Premiere of "Sweet Days" male chorus version

   A Japanese male chorus ensemble “Yutokora!!” premiered the male ensemble version of “Sweet Days” at the Tokyo Male Chorus Festival.

   A lot of people doesn’t know but “Sweet Days” were originally sketched for TTBB, then later re-written for SATB. This “new” male chorus version is very different from original male chorus sketch (done in 2003). When I look at the sketch and new male version, I see how much I grew as a singer and composer. For example, F is the highest note for Tenor in the original sketch (it is same for mixed voice version). This is because when I composed the original sketch, the highest note that I could produce was F. New male chorus version goes up to B, because I can sing this note comfortably now (although it would be falsetto).

   Here is the rehearsal recording of the male ensemble version by Yutokora!!.

   And here is the video from premiere of mixed chorus version by the Sheldon High School Choir.

Oh, by the way, I originally wrote Sweet Days after singing Vaughn-Williams's "Sweet Day" and thinking "I should be able to write a better piece." :)

The 63rd All-Japan Choral Competition

   There was the final round of the 63rd All-Japan Choral Competition in Hyogo, Japan. The junior high and high school categories were done a month early, and it was the time for colligate, work, general chamber, and general large choir categories. Since there were two colligate choirs performed my “Agnus Dei (from Missa pro Pace),” I was able to get tickets for all the performances.

   One of the interesting categories is “work choir.” A work choir is something that I only find in Japan. This is a club activity choir at work. There were choirs from banks, manufacturing companies, city halls, and etc, and the singers are employees of those companies or organizations. It is very nice for companies or employers to support this kind of club activity. An old saying, “all work and no play makes Jack dull boy,” is certainly true. People who have good balance between work, hobby, and family life are the happiest people, and I am sure that they are also the most productive people at work.

   For many reasons, among the all the hobbies one can choose, choral singing is certainly one of the greatest ones. Congratulations to those who won, congratulations to those who were able to sing on the one of the greatest concert hall in Japan at the final round, and congratulations to those who love singing choral music!

 I also attend the reheasal of Tsuru University Mixed Chorus which performed by Agnus Dei. Here is the rehearsal recording mp3 and the YouTube video. Enjoy!

MindManager

   I have been using software called “MindManager” for a while. This software was developed by Mindjet Corporation, and it does help us to create flexible graphic-based outline. This is a great tool when I organize or brainstorm thesis/book ideas. The software’s look resembles Microsoft Office Suite, so anyone who are familiar with Office can use MindManager immediately. Anyone who have experiences writing long documents knows that importance of outline, and MindManger has been helping me a lot.

   I know that in this world, a word-processor software (like Word), a chart software (like Excel), and a presentation software (like PowerPoint) is default tool for business. Since I started to use MindManager, I felt that this software would be “the fourth” software. If you are looking for a tool to organize your idea, I recommend you try MindManager a chance!

The Goonies

   One of my favorite movies is “the Goonies.” I loved this movie since I was a kid, and still watch it from time to time (Yes, I own a DVD). In summary, this movie is an adventure of a group of teenage friends that try to find pirate’s treasure in order to save their families from foreclosure. I will not go into the details of the movie here, but one of the aspects of this movie that I love is music. The main theme songs were by Cindy Lauper and they sound really 80s, and the underscore soundtrack done by Dave Grusin contains some of the most wonderful and memorable underscores ever written in my opinion.

   Anyway, I had been looking for a CD of the underscore soundtrack, but it was impossible to find it. Fortunately, recently a record label named “Varese Sarabande” released the complete original underscore CD, and I finally got it the other day. It made me very happy, and also made me rethink about what makes a piece of music (or other art like movie etc.) timeless and borderless. When it comes to the Goonies, it captured the childhood’s adventurous and curious souls that every kid has and every adult unconsciously wishes to maintain somewhere in his/her heart. Of course, the presentation of the movie is lower than today’s standard with CG and high-resolution audio. However, ultimately those things are not the deciding factors of the quality of the work. 

