I'm one of a small group of individuals in North America lucky enough to be employed full time as a taiko performer, composer, teacher and administrator. What's it like? Here's a glimpse: Mon, Oct 18: The alarm rings at 5:30 am and I'm off to a 6:15 yoga class. I chant, "I really need to do this" as I force myself out of bed—the hardest part of yoga! Mu's St. Paul office is the next stop. There's always more than enough to keep me busy facilitating both Mu Daiko and our ever-growing taiko program. I take off for the Studio for a brief practice and then it's time to teach. Intro and Level 3 students do so well! Mu's Artistic Director Rick Shiomi and Theater Mu/Mu Daiko members arrive at 8:30; we're rehearsing for tomorrow's performance at the University of Wisconsin-Plattevillle, where Mu Daiko members will make their "Broadway" debut with Mu actor Katie Bradley. It's a hoot! We run through our taiko pieces and then head home at 10:15 pm to pack.
Tues, Oct 19: I meet Rick at 7:30 and we pick up the rental van. We load up and set off on our five-hour drive south to Platteville. Beautiful bluffs, cows and horses amidst rolling meadows slip by. A quick check-in at the local Country Inn and then it's off to the theater for tech. Accompanied by Mu actor/musician Brian McCormick, Katie and her chorus run through our “big number,” spike placements, and transitions. It's Domino's Pizza for dinner and then everyone gets into costume. We perform well before our small but appreciative audience, then load up and make our way back to the hotel. We finish the evening at the Cancun Fiesta across the street. It boasts the best (or is it the biggest?) margaritas in town. They are indeed VERY big and VERY potent!
Wed, Oct 20: We leave the hotel promptly at 9. At a rest area besides the Mississippi, we discuss a meal stop in Rochester and give Katie Leo a buzz to see if we can meet up for lunch. Katie is a wonderful writer of plays, poetry, and prose, and Mu's former Development Associate who just moved to Rochester. It's good to be able to reconnect over some good food the heart of downtown Rochester. We roll into the Studio parking lot mid-afternoon and unload the vans. Home! Naomi Guilbert and Hiroshi Koshiyama of Fubuki Daiko arrived at our house yesterday to stay for a few days while they visit friends and family. I jump on the treadmill for a quick 30-minute run (I really need to move after the day's long drive) and top it off with a great glass of wine with husband, Naomi, Hiroshi, and our dog Archie.
Th, Oct 21: Another early morning yoga class, and then it's catch-up time in the office. Quick fue practice and dinner at home and then it's on to the regular Mu Daiko evening rehearsal. I meet with a Mu Daiko member at 6 to talk about his new composition, then spend the first part of rehearsal delving into four brand-new pieces premiered at our recent Taiko Lab performances. We talk about ways to get to the heart of each composition through staging, expression, intent, technique, and kata (form). Rick comes in at 8 to rehearse the contingent that will be performing at the Burnsville Arts Center next Thursday. We're sharing the program with Ragamala Dance, the Twin Cities-based Bharatanatyam dance ensemble. Rick and Ranee Ramaswamy, Ragamala's founding Artistic Director, share a long history of collaboration and this concert will be a great reunion!
Fri, Oct 22: I say goodbye to Naomi and Hiroshi as they head back to Winnipeg and then make tracks to the office. I set up a couple of appointments to meet with college students who are writing papers about taiko, advise a potential student about her class placement, talk with Rick about upcoming programs, and reconnect with former Mu Daiko member Rachel Gorton about some shime stands she helped design. I head home early in the afternoon and hop on the treadmill for another run. And then I start working on this blog entry! It's 8:16 pm and I'm ready for that glass of wine and a screening of Princess Kaiulani, a movie about one of the last heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. Anything about my home state always piques my interest. Maybe I'll review it for my next entry!
Photo (c) Michal Daniel, 2009
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