"Go deep into something..."

"Go deep into something." is what Shoji Kameda of On Ensemble said at Stanford last year. (Do you remember this, Shoji?) It was a forum on composition at the Collegiate Taiko Invitational with Roy Hirabayashi, Kenny Endo and Shoji. I was taking scratchy notes on the back of a handout. I keep this nearby so I can look at it from time to time - I love it.

These were Shoji's Guidelines for Composing:

1. Start with where you are, and with what you have. ("You may have great music in you, but it's underneath a bunch of crud.")

2. Be a sponge.

3. Never stop improving.

4. Don't get precious about your work or art form.

5. Find your voice. Be inspired by, not a derivative of. ("Is this musical idea really working, or is it just me showing off?")



I think all these things apply to creating art too.

I opened up my sketchbook this afternoon, stared at the blank pages wondering about the theme I'm supposed to follow... This is what came out. I'm not being precious. And I am trying to get at what's under all the crud.





My Canvas Project submission is now showing at the Atlanta Airport. It's the green one in the right frame - top row, second from the right. It's so small, but it's me showing. I don't do that, ever. Amongst cool art from all over the world. So different and interesting.

The Sketchbook Project

I just got back from Taiko Conference in LA. My brain is still mulling over a lot of different things. As usual, creativity is one of those things.


I found this bookmark that I made, in one of my old notebooks. It reads "Only a food imitates. It is better to do bad work of one's own." - George Bizet

Do I really believe this now?

Psycho Daiko is the second taiko group I belonged to, when I was teaching in Japan. I wrote 2 songs for this group (called "Yaki Neko" and "Sakana Milkshake"!). I didn't think about how "good" they were as compositions at the time. We played them and enjoyed them and the audience enjoyed us. That was enough.


I haven't written anything for many years.

I want to, and have many ideas. But I need to start somewhere...

As usual, my art is following along the same themes. I have many many ideas. But where to start?

A sketchbook.

I'm starting on my new arthouse project tonight - the Sketchbook Project. I'm going to try to post something each week, even if it's bad. It'll be bad work of my own.