   I am living in the 21st century, so as a creator, I need to create a work to fit into today’s society, but the survivability of the work is decided by how much the work reaches to the core part of us which doesn’t change over time. I believe that we have been and will value love, friendship, wisdom, effort, beauty and etc, though society and technology changes over time. At least, as long as I can believe that, I can involve in creative work.

Tears at the Competition

　I was fortunate to involve in this years NHK National Choir Competition (N-Con). There are three categories and they are; elementary school, junior high, and high school. One of the features of this competition is that all choirs are “club-activity choir” in school. Because they are club activities, each student’s passion to involve the club does matter a lot for a success of the choir. And when it comes to the final round of the competition, all students are singers who voluntarily spend time to choral music in the morning before class starts, during lunch breaks, and after school.

　Because it is “competition,” the judges have to give the ranking at the end. And it is, indeed, heart-breaking to see many students shedding tears of vexation and regret after the results are given. I wished I could give the gold medal to each one of these students!

Prague (Czech), Los Angeles (USA) and Tokyo (Japan)

I have been very busy since the late September till now, traveling to all over the world to do recording and mixing. Now, I returned to my place finally!

Anyway, I can't provide much information about what I did for some projects, but here are some pictures from the trips. I will let you know more as I am allowed to tell :)

In Prague (Czech)

In LA (USA)...

In Tokyo (Japan)

Special Stage for NHK National Choral Competition

   In Japan, there is an annual choral competition named NHK Choral Competition (N-Con in short). There are 3 categories; elementary, junior high and high school, and over 2000 schools in Japan participate each year.

NHK is the only state broadcast station in Japan, and it is like BBC in England. If you are in the US, you could think it like PBS station. The final round of the competition is to be broadcasted live on TV from NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo.

   This year, I was asked to arrange a song for special stage performance of elementary school category. Special stage is the segment that pickup choir from different participated school performs a choral song with 20 to 30min practice when they are waiting for the results of competition. This year, I arranged "Nbaba Love Song" which is originally an opening theme song for an TV animation. NHK wanted something fun. So, I arranged with Samba rhythm, claps and so on so that audience could participate also.  The competition was done on 10/9, and I was glad that the piece and performance were well received. Also, I was able to talk to some teachers and kids from different schools, and I was glad that kids liked the arrangement although they don't know the original animation. :) As a composer, it is always nice to have feedback from performers.

Premiere of Cantata Amoris

The world premiere of "Cantata Amoris" was a big success, and I would like to thank the members of the Panasonic Choir for giving me an opportunity to write the work. I also would like to thank the members of Kansai University Egolado and Koube University Apollon, and other participated collegiate singers from different universities. Once I get the recordings, I will upload them as usual.

For the time being, here are recordings from the rehearsal...

-Cantata Amoris-

1. Sectamini Caritatem

2. Diligamus Invicem

3. Nihil Sum 

4. Deus Caritas Est (sorry, I failed to record the 4th movement)

Gloria (from Missa pro Pace)

At after-concert party, the Panasonic Choir gave me their new digital camera which contains pictures from the rehearsal. I was really touched by this, because we could buy a camera, but we can't buy memories.

Rehearsal...

Giving last-minutes advices...

Rehearsalcontinues...

After the concert...

With Mr. Honjo (conductor)...

"Cantata Amoris (Cantata of Love)" is 25min 4-movement a cappella choral work for mixed chorus. The text was prepared by the composer on the theme of "Love." Special Thanks to Dr. Robert Zaslavsky for advices on the title.

Cantata Amoris

©2010 Kentaro Sato (Ken-P)

1. Sectamini Caritatem
Ubi cáritas et ámor, Déus íbi est.
Ergo, sectámini caritátem,
quóniam ubi cáritas et ámor, Déus íbi est.

2. Diligamus Invicem
Caríssimi, diligámus ínvicem,
quóniam cáritas ex Déo est.
Déum némo vídit úmquam.
si diligámus ínvicem,
Déus in nóbis mánet,
et cáritas éjus in nóbis consummáta est.
Qui non díligit, non cognóvit Déum,
quóniam Déus cáritas est.
Caríssimi, diligámus ínvicem,
quóniam cáritas ex Déo est.

