Obi Fight!

Went to Texuba today. Texuba is an annual travelling sale of obi and kimono. I think this may be the last year since the folks who run the show are retiring. Anyhow. I knew it would be popular, but I didn't know it would be quite the shove-and-grab fest that it was. We got there at 9:05, and the doors had opened at 9, but already it was packed and there was the general maniacal feeling of the day after Christmas in there. It was a medium sized room with racks of kimono and obi lining the walls and people were madly going through the racks. Everyone seemed to know what they were looking for, and none of them were going to get out of your way. A few were polite, but basically if you didn't jump in there and go through the racks, you'd just miss out. I told my friend who came along, I'm looking for red obi, and I swear this guy who was next to me picked a red obi off the rack right in front of me and he threw it violently in his laundry basket--as if to spite me, or to try to stave off the competition or maybe to intimidate me. All the super serious folks had laundry baskets and they were just pulling stuff off the racks and throwing them in there, barely looking at what they were getting. There was no browsing. No contemplation. No comparing one item with another. It was complete cutthroat madness, but I was game. I told my friend that we should split up and if she saw anything at all that looked like what I was looking for, that she should just grab it and we would meet up later.

Let me tell you, I hate shopping like that. It's ugly and greedy. But you don't just go to the department store and get obi. You can't make obi. And there not entirely easy or cheap to get on the internet. So if you want obi, you gotta just roll up your sleeves, jut your elbows out, and dive into the racks with the rest of them. I was looking for green obi, since green is my favorite color, but alas, I couldn't find any. As we were leaving, I saw a beautiful green obi in someone's basket, but I think that if I had even looked at it for any longer that the split second I already did, then I'm sure I'd get my right arm bitten off. But I didn't do so bad. Here's what I got:

There's seven there. I know I can't wear all of them with my costume, but I was thinking about future costumes, and also about the fact that the Texuba people are retiring. I found a green stripey one that's nice. And we need red for our costumes. Oh and Janet had given me the postcard that Texuba had sent her reminding her of the event, and apparantly she's a VIP member, so I handed the lady at the cash register the post card and I got a 50% discount! Woo hoo! I was scared she'd ask for ID like they said they would on their website, but there was too much madness in there and she just knocked off the 50% and I paid with cash just to be safe.

Sheesh. No wonder it's an annual event. Wouldn't want to do that again for at least a year.

Last night in my theater class we were cutting gels and playing with the light board. The class isn't quite turning out to be what I thought. All the emphasis is on lighting, and very little on the tech side of things that I wanted to learn. My other classmates are nice, but they're dancers, and while I don't have anything against dancers, I'm just not a part of that world. I have to light someone's Master's Dance thesis in a couple of weeks, and I have no idea what I'm doing. Hopefully the dancer won't freak out and discover that some uninitiated student is going to be lighting her big piece. Oh well. The frustrating thing about the class is that since I'm not in the dance program here, I'm not in the loop about when rehearsals are and whatnot. I wasn't even told that I'd have to come in next Saturday for a tech. I'm not going to make it because I already scheduled to do a sound check at RCW. If I'd known about it ahead of time, maybe I could have made it. But it's so unprofessional to ask your students to make commitments when you don't even know when the commitment is going to be until the last minute. ARgh!

In more exciting news, we have a show in less than a week--next Tuesday. I'm not stressing, but I'd like to be really solid, and I'd really like to use this as an opportunity to really project. Now that I'm more comfortable with my solos, I'd like to really work on getting the energy out. I know that I say this every time, but I'm feeling different. Not so hung up on remembering sequence or how my solo goes. I've got those under my belt. Now I need to work on being a performer.

This weekend I'm going Obi shopping in the City. There's this show that comes to town every once in a while called Texuba. It would be nice to have my own obi and not have to borrow. It should be an adventure!

New Opportunities

Thought we'd have last Sunday to work on miscelanity, but turns out I got accosted by our Asian/Pacific Islander group here on campus and offered an opportunity for Maze Daiko to perform here at Mills College. I was totally skeptical about the logistic possibility of us doing the show, since it is fast approaching on April 3rd, but lo and behold, the clouds part in strange ways, and turns out we can all make it to the show. The only catch is that we only have one full rehearsal, plus one rehearsal at Janet's where we have to be mindful of the neighbors, and then that's it. But you know what? We're getting good at this, and I think we'll be ok. Last Sunday we were one person short, but still we worked on the school show component and we were OK. A little wonky, a little rusty, but OK. I feel pretty confident, and that's a good thing, isn't it?

In other news, I finally decided to contact Toni about making a case for my Baby and looks like Baby is going to get her first real grown-up outfit, er, I mean, a case. I love that furoshiki that I've been wrapping her up in, but she's outgrowing that. Or rather, that furoshiki was one of the last things my mother gave me, and I'd like to treat it a little better. Everyone means well, but sometimes I see people carry the shime by the furoshiki, rather than just lifting the whole thing. It's kind of like if you saw someone carrying a baby by her bib, rather than holding the whole baby, butt and neck-supporting the whole time. I can't complain, because if someone is lugging your drum for you, you can't really complain. It's best that I get a case made up for it. Especially if little ruffians are going to be grabbing--and dropping it once they realize how heavy and unstealable-on-bicycle that bonger of a shime my baby is. Pics when I get it. I'm excited.

