary Had a Little Lamb or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 

Trying to Tame the Paper Monster

Summer is speeding to a close. I am quite happy to say that my summer decluttering project is nearly finished as well. I've decided to try using baskets to manage my papers for the week:

I've tried Bring Forward Files however, "out of sight, out of mind" happens all too easily. I've also tried weekly hanging folders. I broke a set of hanging folders because I stuffed it too much.

That brings us to the baskets. They're not that big, so I need to be vigilant to prevent spillage. They do hold more than a file folder, so that's good.

Let me translate and explain the labeling (they're in Japanese):

1. きょう ("Kyou"): Today

2. あした ("Ashita"): Tomorrow

3. こんしゅう ("Konshuu"): This Week

4. しはらって ("Shiharatte"): Pay

5. よんで ("Yonde"): Read

I've tried enough systems to know that my active trays need to be as lean as possible. Keeping it simple is really the only thing I remember out of my copy of Donna Smallin's book,  The One Minute Organizer.

Three is a  good number The remaining two trays contain items that need to be dealt with within the month.

Fingers crossed that this paper management system works!

Beginning major scales Book Review

When I attended the CFMTA Music Inspires Convention last month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Sayre, author of Beginning major scales. It's a combination technique and theory workbook for piano and voice students. This is quite different from the traditional theory books we use to teach music rudiments to our Royal Conservatory and Conservatory Canada students. I find it refreshing.

A Look at Beginning major scales

The workbook opens with a section called "Cold Feet". It's cute enough that young students will enjoy colouring but there is an important riddle on it for young and, as Mr. Sayre says, "grown up" kids to figure out. It's a new take on memorizing the Order of Sharps. This is followed by a cheat sheet of all the major key signatures that all students will hopefully refer to often.

Then the book introduces each key in turn, going through the Circle of Fifths. For each key, the one-octave scale, I-IV-I-V7-I cadence and arpeggio are shown. On the opposite page, there are some questions for students to answer - written and aural (yay! ear training). At the end of the section, two octave scales and arpeggii are shown.

The second half of the book is dedicated to music theory. There are extra theory questions on scales, followed by an introduction to major and minor thirds (followed by questions to answer).

Students not only learn about major and minor triads, but also augmented and diminished as well. The final section of the book has a Note Catcher!™ ear and theory training game.

First Impressions of Begnning major scales

Like the Piano Adventures series, The Sayre Series Beginning major scales introduces music students to intervals, chords and arpeggii early. I do like the fact that Mr. Sayre introduces the various technical elements with the single octave but gives the two-octave version later on.

Another thing that I do like about the book is that the text is worded to speak to a wide age range of music students. It's simple enough for a seven year-old student but worded with care so that an adult student wouldn't be turned off. That's not an easy feat to accomplish.

Using Beginning music scales

My beginning piano students use the theory books from Piano Adventures, while my conservatory students use either Conservatory Canada's theory workbooks or Glory St. Germain's Ultimate Music Theory series. I don't have plans of dropping those.

However, I can see three groups of students in my studio who can benefit from using Beginning major scales. The first are my adult students who are playing recreationally. They tend to find the conservatory-affiliated theory books to be "too much". They want the basics and they don't have the time to work through chapters of questions.

The second group of students I can see benefitting from this series are what I'd call "students in transition". I have a few students who are beginning that transition from the beginner method books to one of the conservatories, but they aren't quite ready age-wise or level-wise for formal rudiments. "Students in transition" also covers transfer students who are a little weak on theory but also, aren't quite ready to look at conservatory-affiliated theory books.

The third group of students are the ones who just aren't getting it. They've been in music for a few years and the materials we've been using just confuse them. Sure, there are other issues at play, but if I can help them by using a friendly-looking book, worded in "plain-speak" with them, I think they can finally get over the hump.

I do have one beef and that is the fact there is no Beginning minor scales book. I did contact Paul Sayre regarding this and he has assured me that one is in the works. However, its release is contingent upon the success of Beginning major scales (my fingers are crossed).

Beginning major scales is a fresh approach to teaching music theory and technique. This combination workbook contains practical, written and aural exercises for students to complete. It is perfect for beginners who are beginning to transition to elementary playing.

About Beginning major scales

Title: Beginning major scales for All Piano and Voice Methods: Technique and Theory Workbook for All Piano and Voice Methods

Author: Paul Sayre

Publisher: Brownstyle, 2011

ISBN: 0615426832, 9780615426839

Length: 41 pages, text and illustrations

Price: $9.98 US and up

In Canada, Beginning major scales is available at Long & McQuade. In the United States, music teachers and students may purchase the book through  Performers Music Chicago. The book is also available for sale online on The Sayre Series website .