3. Nihil Sum
Si línguis hóminum lóquar et angelórum,
caritátem áutem non hábeam,
fáctus sum vélut aes sónans, aut cýmbalum tínniens.
Et si habúero prophétiam
et nóverim mystéria ómnia
et ómnem sciéntiam,
et si habúero ómnem fídem,
íta ut móntes tránsferam,
caritátem áutem non habúero,
níhil sum.
Et si distribúero in cíbos ómnes facultátes méas
et si tradídero córpus méum, ut glórier,
caritátem áutem non habúero,
níhil míhi pródest.
Ergo, sectámini caritátem,
quóniam si caritátem áutem non habúero,
níhil sum.

4. Deus Caritas Est
Ubi cáritas et ámor, Déus íbi est.
Congregávit nos in únum ámor Déi.
Exultémus, et in ípso iucundémur;
Déo Grátias, et ex córde diligámus nos sincéro.
Cáritas pátiens est, benígna est.
Cáritas non aemulátur, non ágit supérbe,
non inflátur, non est ambitiósa,
non quáerit quáe súa sunt, non irritátur,
non cógitat málum, non gáudet súper iniquitátem,
congáudet áutem veritáti.
Cáritas ómnia súffert, ómnia crédit,
ómnia spérat, ómnia sústinet.
Cáritas númquam éxcidit, quóniam Déus cáritas est.
Ubi cáritas et ámor, Déus íbi est.
Sectámini caritátem.
Dóminus Vobíscum, et Déus cáritas est.
Allelúia.
Ubi cáritas et ámor, Déus íbi est.
Caríssimi, diligámus ínvicem.
Allelúia.
Congregávit nos in únum ámor Déi.
Exultémus, et in ípso iucundémur;
Déo Grátias, et ex córde diligámus nos sincéro.
Allelúia.
Amen.

Cantata of Love

©2010 Kentaro Sato (Ken-P)

1. Sectamini Caritatem
Where charity and love are, God is there.
So, follow the way of love,
because where charity and love are, God is there.

2. Diligamus Invicem
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
Whoever is without love does not know God,
for God is love.
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God.

3. Nihil Sum
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not love,
I become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries,
and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains,
and have not love,
I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not love,
it profits me nothing.
So, follow the way of love.
because if I have not love,
I am nothing.

4. Deus Caritas Est
Where charity and love are, God is there.
The love of God has gathered us together into one.
Let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
Let us thank God, and love each other from the depths of our heart.
Love is patient, is kind.
Love is not jealous, is not pompous,
is not inflated, is not rude,
does not seek its own interests, is not quick-tempered,
does not brood over injury, does not rejoice over wrongdoing,
but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails, because God is love.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Follow the way of love.
God is with you, and God is Love.
Alleluia.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Beloved, let us love one another,
Alleluia.
The love of God has gathered us together into one.
Let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
Let us thank God, and love each other from the depths of our hearts.
Alleluia,
Amen.

Portable Digital Pipe Organ

   The availability of pipe organ in a certain nation is often directly proportional to the number of churches in the country. Because Christianity in Japan is not that big, it is rare to find pipe organ and it is very expensive to use the pipe organ. Therefore, the choral music performances with pipe organ do not happen that often in Japan. 

   Now, a Japanese company Roland, one of the biggest digital music instrument manufacturer and parent company of Rodgers Organ, started to make digital pipe organs recently. For the sake of introducing pipe organ to wider audience, I really like them to make portable but fine 2-manual-and-pedalbord digital pipe organ between $2000-$5000 price ranges. I am pretty sure that there are needs for this kind of products both in Japan and beyond. I know I want to buy one.

Honda Chorus

If you have not seen, watch this video!







And this is rehearsal...







Cool, isn't it?

Rehearsal of Cantata Amoris in Osaka

Rehearsal went very well! I am certain that the premiere on 9/4 will be splendid!

mp3 from the rehearsal (3rd movement). 