Need to work on taiko in the mean time. Bean made a really good point the other week when she said that she felt like on the one hand you can execute taiko and play a song in front of people, scared out of your mind, and on the other hand, actually perform taiko easily but with your heart and soul and as a performance, rather than a simple execution. I'd like to get there. We drilled a simple backbeat pattern last week, and me and Carolyn were sweating and concentrating away, but when I looked up at Janet who was leading the drill, she was just smiling at us and making it look fun and easy. I'd like to get to that point.

Ponderings

Next Sunday it's just me and Janet at rehearsal, and I'm supposed to come prepared with some ideas on what I want to work on. I've decided to use Sunday as a goal to work on things. No pressure or anything, but I'd like to have the curriculum for teaching the adult classes, and maybe a logo for Maze Daiko and maybe a couple pieces of a song that I've been kicking about in my head and which, at this point, are just a couple of patterns, but maybe by Sunday a couple more patterns.

We have a little bit of extra time, and it's a good opportunity to work on those things that you always mean to work on, if you had time. Last week she was encouraging me to work on my teaching skills, which I know I need to work on. Also I wanted to work on kata (form and posture and how to hold your drumsticks and how to project what you're playing). I don't regret asking to work on kata, since I need it so badly, but boy am I sore today. We worked on basic slant stand stuff and I realized how out-of-shape I am for a taiko player. But she gave us some good stuff to think about, and which I hope to incorporate into my overall playing style. She was like, Pretend like you're trying to show someone a hundred yards away the rhythms you're playing. It's kind of like trying to find the balance between totally exaggerating your movements and also playing well. It's something I need to work on still. Good things.

We had a little meeting and were talking about expectations and where we'd like to see the group go and stuff like that. When it was my turn to talk, I really didn't know what to say. Not that I didn't know what I want, but I just didn't know how to express the fact that what we're doing, or what I'm doing anyway, is exactly what I want to be doing. I mean I'm working with wonderful people on new and exciting and interesting material and I'm doing everything I've always wanted to do. True, having a clearer idea on what performances we want to do and what kind of audience we're looking for and what we envision ourselves as a group are important things, but how do you say: All the things I've ever aspired to do, I'm actually doing?

Foothill Show!

Made it through the Foothill show. Except for a couple hiccups here and there, I think we did a splendid job. And my Dad made it! He drove all the way up from LA and was there in time to watch the show! Here are some pics:

This is us at the beginning of Matsuri. I love this shot. Aren't we a sexy quartet?
And this is me, busting my gut during my Matsuri solo. In the future, I think busting a gut should look a little more genki, and a little less like I want to bust the drum.

And then there was Kai to Ryu, the bane of my existence. It's a really complicated song that makes no sense musically. You can't practice it with a metronome because the song doesn't fall into the right places. I don't know how to describe it. It's really difficult. You have to just clear your mind and play the song and if someone messes up, you have to completely ignore them and hope that they can lock into you sometime later. I really blew it for the Aiko show with Emeryville. I phased a line that shouldn't have been phased, and that just threw everyone off into trainwreck. I will never live that down. But we've been practicing it since last summer, and we finally pulled it off, in performance. Maybe there is redemption. I developed an annoying trick of singing the crazy Kai to Ryu song out loud. At the last rehearsal (where we played on covered drums) Bean was like, Do you always say it aloud like that? Yes, why yes I do. I found that I can completely clear my mind of all the little things that can completely distract you if I just say it aloud (believe me, any little thought about anything can completely ruin the song). Anyhow. Here we are:And this is us performing Elegua, which is a Cuban song with singing, bell, chekere and taiko. The only time that I've ever said that I wouldn't do something for taiko is when Janet asked if I would sing Elegua. No freakin way! I come from a long line of really horrible singers and I just see no reason to flaunt this genetic flaw on stage. That's what that Idol show is for, and I'm pretty sure I'd make it on the best-of-the-worst show if I started singing. I know my limitations, yo. This song leads into Three Rivers--which was the triple percussion thing I was stressing about. It went fine. Me and Carolyn were groovin' on our percussion. And the best part of the whole performance--audience participation. I pointed out my Dad in the audience to Bean before the show and I was like: can you get that old guy with the beard to come up for the drum roll? He was a great sport. Check out his kata. We could make a great Odaiko player out of him.
I think we did a great job. It was really nice to get a repertoire together, work on it, and work towards a goal. Our next goals are some shows in June and July that will help celebrate the grand opening of the new space. Until then, I'd really like to work on kata and technique. Lots of work, always.

Not Nervous

I'm not nervous. I'mnotnervousI'm not nervous. I'm not. Really. Not right now. Maybe right before, maybe. But not right now.

Did a desk-taiko run through today and I did fine. I know my transitions. I've got all my solos down. Sequence is fine.

My Dad is coming up all the way from LA to watch me perform! I am so excited about that! He wasn't able to come up to see me last November, but he is now, and that's just as good, if not better. It means a lot to me. It really does.

