By the time you read this newsletter, I will be on an airplane heading to Japan! I will be in Japan for the rest of this month, so I won’t be writing this newsletter. But I will make sure to send you some amazing pictures from my trip!
What I learned from playing four shows in one day!
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to play four shows in one day.
At 11:30 AM, I performed with my friend Hana, who plays the Tsugaru shamisen, at Miyako Ramen Spot in Englewood, Colorado.
Immediately afterward, I drove to the Lone Tree Arts Center and performed with the band "Cultural Mixtape", The group includes a taiko player, a rapper, two dancers, and me. We had two performances scheduled, one at 1:30 PM and another at 4:00 PM, each lasting one hour.
At 5 PM, I drove back to the Miyako Ramen shop and played there again at 5:30.
It was a long day but I learned a lot so I want to share it with you.
The importance of playing with the lower body.
When I was playing with a rapper, a taiko drummer, and two dancers. I was so excited that whenever I wasn't playing, I found myself dancing along with them.
However, when it was my turn to play the shinobue, I was shocked at how terrible I sounded!
I wondered to myself, "Why do I sound so bad?"
Initially, I thought it was my embouchure. I adjusted it, but the sound didn’t improve.
Next, I considered that maybe my dancing was causing my feet to be off the ground and not stable. As soon as I planted my feet solidly, my tone improved immediately!
Later, I discussed this with Bunta sensei during our lesson. He told me, "You can dance, but your core needs to be solid. Just like Freddie Mercury of Queen. He moves a lot on stage while singing, but his core remains solid."
I realized I had been playing like a dancing spineless rag doll on stage. 😅
If someone had poked me, I would have fallen flat on my face! 😆
My tone had sounded as light as dandelion seeds floating in the wind. 🥲
Bunta sensei: " After playing a concert, my calves get swollen."
Having your feet on the ground is not enough. If you want to support your shinobue tone, use your core muscles plus all the lower body, including your toes and calves.
For example, if you can't hit a kan on, try grinding your feet to the ground.
With a decent embouchure and good timing, I bet you can hit the kan on you couldn't hit before.
It's not the kan on. It's the ryo on.
At first, most people found it challenging to produce kan on notes. However, the ryo on technique tends to give me more trouble when I'm on stage.
This is because ryo on requires more sustaining power from the core muscles, while kan on demands more of a burst of strength.
When on stage, the “Fight or Flight” response activates, making it easier to generate a sudden burst of strength rather than maintaining it over time.
To illustrate, playing ryo on feels like doing an ab workout for five minutes, whereas playing kan on is akin to performing a high jump.
When I'm excited, my breathing becomes faster and shorter—definitely not ideal for playing the shinobue—making it difficult for me to maintain sustained ryo on notes.
This reinforces for me the importance of mastering ryo on.
In my lessons with Bunta sensei, we practice ryo on extensively. He frequently corrects my attempts, telling me, "No, that's not it," even if it sounds good to my ears.
On stage, it becomes clear just how much my ryo on needs improvement.
Having a decent ryo on sound isn't sufficient; it must be grounded in core strength. There is a noticeable difference in the sound when it's supported by the core muscles compared to when it isn't.
Don't beat up yourself after a concert.
There is a lot of room for improvement.
However, the truth is that I fulfilled my purpose of sharing Japanese music with the community.
The ramen shop event went well, and they have invited us back.
The concert at the Arts Center also went smoothly, and I saw many happy faces enjoying our music.
While my performance was not perfect according to my standards, that is something I need to address personally.
The purpose was served even if my ego was not fed.
Yes, my ego would have been thrilled if my performance was perfect and I felt like a million bucks! 💰
However, the most important thing is that I did my job well and everyone enjoyed the shows. 😃
My ego doesn't need to be fed, and my self-worth doesn't depend on how well I perform on stage, (thank goodness).
And if I ever started to think, "Wow, I'm absolutely perfect on stage!" that's when the audience would probably feel otherwise, anyway.
Playing the shinobue is a journey, and I humbly learn from my imperfections. I am grateful that, even with my flaws, I can serve the community by sharing Japanese music. ❤️
Yokohama, my hometown, here I come!!!!
Thank you!
Thank you to all who purchased my new songbook "Night Songs".
The links for tutorial videos, piano accompaniments, and sample performance audio tracks are located on the second page of the PDF file you received!
*****
The sale is over, but you can still purchase the book here!
You can attend my 2-hour session for just $60! There's no need to register for the entire conference.
I'll be offering a beginning shinobue class and an intermediate/advanced class where we will learn to play "Tsuki no Sabaku" (Desert Moon), which is a perfect theme for Arizona!
After two days of teaching at the Taiko Conference on Friday and Saturday, I will be at the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix (Rohoen) on Saturday, August 31, sharing more about shinobue. This beautiful and authentic Japanese garden is located near downtown Phoenix. We are planning to have activities inside their authentic Japanese tea room since the temperature outside will be very hot. More details will be available soon!
Are you interested in Japan? Imagine diving into their culture and learning to play a beautiful ancient musical instrument! Why not give the shinobue a try? This lovely Japanese bamboo flute is easier to learn than you might think. Many folks (even without any musical experience) are discovering the rich traditions of Japan through this amazing instrument. I invite you to check out my website, saitomusic.com, where you'll find a wealth of free information that used to be available only in Japanese. You can easily purchase a beginner shinobue there at an affordable price. Also, don’t miss my YouTube channel, “Miki Saito Shinobue Adventure,” where I share anime and video game covers and fun tutorials. And be sure to subscribe to my free newsletter to support you on your shinobue journey! I can’t wait to see you there!