Discussing with Mr. Honjo (conductor).

Talking to the tenor section.

Explaining the chords...

Performer and Composer

   One needs to love a piece of music, if he is to perform the piece well and convincingly. In this sense, being able to love many pieces of music is one of the prerequisite of being a performer. 

   One needs to hate a lot of existing music, if he is to create new music. Or at least he needs to find major faults or lack of something in existing music in order to make something meaningful or new. In this sense, being able to hate many pieces of music is one of the prerequisite of being a composer. Of course, this does not mean that he needs to hate music itself.

   Although performers and composers live in the same world of music, their thinking and reasons to exist are very different. Performers are blessed because their activities itself has values. On the other hands, composers are valued only when his finished works have certain value. Leonard Bernstein, one of the most celebrated musicians in the 20th century, really struggled and regretted until his death as a composer because his concert works have never been accepted as much as his popular style works from movies and musicals. I very much understand how hard it must be for him. This is totally separate from being his success as a conductor (performer). 

   There is a line in Dante’s Inferno from the Divine Comedy that says:

Leave behind every hope, you who enter.

   Of course, this is the line embedded at the gate of hell, but I am sure that if there were a gate of being composer, we could read similar line on it. And I am sure that there would be something wonderful written on the gate of being performer. :)

"SH" sound

   For English-native people, one of the most difficult Japanese consonances to learn is “SH.” SH in English appears words like “shot” “shell” “she” “shock” “shook,” and technically it is known as “voiceless postalveolar fricative.” Japanese SH sound on the other hand is known technically as “Voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative.” Because English does not have this Japanese SH sound, it is very hard for English-native people to produce this sound. For practical reason, English SH is often used to substitute Japanese SH, but one has to learn Japanese SH sound, if s/he wishes to speak Japanese really well.

   Although it is difficult to teach Japanese SH sound without the recording and video, here are two tips that I use when I have to teach Japanese SH really first in guest conducting or workshop situation. 

1) Japanese SH need no pursing of lips.

2) Japanese SH has more “high hiss” than English SH. This happens because the shape of the tongue for Japanese SH is like of “ee” vowel, on the other hand English SH is like of “oo” vowel.

   I noticed that fixing this SH and correct execution of double consonances are the key for good performance of songs in Japanese by English speakers. So, next time you sing Japanese song, please do spend a bit time to learn this new SH. This SH sound, especially with combination with “ee” vowel,” appears a lot in Japanese texts.

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. 

   This famous Thomas Edison’s quote is often used to emphasize the importance of perspiration. However, for me, this quote tells the importance of inspiration. If I restated the quote, it would be “without inspiration, perspiration is meaningless.” And because I am a composer, I would also restate as “Great Work is perspiration standing on the foundation called inspiration.”

 

  This kind of thinking is very important for not only any creative minds but also any entrepreneurs. “Fail fast and fail early” is familiar quote in entrepreneurs’ community, and for me this quote IS the Edison’s quote told differently. No matter how much efforts one put in, if the first step/assumption was wrong (or if there was no inspiration), it will not be succeed. Therefore, the faster and the earlier they fail, the better chances of later success they have. 

   For people or products to succeed, it is very important not to be attached to effort. Effort is a virtue that should be valued as one of the human qualities, but it is not the part of any works or products.

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and Nothing is 0% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

   

   It might be cruel, but this is how things work. And the earlier we realize, the better.

KUSC

   KUSC is a classical music radio station in Los Angels, and one of my favorites. Though I am no longer in LA area, I can listen to it since the station does internet broadcasting also. This made me very happy since there is no classical music only radio station where I am located now.

   If you are a classical music lover or a music student, visit KUSC's site. It is a great source!

Col Legno

   For orchestral strings, there is a playing technique called “col legno.” When the player is asked to play “col legno,” he will strike the string with the wooden part of the bow.

   Now, the player always does not like this technique because it could damage the bow (remind you that a professional bow is as expensive as an instrument). So, I am always very cautious when I assign col legno, and I only use it for if the line is piano or softer dynamics. 

