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.