Enjoy music and art in a stylish space unique to Maekawa Architecture!

Visit, see and feel the world of art
File.32 Ongakudo Open Theater “New Year’s Day with Music x Architecture x Art”
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

``Ongakudo Open Theater'' opens the entire music hall to the public and allows you to enjoy it for free. This is a fun project that not only music fans, but also people who are more interested in Maekawa's architecture than music, and preschoolers can easily participate. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, both the "real version" and "online version" will be held this time, so first go to the real version open theater held on Wednesday, January 6th!

Unfortunately, the scheduled ``Maekawa Architectural Tour'' has been canceled for both adults and children. For this reason, you would think that the area near the entrance would be deserted even after the opening time of 1:00 p.m. I can't help but feel a cheerful atmosphere coming from behind the glass wall. Come to think of it, there was a program called "Live Painting". I thought I had to experience the live experience, so I headed inside the music hall!

The person doing the live painting was calligraphy and painting artist hanateru. He is based in Zushi and Kamakura and is engaged in creative activities with a unique style. It seems that he often gets ideas from the ``casual but lovely scenery'' he sees while walking around the neighborhood, but this time he used the glass wall of the music hall as a canvas to create a painting with the image of ``yin and yang.'' was.
The theme is "Ring of Light."

I took the opportunity to take off my mask for a moment!

``I feel that the music hall, which has been loved and cherished by everyone, is a building filled with a lot of thoughts.It took a little courage to paint inside it (lol), but it feels really good.
The walls of the music hall are colorful, including red, green, and yellow, so I'm trying to keep my paintings simple."

When I suddenly looked, I saw a strange object placed in the foyer. UFO? Or a big dorayaki?

The object was a "handpan" that was played in another program.
The handpan is a new musical instrument that was created in Switzerland around 2000.It has a deep and pleasant tone reminiscent of gamelan, and is gaining popularity mainly in Europe. It is said to be an evolved version of the steel pan, which originated in the Caribbean, and sounds are produced by flicking or hitting a dome-shaped metal plate with your fingertips.

The performer is Ryohei Kubota.
When he was in his second year of high school, he saw a handpan video online and was so shocked that he thought, ``I just want to hit the handpan, and I can't sleep unless I hit the handpan!''

“At that time, there was almost no information available in Japanese, and the handpan I finally found was quite expensive for a high school student.Even so, I used the money I had saved to buy a bass, and borrowed money from my parents to make up for what I didn't have. I managed to get it.”

Since then, he has continued to play through trial and error, without having a teacher or instructional book to teach him how to play, and has established himself as a player.
The passion of young people is terrifying!

The soft sound of a hand pan echoes in the sophisticated and elegant space unique to Maekawa architecture.

“The foyer of the music hall has a pleasant reverberation, and the sound spreads wonderfully. I’m looking forward to everyone hearing the live sound of the handpan.”

The number of customers gradually increased in the foyer, drawn in by the sound of handpans. The foyer of the music hall is spacious, and some of the windows are open, so I thought it would be good for smooth ventilation. Since it was this time of year, hall staff took even more precautions.
Look! The reliable appearance of circulators lined up against the wall!

It looks like an object that is integrated with the modern architectural design of the foyer, and it makes me smile.

Hanateru continued to draw while the fantastic music of the hand pan played.

The third program is a New Year's live performance by "The Poo" held at the hall. Since it was an unreserved seat, I decided to sit in a different place than the one I was aiming for at the concert. You can enjoy a refreshing view of the beautiful hall, which is made entirely of wood, from the walls to the ceiling.

The Pooh is a music unit consisting of Machio Machio (guitar), Machiko Machiko (theremin), Sarutaro Kawashima (puppet), and Taro SONE (producer), and is known for its surreal and stylish live performances that mix music, skits, and theater. .
I don't know much about it, but it looks interesting anyway.

What caught my attention was the theremin played by Machiko. It is said to be the world's first electronic musical instrument, and the pitch and volume can be adjusted by adjusting the position of your hand in space, without touching the instrument itself. The performance scene has a very strange feeling, like dancing or watching a magic trick.

The approximately 40-minute stage performance includes talk, singing, and laughter.
It would be a spoiler to explain it in detail, so please watch it on the Ongakudo Channel @ YouTube, which will be released at a later date.

I've been to concerts at the music hall before, but on this day I felt that the music hall had a slightly different, friendly atmosphere than usual.
The music hall is such a comfortable space because you can enjoy music freely.
While thinking about this, I looked back and saw that Hanateru 's painting was about to be completed.

Here is a picture taken around 4pm, just before closing time. If you compare it with the first image, you can feel the soft time that Hanateru created.

YouTube Ongakudo Channel not only shows live videos of the real version, but also programs that are only available online. For those who want to hear the sound of handpans, those who want to enjoy The Pooh's original stage, those who want to see the complete picture drawn by Hanateru , and those who want to enjoy the beauty of Maekawa's architecture. Please visit us!

*Video of Ongakudo Open Theater will be released in late January.