   But there are times that music absolutely requires col legno in louder dynamics, like when I am writing or orchestrating film cues for mystery or scary scene. In that case, I always ALWAYS bring enough unused pencils in the recording sessions, and ask violin and viola players to use them instead of their bow. I found that a pencil actually produces better col legno sound because a small pencil is easier to control than a bow, and players can perform the required lines without hesitation of damaging their bows. For cello and basses, I bring big-sized permanent markers or highlight pens. They sound OK. 

   Of course, these substitutions look rather funny in the concert hall. So, I hope that someday string instrument manufacturers would make good-looking concert pencils, or concert pens to be used for col legno. :)

Mind

   There is a Japanese manga titled “3x3 Eyes (Sazan Eyes)” written by Yuzo Takada. In this manga, there is a scene; an dying old wizard, Madurai, teaches how to fight to the young hero, Yakumo.

Madurai tells Yakumo the following:

Don’t be surprised, Yakumo. Expand your imagination.

Don’t let the common sense restrict you. Don’t think about limitation.

Keep your imagination unlimited.

Believe that you have unlimited power. Believe that you only don’t know how to use it yet.

Believe in yourself.

Otherwise, you will not be able to master “you;” your most faithful servant, during your life time that is only given once.

There is limitation to the body, but there is no limitation to the mind.

Believe in your power.

(TAKADA Yuzo, 3x3 Eyes vol. 17., Kodansya, INC, Tokyo Japan, 1994, p107-109)

English Translation by Kentaro Sato

   When it comes to athletics and performances, there are definite walls between haves and have-nots. But composition is different, since it is purely the matter of mind.

   I like this scene and line in the manga, and often re-read it when I compose.

Specialists

   A quite few people believe that if a person was major in music at music conservatories or university, he must be a specialist in music; have deep knowledge about music, history; have advanced skills of performance or composition, and etc. Of course, this is not the case most of the time.

   Let’s imagine a person, a 23 year old newly graduate in economics from a famous university. Do you consider this person as a economist? Probably, no, right? Imagine another person, a 23 year old newly graduate in biology. Do you consider this person as a bio-specialist? Again, no, right? Now, imagine a person, a 23 year old newly graduate in music from a famous music conservatory. Do you still consider this person as a specialist in music? ...Well, no...

   As far as the knowledge is concerned, there is not much difference in any major at undergraduate level. So, a music student would know a bit more about music than economics student, and a business student would know a bit more about business than a music student. This is the reality.

   The true value of university is in the graduate school. This is where the simple learning ends, and the research starts. You don’t have to be in the school to do research, but the doing research is almost a requirement for being specialist in a certain area.

   Consciously or unconsciously, all specialists in any area do research, and ability to do research in a certain area is the difference between a specialist and non-specialist. When you meet a so-called “musician” next time, ask him what he is researching currently. Really good musician will be happy to share his true area of interest with you.

Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven

   Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. These three are the most important composers of the classical period, and sometime called the First Viennese School. With pieces by Bach and Handel, works by those three composers form the essential core of the Western Classical music repertoires.

   Among these three composers, I find that Haydn provide the most accessible and balanced materials to those who wish to study composition. So, I usually use a certain string quartet, and couple other compositions of Haydn to teach my private students who wish to apply part-writing theory to actual pieces. 

    Unlike Haydn’s, I find Beethoven’s pieces are inappropriate for beginning composition students in many ways. However, they are great materials for learning forms and developmental techniques. So, I usually give some of his piano sonatas to those who wish to try to write larger works.

   Unfortunately, I have never used Mozart pieces in my private composition lessons as study materials. However, his symphonies and operas are full of great conducting materials. So, I use them in my conducting lessons.

   I am grateful that Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven proves us great musical and study materials, and I am glad that they passed away so long ago that their music is in public domain!

