Another recording session

I had another recording with another group.

I went to recording studio right after today's rehearsal.

We recorded for Japanese movie. According to the director, the story is about penguin:-)

The pieces were cute & funny!

Saxophone concertos

We are having a recording for Sax concertos.

Today was a rehearsal in a concert hall.

The soloist is Nobuya Sugawa who is our orchestra's concert master.

He was playing J. Mackey's concerto when I took this picture.

This piece doesn't have brass section in 2nd & 4th movement.

I was lucky because 2nd movement was very tricky and difficult!!

But, it's exciting, wonderful movement just for listening♪hahaha...

Auspicious sign

A tea stem is floating upright in my tea~~~!

Can you see?

There will be something good ♪

NSB

Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra had an annual recording last week.

The title is "New Sounds In Brass".

This series of CDs started from 1972. I hadn't been born yet when it started...

TKWO has recorded many wonderful pieces from Jazz, Pops and classical music arranged for wind ensemble in this series.

And we always had some guest musicians.

He (the second from the left) is a famous jazz trumpet player Shin Kazuhara.

He is a great musician. I was very happy to play with him!

Furano Ski Resort 2

I got these beautiful pictures of "Hokkaido Ski Tour" from my colleague.

Wow, These are very different from mine! hahaha.... 

Taichi Saotome

"He" is a member of his father's theatre troupe.

And he is called one of the most talented "Onnagata"(female impersonator) of a hundred years.

I went to see the play with my friend yesterday.

Taichi Saotome acted more modest, sexy, and beautiful than any women...

I should follow him!

Furano Ski Resort

I went to Furano Hokkaido to ski with my colleagues for 3 days!

The snow was good, the weather was beautiful and the hotel was wonderful...I enjoyed very much.

I wondered if I can ski well, because it's been a long time.

But I could ski better than I thought except sometimes I drove recklessly...

Some members had good single-lens reflex cameras, so I didn't take many pictures.

I'll show you after I received these pictures♪

Happy New Year!!

It's turned 2009!

How was your New Year Holiday?

I was in my grand mother's house and I was a couch potato....

I ate new year's food!

"Osechi"which is foods in a red box,"Okahira-tsuki"which is whole sea bream and "Ozoni"which is soup containing rice cakes.

These are auspicious food♪

I also went to shrine for "Hatsu Moude" with my grand mother.

There were so many people there!

May your 2009 be filled with joy and happiness.

Merry Christmas!!

Hello my friends!

How was your Christmas?

Japanese people celebrate Christmas even though Buddhists. 

That's unique, right?

But I work at Christmas every year...(-_-)

So I usually have a party with my coworkers.

Yesterday, I hung out with Rie who is a clarinet player in my orchestra and my best friend.

We ate big oysters!

These were fresh, beautiful and delicious!!! 

Young@Heart

Do you know this movie?

This is my favorite one.

It's a documentary about Young@Heart which is a chorus group consists of elderly whose average age is 80!

And they sing punk rock~~~~~!!!!

They are cool.

They are cute♪

Their life is beautiful.

I laughed a lot, I cried a lot and they inspired me.

Young@Heart Trailer

Kanazawa

The next day of Kyoto, we moved to kanazawa and had the last concert of this tour.

Kanazawa was a castle town, so many dead ends have been left in the town like a maze.

I had a little time before a rehearsal, so I walked around the old quiet town.

I felt Japan very much....

The structures were solemn.

Nice...

Kyoto

This is the Kyoto Concert Hall.

Kyoto is one of the famous tourist spots in Japan which has a lot of historical structure. 

But, unfortunately, we didn't have time to sightseeing this time (T_T)

We went to the concert hall directly and had a concert.

I want to come again someday just for sightseeing♪

Okonomiyaki (Hiroshima style)

Hiroshima is famous for Okonomiyaki.

A lot of shredded cabbage and noodle in the dough, and eat with sweet sauce.

That was great!!!!

I was happy~~~~:-)

Concert in Hiroshima

I was in Fukuyama Hiroshima last weekend.

I played in my previous orchestra as a extra player.

This is the view from my place on the stage.

Aaron Copland, George Gershwin..... That was a hard program for the trumpet players.hahaha

We are having two more concerts in Kyoto & Kanazawa from tomorrow♪

Off Stage Solo

I played the trumpet in the light control room on the second tier of the concert hall!

Our orchestra had a concert in Kakegawa Shizuoka and the second piece had an off stage trumpet solo.

There wasn't a monitor at the off stage, so I couldn't see the conductor.

that's why I played there.

It was dark and cold! So I used small light and wore a coat.

Nobody could see me, so I was doing gymnastics to warm myself while I waited to play .

good selection♪

Wow! There are a lot of new trumpet!!

I went to warehouse of SELMER JAPAN.

These Bach's trumpets were imported from USA.

Before they send them to music stores, I made some selections from them which have good sound, good intonation and good balance..

It's difficult to chose good instruments for amateur players, so every store wants to have instruments which were chosen by professional players. 

I was happy about there are some good trumpets♪ 

waiters→musicians

There were wonderful musicians in the waiters!

They stopped working a little while and played nice music.

Cool!!

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrive 2008

My friend composer Mr. Mashima (playing the trombone in the photo) had a live in Cafe "Aux Bacchanales".

Every year he plays jazz in the cafe with his fellow musicians in the Beaujolais Nouveau's opening night.

I played "Lullaby of Birdland"!

There were a lot of people celebrating bland new fresh wine enjoyed the live.

I also enjoyed playing, listening and drinking♪

That was hot night.

This is the stage for "rakugo"which is traditional verbal entertainment.

The lone storyteller wearing Kimono sits on the stage and talk. 

I went to see the rakugo last Saturday with my colleague.

It was unusual because the rakugo was held in Izakaya restaurant (Japanese style bar) with dinner instead of in a theater. My friend works there and she invited us.

That was interesting and wonderful!

I'd like to see rakugo again♪

I got carried away.....

My colleague gave it to me.

Sorry... I've just turned to 34.......

A little old Minnie Mouse. Hahaha...