My things are packed. Got my bag of bachi/costume/notes/lipstick (ack, still have to get used to wearing that stuff) all packed and huddled on the floor next to my pile of black underwear, black socks, black tank, black pants, black shoes. In the living room my super-tight shime is on it's newly painted black stand, next to the chekere. My always faithful sugar-high gatorade is chilling in the fridge next to my standard Odwalla Soy Chocolate Protein power shake. Made a pot of beans last weekend--that's just good old-time soul food to me. My Mexican side loves them, and I eat them every weekend before rehearsal and, I swear, I'm not hungry again till dinner. That'll be my breakfast. With a fried egg. And a fistfull of tortillas. And maybe some juice. Oh and coffee.

So there you have it: my pre-show routine. I'm good. I really am. Think good thoughts for me if you're in the good-thought thinking mood on Wednesday at noon. I should sleep now. If I can.

Shime Tightening

Last night we had one last rehearsal, but we kind of realized that we were pretty solid on everything, so it didn't take that long. So we tightened shime. I like tightening shime. We were using Kris' one-person method, although we cheated and actually two of us were doing it. One person to pull, the other holding on to the tension. Less bending over. We did both of Janet's shime, and then as a bonus, she offered to help me tighten mine. I was kind of excited because I've only ever tightened it on my own, and I know I can't get it as tight as two people could. She's got a technique of using two age-bachi at the beginning, which is impressive to see.

Boy did I do a lot of those standing pulls. If there's something like 20 pulls per drum, and we did 3 drums, then that's like 60 pulls! I was kind of zombie by the time I got home, but it was so worth it because those shime were chirping like little birds. Kanki is going to be awesome.

Phew!

Had a good taiko day today. I've been waking up early on Sundays and running through different songs. Then I go load up drums at Janet's and take them over to the rehearsal space. Today we ran through our 45 minute set twice, and also worked on particular songs, or parts of songs that give us trouble. It was a lot of work, physically. We were all sweaty, but I think we're pretty confident with our show. After class I'm usually really beat, and I had to take a nap. It's like as soon as I get in my car after unloading, my body says can I sleep now? and I get really tired. Too tired to even be hungry or thirsty. I just need to take a nap.

And if today's particularly demanding run-throughs weren't enough, I realized that I had to tighten my shime today, or I wouldn't have a chance before Wednesday's show. So I cranked the heck out of my baby till she was as tight as I could get her without killing myself. I'm sure the Kodo folks would laugh at the tension on my shime, but hey--I'm a wimp. Tomorrow night we're going to crank up Janet's shimes, so that should be interesting. She's going to show me the two-person method. That should be fun!

Must eat and rest now. Eyes are getting heavy. Very heavy . . .

Papa!

If the weather over the Grapevine and up Highway 5 isn't too bad, there's a chance my Dad is going to come up to watch us play taiko for the March 7th show! You don't know how excited this makes me. He's never seen me play taiko before! (well, maybe on video) And now I'm actually confident and proud of my taiko skills! Foothill College at noon, yo!

Ok so now I really need to work on projection and solos and all that. And I have to smile! My Dad's gonna be in the audience! And we're going to have an audience participation section, and you know that I'm going to walk down with my bachi and grab him to do the obligatory drum roll.

Woo-hoo! My Dad!

Steppin' Up

Or out. Or is it--a step in time saves what was now? Anyway. This past week we were rehearsing for the March 7th show, and me and Carolyn are supposed to step on the downbeats for one of the songs. We're the percussion girls and they want us to look sharp and cool. Only problem is, is that as percussion girls we're supposed to be playing and looking sharp. I don't know about Carolyn, but my rhythms are hard to play even without the stepping. Plus I'm playing three different percussion instruments (at different times, thank goodness, but still). Also we're doing a different kind of stepping--more like dancing--Carolyn calls it the wedding step, since you go right foot right, left foot to right, then left foot left, right foot to left. This is different from my usual stomp stomp stomp that I have already spent so much time working on. So I was like, oh, I don't know if I can step like that, and not in time for the show next week, blah blah blah. But of course Janet wouln't let me get away with that and just blew all my excuses off, saying that I was coordinated enough and that she knew I could do it shut up. And you know what? I could, and it wasn't hard at all. I feel like I'm finally getting a base of skills under my belt, and that I can actually use one skill for one thing, and then apply it to another seemingly different thing. That's cool. Of course at first I have to resort to looking like an idiot, because I was saying out loud: step ah-ah, step ah-ah, step ah-ah-ah-ah! But oh well, I got it, real quick too. I guess I just need that inital shove.

Five days and counting. I'm not that stressed. This is a big deal. I've got my solos under my belt. Got the sequence down. Working on my gut-busting and on my projection. I recorded last week's run-through and took notes on all the things I wanted to work on, and have been reviewing them this week. I worked out a diagram of where my bachi are and when, and what drums I move and when, or with who. I'm actually kind of excited. A show! And the best part is that I'm taking a day off of work and boy do I need the vacation. This is gonna be fun!