Inspirations and Goosebumps

The Hanayui visit was awesome. I don't mean awesome in the tubular sense of the word, but awe-some. As in, inspiring awe. They embody what it means to be an artist. They take their passions and lift them to the greatest levels. Yet they are still human and accessible and humble. Just wonderful people. Their workshop was fabulous. We learned dance, song and taiko playing. It was fun and worked for people at different levels and I don't think anyone walked away from the workshop without a smile on their face. It was completely sold out and I'd never seen the RCW space so crammed with students--we would have had more if we had more drums and space. It was so much fun to be dancing and singing and playing taiko with everyone.

But the greatest highlight was getting to see them perform later that week. All I can say is wow. No, there is so much more than I can say. Or maybe not. Maybe you had to be there as they transformed from being mortals like the rest of us into the greatest, most other-worldly, most professional and, I'll say it again, awe-inspiring performers. Their grace and sharpness and wit captivated the audience. At one point, Chieko-san was doing an intense dance, and the fan that she had tucked into her obi fell out. I would almost swear that she had dropped it intentionally because of the very precise and intentional way she picked it up later in the piece. It was like part of the performance. Just a quick gesture before a new movement in the piece, but so graceful. Something like that speaks volumes about the decades of experience and presence of mind she has as a performer. Maybe she did drop it intentionally? I could be convinced either way. Not that I want to focus on that. Not when there were the haunting and beautiful voices filling the room, or the powerful gestures of Okinawan dance, or the twirling beauty of Hachijo. Kaoru Watanabe added much with his expert and emotional fue and flute playing.

I have to say that I am very inspired by all this. I reallyreallyreally want to go on the trip to Sado now. I'd like to be out there, experiencing once again what this briefest of visits had to offer.

And while the visit had to end, the taiko doesn't stop. Maze Daiko is preparing for a show in April with Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu entitled Ghosts and Girls. It's at a wonderful venue in the City. Details here. Tonight we had our first rehearsal with everyone and we played a piece called Chikara, which recalls the experience of Japanese Americans in the internment camps. I've always thought of it as Janet's most beautiful piece, but tonight Brenda was reciting some of the poetry that inspired the song, and Mark added his instrumentation, and I just got goosebumps all over my body. The only thing that gives me goosebumps is music, and then only the most certain and rarerest pieces of music, and tonight I really felt, deep down, the honor and privilege it is to be performing this piece of music. It was really special. It all just makes me feel very humbled and small. Someday I am sure everyone will find out that I have no idea of what I'm doing, and that I am such a beginner at this and they will say, what the heck is she doing here? But until then I will continue to try to experience the world as best I can. I have to try it, right?

This past week has inspired me and I am very, very happy to be here.