By Bobby Griffin, Japanese Music Teacher
Does the koto sound like falling leaves? Can music sound like the wind? Is silence still music?
On Monday, August 31 from 16:30–17:30 in the YIS Auditorium, the entire YIS community is invited to explore these questions during a lecture-recital of traditional Japanese music. The lecture will be lead by Mr. Griffin, assisted by Masai Ikeda (associate-master of koto), and Garei Nakagawa (grand-master of koto and shamisen). Along with a special performance from the YIS MS Koto Ensemble.
Through live music and discussion, we will explore some of the sounds and ideas that make Japanese traditional music so fascinating. More importantly, we will discuss how these sounds can carry imagery, meaning, and tradition. And how learning to listen for these details can change the way we experience the music.
Are You a Good Listener?
Everyone has different tastes in music. J-pop, rock, classical music, jazz, movie soundtracks, video-game music? Or, more likely, a little bit of everything.
We often think about how much practice it takes to learn an instrument, but we don’t always think about listening as a skill. Just like playing an instrument, listening is something we can get better at.
Our YIS community has the unique opportunity to explore music through traditional Japanese instruments, whether performing or listening to a recital. We learn to play and appreciate the music, but we don’t always stop to notice the smaller details, think about why they matter, or consider what they might tell us about the culture and traditions behind the sounds we hear.
How did that note bend? Why did the sound suddenly change? What did that sound remind me of?
This is where Japanese traditional music can be especially fun to explore. Musicians create sounds that suggest rain, wind, falling leaves, cicadas, birds, water, or distant landscapes. The same instrument can sound gentle and peaceful one moment, then powerful and exciting the next.
Music paints pictures in our minds without showing us anything at all. Once we start exploring these details, listening becomes more interesting. Instead of simply deciding whether we “like” or “don’t like” a piece, we can begin to connect with a story being told today, or one that has been told through music for hundreds of years.
But the what, how, and why questions aren’t only useful for Japanese music. We can ask them while listening to an orchestra, a jazz group, a movie soundtrack, a video game, or our favorite song.
The more carefully we listen, the more we begin to notice.
Come and Listen
Let’s explore the sounds of traditional Japanese music and learn about some of the stories behind them. We might even come away feeling a little more personally connected to this special music we experience at YIS.
No previous knowledge is needed. You only need your ears and your curiosity. Listen, learn, and experience Japanese traditional music in a new way. You might be surprised by how much there is to hear!
Monday, August 31 | 16:30–17:30 | YIS Auditorium