Tokyo Nights
Life In Tokyo - Neil Stalnaker
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Sound Check?
A few years ago, I learned an important lesson while (and about) living here in Japan. I was doing some of my own quartet gigs. In the USA, I was used to showing up 15-20 minutes before a gig. If there was a rehearsal it was usually a day or two before the gig. Then we just went to the gig and played. I noticed here (in Japan) that the musicians seemed to be uncomfortable with me coming to my gigs only 15 minutes before the start time. If I was on someone else's gig, we usually had a rehearsal at 5:30 or 6pm (for an 8pm gig). This meant that I would had to leave my apartment at 3 or 4 pm for an 8pm gig. I got called for a few big band gigs. This is where I really noticed a change. The bandleader told me to be at the club around 3:30pm for a "sound-check". Well, back in the good 'ole USA, a sound check meant that I would come to the concert hall around 7pm and the band would play 1 or 2 songs so the sound man could get the levels on the mics, drums, etc. Here in Tokyo, I quickly found myself in 3 hour sound-checks. We played and rehearsed every tune that was going to be played that night. I just couldn't understand it. Why are we wasting the brass players chops and using up all of the creative energy in a "3 hour sound-check"? I wondered.

Around the same time, I was continuing to teach English (had to make that money...). I had a couple of students that went to New York on a business trip. While in New York, they went to a Yankees game. When they returned, I asked them how they enjoyed the game. They said it was "so-so". I asked why only so-so. They said they were disappointed because they went to the ballpark 3-4 hours before the game to watch the practice session. They said the guys came out stretched a little, tossed the ball around and did a few minutes of batting practice and went back into the clubhouse. I told them that was normal because it was a "game day". We want to save our best for the game. They were very disappointed. I began to see a connection between this baseball experience and the experiences I was having with "sound checks".

During the same period, I read a book called "THE CHRYSANTHEMUM AND THE BAT". This is one of the best books that I've read to give you an insight into the sometimes vague but, multi-layered culture in Japan. Also, another book simply called , "KATA". Kata is a word I learned in high school while I was studying Shotokan karate. Kata means form. It means there is a "correct" way of doing things. So, I noticed that I was running into the "process" all the time. I was having to arrive at gigs 2-4 hours early and do rehearsals that often times seemed to be "too little, too late" or just a waste of time. However, I learned that because this culture focuses so much on the "group", these "get togethers" before the gig were actually a way to strengthen the group..to form more harmony within the group. Japanese like to use the word "wa". This word is very important in the context of the Japanese culture.

I can't say that I'm any happier now than I was 3-4 years ago about having to show-up hours before a gig and run through 15-20 tunes. But, at least, now I understand why and the form of the "exercise". However, I still love the excitement and the spontaneity of showing-up and sight-reading a concert like I had to do several times in Washington, D.C. at places like the Smithsonian Museum Concert Series. I don't do much reading now so, my reading level is much, much lower than it was when I was living in D.C. But, in D.C. I was expected to be a great reader. There wasn't all of these opportunities to eliminate possible errors. It was too difficult to get a band together for rehearsals so, you were expected to show up at the gig and be ready "to play".
Apple Store Written at 9/17/2005 12:32:00 AM by neil stalnaker.