Brahms, the songwriter

   Brahms is said to represent the conservative side of Romantic era. His works are very balanced and well-constructed, and these are quality the Classicists would appreciate. Some people would said Brahms’s music is less Romantic, since his symphonic works would be more rigid and less colorful if we compare them to the works of Wagner and others. When I first learned the works of Brahms, they are symphonies and chamber music. I thought that the works are pretty boring and less romantic, and I put Brahms into “B” composers’ files in my mind.

 

   However, my view on Brahms changed completely when I learned his songs. His songs (lieder) are some of the most Romantic sounded works of all time. Some of his piano pieces are certainly romantic enough, but his lieder surpass in every romantic way. So, I started to wonder why Brahms, who can be utterly romantic in music, did not put his romanticism into his symphony or other larger works. I believe if he tried in Symphonic Poem (which he didn’t), I am sure he would certainly created the superb symphonic works which are very personal and intimate.

Being a male and teaching voices

   Being a man has certain disadvantage, if one wants to be a singer. One of such disadvantage is of course “voice change.” He really has to relearn how to use his voice and it takes time.

   However, this disadvantage became advantage when he is to teach voices, because he now have vocal experience in both male range and female (or kid) range. Female singers will never be able to produce the male range and to know what voice change really is. I found that this is one of the big issues for female music teachers.

   Needless to say, even for the male singers, in order to use this advantage, he has to remember how he felt and sang when he was a kid. Fortunately, I remember how I sang clearly when I was a kid, and there are a lot of tapes that recorded my performances and practices when I was a kid and adolescent. These are wonderful personal resources.

   By the way, my performances as a boy soprano are pretty good, if I may say so. But it just makes me shoot myself to listen to practice recordings from my junior high and high school time. :)

Nationalism in Choral Music

  If you studied Western music history, you would find a section of “Nationalism” in the Romantic era. It was basically the answer or musical rebellion to the German dominance in music by non-German composers. Composers tried to use materials from own cultures and to create something they feel their own. The results are compositions that are hugely popular among composer’s “own people” but virtually unknown outside of the circle. Most of such music were already lost, or would be gone eventually. 

  There is a book called “A Composer’s World” by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), a German composer who immigrated to the US, and in this book he alarms composers who consciously or unconsciously became nationalist to gain “national popularities.”

  In the instrumental concert music world, such nationalistic composers are now rare. However in choral music world, there are many composers who falls into this category. This is of course because choral music has texts. We often see a composer who is very popular among own language world, but their compositions fail to go over the wall of language or culture. Of course, in music history there have been composers who are nationalists but go beyond the wall. So, I know that it is very possible to break the nationalistic or local expression to have some universal quality.

  Partly because I read Hindemith’s book, and partly because I am a Japanese whose main working area has been the US, I have been thinking very hard in order to write choral composition that speaks to people regardless of texts. Technically speaking, the execution of texts has to be perfect, but the music (the notes and structure of the piece) has to be very independent from the text, and has to stand by itself.

  “Multicultural” seems to be very popular in choral world nowadays, but I consider that this is just a trend and will gone eventually. This is because ultimately compositions live not because they are “different,” but because people believes they are worth to be performed and listened to.

  We cannot deny the fact that it is easy for anyone to listen to, perform, and understand a choral music which text is in his own. With that stated, I will continue to try to create choral compositions that are worth listening to, and are wanted to be performed regardless of understating of the texts.

Law and Chaos

One of the good effects of learning harmony is that students learn to think about relationship of each notes in detail. And one of the bad effects of learning harmony is that students tend to think music is the sum of independent events or chords.


The students, who learned harmony but doesn’t have enough practical experience, tend to try to make everything perfect. They might be thinking the sum of perfect parts would be perfect whole. The result of such sum is often dull music.


I consider the balance is the most important aspect in music: the balance between unity and variety; something familiar and something different; something we know and something we don’t; and etc. In other words, the balance between law and chaos. It seems that dynamic reaction between the law and chaos in time makes arts living.


What we call music theory usually teaches only “law” side of the music. I found that it is very important to encourage students to retain and/or practice impulsive, spontaneous, and childlike compositional approach while they learn theory.


All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. This seems to be applicable to arts also.