Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra holds workshop at Chigasaki Junior High School

On Monday, September 23, 2024 (a public holiday), the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra (hereinafter referred to as Kanagawa Phil) will hold a concert in collaboration with a junior high school brass band in Yokohama City. One month before the concert, conductor Kanade Yokoyama, who will also be conducting on the day of the concert, visited the junior high school to conduct a workshop. This time, we asked the members of the Yokohama Municipal Chigasaki Junior High School Brass Band about their feelings and aspirations immediately after the workshop.

I felt the true power of professionalism through direct instruction.

With just one month to go until the concert, conductor Yokoyama held a workshop with the brass band at Yokohama Municipal Chigasaki Junior High School.

They mainly perform pieces that are meant to be played with an orchestra, and when Yokoyama notices something that needs improvement, he stops playing. He then uses singing to express himself and explains things in an easy-to-understand way using analogies to help them improve.

If there were any issues with tone or expression, the performance would be stopped and instruction given. From an outsider's perspective, this workshop seemed like a bit strict instruction for middle school students. How did the advisor and the students feel about it?

We spoke with our advisor, Professor Asuyama.

—Professor Asuyama, what did you think of today's workshop?

In regular practice for competitions, accuracy in playing notes according to the score is required. In contrast, today, Ms. Yokoyama overlooked the minor details and conveyed to the junior high school students in an easy-to-understand way that they should "understand the score and the piece, and 'express' the music." I think the students found Ms. Yokoyama's teaching refreshing.

—Mr. Asuyama, you yourself majored in tuba during your university years and have been teaching wind band for over 30 years. What kind of preparations do you make for concerts?

The first-year students have only been playing their instruments for less than six months. Therefore, the sheet music has been simplified for them. We are practicing the "Yokohama City Anthem" and three other songs so that everyone can perform them on stage.

Yokohama City has guidelines for club activities, clearly defining the number of practice days and hours on weekdays, and limiting weekend practice to no more than three hours on either Saturday or Sunday. This means that the time available for all club members to practice together has decreased compared to before. I imagine everyone is struggling with the issue of practice time for club activities.

The students of Chigasaki Junior High School's brass band are also very busy, performing outside of school almost every week, including at brass band competitions and local events. I often tell the members to apply one instruction to other pieces as well.

—Please share your thoughts on performing with the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra.

I have 30 years of experience in conducting wind bands, but I feel that this is a very precious opportunity for junior high school students to perform with a professional orchestra on a large stage like the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall.

We interviewed the members of the Chigasaki Junior High School Brass Band.

We interviewed three members: club president Chiyoko Yamamoto (center/bass clarinet), vice president Kotone Kaise (left/oboe), and vice president Erena Kitada (right/alto saxophone).

—Please share your honest impressions after the workshop.

I found Mr. Yamamoto 's instruction very refreshing. On the other hand, there were some overlaps between what Mr. Yokoyama pointed out and what our advisor, Mr. Asuyama, always teaches us. Mr. Asuyama often tells us to "apply what he points out not only to that song but also to other songs," so I thought we should all keep that in mind.

I feel that the joy of enjoying music and the attitude towards music are the same for both the Kaise Wind Ensemble Competition and this concert. I'm really looking forward to performing with the string section, seeing what kind of music will be created when the sounds of strings and wind instruments combine, and most of all, performing with professional musicians.

At the Kitada Wind Ensemble Competition, there is a required piece, and we identify the points we need to pay attention to ourselves and work towards making it the best it can be. The approach is slightly different between the competition and the concert, but we want to deliver music to the audience while cherishing the fundamental principle of "creating music together as one."

—How do you plan to spend the time leading up to the performance in one month?

Yamamoto, Kaise, and Kitada: As we are third-year students, this concert with the Kanagawa Philharmonic will be our last performance before we retire from the brass band club. As club president and vice-president, we want to unite the feelings of all the members and create the best concert possible that our audience will enjoy.

Throughout the workshop, I could sense a tense and serious atmosphere, but the students seemed to have received valuable inspiration from the direct instruction of professionals. Later, a workshop will be held by members of the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, leading up to the main performance day.

Come and experience the music that the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and these fresh-faced junior high school students will create together at the Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall.

≪Yokohama Next Concert 2024 meets Tsuzuki Ward≫
Date: September 23, 2024 (Monday, holiday) 15:00 start
Venue: Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall
Official website: Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra