July and August Review

My last update was in July and we're already deep in October. I've been inconsistent with updating my website and maintaining a presence on social media- instead, have been focussing on being more present in each particular moment. Not good for business but good for the soul!

On the other hand, I did have a wonderful summer, full of music and travel and I do like to share what I experienced for those who may get something out of it.

To recap some of the highlights: I debuted a new trio with Matt Garrison and Satoshi Takeishi at the Philadelphia Museum, I did a presentation at Princeton for So Percussion and their summer institute followed by a two week trip to Japan. This trip was a combination of work, study and meetings.

For me Japan means many things- it's my ancestral homeland, it is a place where, starting at age 22, I completely redefined my sense of music and personal identity. Occasionally returning home to Japan is vital for maintaining the nuances, the flavors and the feeling of Japanese music, since I'm now living in New York and constantly absorbing influence from musicians I'm playing with who come from across the globe. When in Japan, I saw Noh Theater, visited with teachers, performed with biwa master Sakurai Akiko and multi-instrumentalist Yoshi Shogo and generally spent time with master calligraphers, instrument makers, potters, painters, and of course many musicians. I took a trip to my adopted hometown of Sado Island, where I visited Kodo Village and reconnected with old and dear friends there. I returned to New York musically refreshed and inspired and feeling whole.

After Japan was a trip to Beirut, Lebanon where I performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble as well as a large group of very special kids....kids who live in the poorest communities in Beirut, many coming from families of refugees or are refugees themselves. For this concert, we performed along with the children as they presented songs and dances they had created that spoke against the racism, sexual violence and poverty that was a part of their everyday lives. I hope to return and continue working with them and am already planning a few possible next steps.

I returned to New York and immediately hosted Hayashi Eitetsu for a workshop in my studio. Eitetsu san has been perhaps the most influential contemporary taiko drummer in the world for the last four decades. Besides the workshop, I was able to spend a lot of time with him talking about music, art and politics. Next up, Adam Rudolph and members of Brookyln Raga Massive and I performed a house concert that was full of new challenges and lots of fun, a mixture of music from Morocco, India, Japan and of course, New York. The following week, one afternoon I performed for children at the Carnegie Hall Education wing with Satoshi Takeishi and another taiko legend Kenny Endo. The following day, I drove to the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, MA for a weeklong residency, again with the Silkroad, working with students and performing a concert. A week after returning, I drove out to Philadelphia's Painted Bride to perform with Adam Rudolph's Go: Organic Orchestra, a fun ensemble that I've been a part of for almost ten years now which has influenced my approach and understanding of music greatly.

I am currently writing this update from the road- University of Maryland to be precise- working with pipa virtuoso Wu Man. We will be performing this weekend at the University of Chicago this weekend. I have a few fun things coming up in the remainder of this month: my trio BOROGUSAKAGU with Sameer Gupta and Rogerio Boccato will take place with Brooklyn Raga Massive's twenty-four-hour Raga Live Festival (we go on at 5 am!) and a duo performance with Kazunori Kumagai at the Asia Society annual gala dinner.

Next month I will be doing another residency at Grace Farms with the artist Alyson Shotz and jazz drummer Nasheet Waits among others, a trip to Barcelona with flamenco artist Eva Yerbabuena, followed immediately by my own concert in Istanbul, followed closely by a trip out to French Guiana with my old friend Tamango where we'll be developing some new work.

Onward and upward...