SAORI Magic!

It has been such a long time since last time I blogged.

I feel like I can finally spend time at home this weekend. YEY!

I play Japanese Drum, Taiko and belong to Mu Daiko.

We had our 15th year anniversary concert in St. Paul last month for a weekend.

Then, the next weekend, we shared a stage with special guest artists "Hanayui" and Mr. Fujimoto, a Taiko soloist from a group Kodo, Japan.

We also had Tiffany who is a great Taiko performer and instructor from Sacramento.

I took her Odaiko (Big Drum) intensive last two years in January.

After the concert, we toured in Minnesota.

I was fortunate to go with them as an assistant.

I performed two places for school performances.

I now know Fergus Falls, Grand Marais and Grand Rapids in Minnesota.

I learned a lot about touring and of course, we had a great time!

We came back from the tour on March 4 and I had to switch to SAORI mode next day.

This week and next week, I have been introducing SAORI at an elementary school.

Thank you to the school and VSA Minnesota to make this happen.

I went to this school about 3 years ago to introduce SAORI. The art teacher there invited me.

She and I took intro Taiko class together. That's how we got to know each other. Isn't it interesting?

Anyway, she waited for 3 years to get some fund from VSA.

I finished the first week of residency.

I had some students with difficulties, BUT I didn't know until at the end of the day.

The teacher has been telling me all the stories about children with problems/difficulties.

Though I couldn't tell them at all!

The teacher/a paraprofessional teacher were amazed how their behaviors change when they were weaving. They were focusing, enjoying and showing any behavioral problems.

The teachers said, "It's a MAGIC!"

I had a girl yesterday who didn't show me any good responses.

Whatever I said to her, she said, "I don't know."

Today, the teacher told me about how excited she was to do SAORI weaving.

She jumped off from a school bus and told her mother all about SAORI!!!

She came back today. She wasn't showing her excitement, but I am sure she was excited inside.

I heard that her mom is excited about SAORI, too.

Thank you for as siting me for 3 afternoons, Michelle and thank you for helping me Monica today.

I hope you enjoyed being there. Well, I am sure you did!

Let's enjoy SAORI with children next week, too!

I am looking forward to it already!

Artist in Residency

Look at these great work!!

Last week, I was fortunate to have been invited to do SAORI sessions with students with disabilities at their school.

One of my SAORI student goes there and in September, her parents asked me to do a weaving birthday party for her with her classmates.

It was a HIT!

Everyone who tried SAORI seemed enjoyed it and her teacher loved it, too.

The teacher started organizing a residency so that all 40 students at the school were able to try SAORI weaving.

I went there last Mon-Wed. with all my 8 looms!!

The first day, one of my student/friend even came to assist me.

Thank you!!

Each student had one hour to weave.

Students who tried weaving a month ago remembered how to weave! That was so nice to see.

For many of them, it was their first time weaving.

For some of them, all the weaving steps were too much, but their teachers were their great help.

They were working together as a team!

Some were able to talk and weave at the same time. It was nice to see them socializing.

The teacher who organized showed me three woven pieces from September.

They were nicely framed.

She said, "I already got permission from the school. One of them will be mine as my retirement present."

They will be hanged at the school entrance soon.

I am sure they will be a nice addition to the white plain wall and will be noticable by many people.

The ones they wove this time will be shown next summer's Art Walk organized by Ordway Theater.

One boy kept saying "NO" to me whatever I asked him.

I thought, "How can I show him how to weave?"

I tried many ways to let me show him how to start weaving, but he still said, "NO".

At last, I asked, "Do you like saying "NO", don't you?"

I felt like playing a game with him. I wanted to make him say "YES"!!

He said nothing to what I asked. He was good...

He just needed some time to get to know me.

One teacher showed him how to weave.

Later, he listened my offer.

He actually really loved weaving.

He was able to figure out by himself.

I didn't need to show him much!

A teacher told me that he wanted to weave more after I left the second day.

He came back the third day and wove a lot!!

Yes, he was able to talk to me. He knows me now! Yeah!

Thank you for having me and for helping me!

Many teachers help me assiting their students.

Without their help, I couldn't have done it.

Many teachers enjoyed SAORI.

Many stundets enjoyed SAORI.

I decided to let them use a couple of my looms for a while so students who wanted to weave more can do it!

I will see you soon!

Thank you!!