Another side of me....

I am a SAORI weaver/instructor as well as a Taiko Drumming player.

I have been studying Taiko almost for 3 years and am now an intern of Mu Daiko.

I have my very first concert starting tonight in St. Paul, MN.

I am not in many songs, but I am helping transitions at side stages.

We have been rehearsing everynight. We have been working so hard.

I was exhausted by the end of the day everyday, but it is nice to feel that we are doing better every time we rehearse.

It's a great TEAMWORK!

Life is interesting.

I never played Taiko while in Japan for many many years and now I am playing it in Minnesota, U.S.A!!

These days, I need to take naps to get ready or rehearsals.

Of course, I am going to take a nap to get good energy!!!

Happy Taiko!

SAORI is.....

I am so fortunate to have a student/friend to talk about SAORI a lot and seriously.

I would like to share what I learned through SAORI last 15 years.
I know everyone learned SAORI in many different ways.
That's what SAORI makes interesting, too.

One of many ways I leanred SAORI was that SAORI is not just a "weaving style".
It is our "life style". That includes way of thinking....
I don't even remember how I was before I started SAORI, but for sure, I am now more like, "just do it".
Just like putting some new colors you aren't sure whether the color goes well with the warp and the rest of your weft or not when you are weaving.

"It's okay to make mistakes. Trying is much more important than making mistakes."
You put this new color and find yourself, "Oh, I like it".
"I don't like it."----you can always go back and take the color out from the weft.
When weaving, you can go back easily, but in our daily lives, it is not that easy, isn't it?
However, "so what?" You found out that you didn't like it because you tried it!

I still remember when I was working on my very very first piece. I was conservative in a way that time.
I was only using certain green, beige, brown, white.
A teacher suddenly put some totally different color in my work.
"Try some different color to see how you like it."
Everyone has fixed thoughts like, "brown don't go with pink" etc....
However, you can at least weave them together to see your thought is right or not.
If you find yourself, "Oh, my thought was not right. They go well!"
Light brown, dark brown....
wool brown, cotton brown, fine brown yarn, thick brown yarn.....

Life is short.
Do it if you feel like doing it!
Challenging yourself is hard, but fun!
What a feeling when you try and succeed.
What a feeling even though when you fail. It's okay. You tried!! That makes feel good!
What a feeling if you find out yourself, "Wow, I did it! I can do it."

That's what I would like to share with people whether you like it or not.....hahaha.

One of Misao Jo's saying,
"A master doesn't have to be a good weaver. She/He should be good at praising people."

I am still learning how to praise!?

Taiko recital

Did you know that I have been studying the Japanese drum, Taiko?

This weekend is Mu Daiko Student Recital.

I started this in the fall of 2008 and this is my 2nd recital.

Now, I am a Mu Daiko intern.

I performed as a student and as well as an intern.

I practice with performers/teachers, too everyweek.

I also started taking Fue (Japanese flute) class a couple of months ago and some of us played along the taiko performance last night. Yes, I am playing it again today, too.

Life is interesting.

I never played taiko in Japan and now I am away from Japan and studying Taiko here in Minnesota.

Sometimes, I have opportunities to perform at schools and events, too!

It is so nice to share my own culture to people here in Minnesota.

There are a few Taiko groups here in Minnesota.

I feel that I am in the right place when I heard our director told us last year's recital,

"We all make mistake, but it's okay. Just breath."

I can never forget this.

This applies to SAORI, too, doesn't it?

I will enjoy today's recital, too!