Burchfield Penney: A Concert of Japanese Music

The Burchfield Penney Arts Center hosted “A Concert of Japanese Music” on September 3rd, 2009. It was a free concert that had the house packed! Proceeds from donations and the reception afterwards went to raising money for the Friends of the Japanese Garden of Buffalo who take care of the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park.

I have to say that I was nervous as to what kind of reaction the people of Buffalo would have toward Japanese music. This was also the Burchfield Penney's first time doing a concert event of this nature. With a mix of traditional, modern, and original pieces I have to say that it was a huge success and I am glad that everyone could feel the music. Todd Mitchell wrote a great piece about the event and you can read about it here: Shakuhachi and the Japanese Garden of Buffalo. The Burchfield Penney always has interesting multi-cultural events, and I was glad they were supportive of this Japanese music concert.

The Burchfield Penney has a beautiful hall and the acoustics were superb. The sound engineers were working hard in the back to record it well. The mics picked up the natural sounds of the shakuhachi and the other instruments clearly, and without using speakers the audience had a wonderful acoustic treat.

Joshua M. Smith: Shakuhachi
Joseph Small: Taiko Drums, percussion
Ron Smith: Piano
Benjamin Christy: Clarinet

Dr. Takako Michii was the organizer and narrator of the event, and she did a great job finding sponsorship for the event. Organizing such a large cultural event takes a lot of skill so I thank her. Overall, the artistic and cultural diversity of Western New York and the regular visitors and members of the Burchfield Penney made this event a success.

With the help of Buffalo State College’s editing and the Burchfield Penney and Martin McGee's camera work, a quality DVD has been produced of this event.

Below is a detailed description of the songs performed at the Burchfield Penney Arts Center on 9/3/09:

Yamagoe (Crossing the Mountain)
Traditional meditative pieces are often very soft. However songs of the spirit can also be very energetic. Because this piece, Yamagoe (Crossing the Mountain), is both dynamic and austere in nature, Josh performed it at the World Shakuhachi Festival 2008 in Sydney, Australia, where he took second place in the World Young Players Competition. The komuso, or wandering monks, played this song for spiritual training. In life we all have many mountains to cross. Crossing those mountains and continuing on to the next is part of the life process.

The Spring Sea (Haru no Umi)
Originally composed for koto and shakuhachi, this piece is a beautiful blend of traditional Japanese music and western chords and melodies. It has come to be a favorite piece at the New Year, welcoming the start of many new great things. Today we will have Ron Smith on grand piano and Joshua Smith on shakuhachi. This renowned piece is a modern traditional composition created by Miyagi Michio in 1929. The title refers to the seaside scenery in spring. The sound of the rising and falling waves and the call of small birds are also described.

Sakaya Uta
Joe Small will sing a traditional Japanese song from northern Japan. He will continue with a Japanese drum solo for summer festivals. The summers in Japan are a very festive time, You can feel this in his energetic sounds. A traditional song from Akita prefecture, in northern Honshu, expressing the joy of young people gathering to brew sake.

Matsuri Solo
Traditional-based, Tokyo-area/North America. Matsuri (literally, ‘festival’) derives from the stylish drumming of Tokyo-area Obon festivals held in summer to honor ancestors. Originally conceived as accompaniment to the festivals’ communal dances, the form came to the stage in the late 1950s and 60s. Notably, the naname (diagonal) stand has been integral to the North American taiko community. The arrangement and choreography derive from Joe’s experiences with Portland Taiko, San Jose Taiko, Kenny Endo, and the overwhelmingly influential group Oedo Sukeroku Taiko.

The Mist of Yamato
This piece will feature a visual experience to accompany Joshua’s original piece about the serenity of the mist in the mountains. This piece was composed by Joshua in the summer of 2008. In the early mornings he likes to run in the mountains near his home in Nara Prefecture. From the mountains, looking out over the Yamato area (the ancient name for Nara) came the inspiration for this piece.

Nap of the Earth
Composed by Joe Small, Joshua Smith on shakuhachi A low-level journey in the summer weather. Originally created as a suite at Swarthmore College, the piece explores the interaction of contemporary dance and taiko choreography through a nidan (two surfaces) arrangement of two chudaiko (medium-size drums) on the naname stands.

Takiochi (Cascading Waterfalls)
Listen to the ancient sounds of water that Joshua brings about with the shakuhachi. Joe adds an aural atmosphere together with a visual one that will allow you to be swept away in your own imagination. This is a traditional meditation shakuhachi piece. On the Izu Peninsula, the Asahi waterfall located behind the komuso temple Ryugenji, inspired Takiochi. The structure of the piece reflects the spirit of water which begins as a small quiet spring in the mountains, grows to a raging flow over rocks and cliffs, and finally becomes the calm of a river as it continues through the forest.

Intermission

Kaze (The Wind)
Kaze, or The Wind, starts off the second half of the program. It is a contemporary Japanese piece for shakuhachi (Joshua Smith) and piano (Ron Smith Josh’s father). The second half of the program will feature Japanese and western instruments in both a traditional and contemporary setting. Kaze was composed by Izukawa Hidefumi. This is a modern Japanese piece by composer/shakuhachi player Izukawa Hidefumi, who performs with Joshua in their duo called Kurofune. The sound of the wind blends eastern and western melodies.

The Lullaby of Itsuki (Itsuki no Komori Uta)
In the next Japanese folk song, or Minyo, listen to the emotional qualities of the clarinet and the shakuhachi. This is a lullaby from the southern Kyushu region of Japan. It is said that refugees of the Heike Clan came to hide in the mountain village of Itsuki. In this melancholy song a baby’s nurse sings her heart to the world. An original arrangement for shakuhachi and clarinet (Benjamin Christy).

The Cow Herder’s Caravan (Nanbu Ushi Oiwake)
The next folk song depicts the beautiful scenery in a peaceful farming village in northern Iwate prefecture. This cheerful piece was sung on a journey to pass the time. This folk song was sung while leading oxen carrying rice from the mountains to the sea, and then bringing back salt and fish. Singing would soothe the oxen, as well as keep away bears, boars and boredom. This is a clarinet solo.

Bounding
Composed by Joe Small
In addition to chudaiko, this piece features uchiwa daiko (fan drums), the roped okedodaiko (barrel-stave drum tightened by rope), and the small, high-pitched shimedaiko (tightened by rope or bolt). Together they create a sense of mass in motion: unstoppable yet nimble; bounding across the landscape.

Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
This is the finale piece of the night and will be a collaborative musical and visual performance. We hope you can feel the universal spirit of the cherry blossoms. This a contemporary Japanese piece composed by Izukawa Hidefumi for shakuhachi and piano. Tonight’s arrangement is a collaborative creation for shakuhachi, piano, taiko drums, and clarinet. The cherry blossoms represent life’s evanescence and teach us to treasure every moment we have.

Encore shakuhachi solo: Amazing Grace

I hope to be able to collaborate with these fine performers again, as well as work with the great people at the Burchfield Penney Arts Center. The Burchfield Penney was the perfect spot to hold such an event of traditional, modern, and avante-garde Japanese music. Also being a graduate of Buffalo State College, it was the perfect atmosphere with the collaboration Buff State, the Burchfield Penney, and the Albright Knox Art Gallery. This little area of Elmwood, with the Japanese gardens also right nearby, has become the hub of the art scene in Buffalo.