今週は『アリゾナお祭り』、やった〜！！！！！！

Click on this link -> http://azmatsuri.org/

次回USエアウェイズで空の旅をする時、座席の雑誌を見てください。私が働いてる２つの団体『フェニックス・ユース・シンフォニー』と『アリゾナ・オペラ』の記事そして写真が乗ってます！これはアリゾナ州１００周年記念のためです。

Phoenix Youth Symphony is on page 104 with a picture of me conducting.

Arizona Opera is on page 100

Arizona Opera’s Resident Artist Laura Wilde is on page 95

Every time I do an Education Program like Music Memory, I am reminded about the importance of Classical Music in our society. How much Classical Music can influence the younger generation. The power of live performance. What is my role as a Classical Musician? Will these young audience find themselves sitting at a Symphony Concert 10 to 15 years from now?

Did I make and leave a strong influence from my presentation? Will these young students go home and ask their parents that they want to learn an instrument? Answers I may not find out now… But I want to continue presenting these Educational Programs with a lot of care and love. Because I know it is important.

This year’s performance was not only musically excellent but visually entertaining for the audience. I am super proud of my orchestra and thank them all for their time and dedication. Special thanks to Sharon Amrein (Program Director), William L. & Ruth Pendleton Memorial Fund, PYS Board, Staff, Parents, Volunteers and the Teachers. It was a great event!!!

My favorite moment(1) Singing “Happy Birthday” to Arizona’s 100th Birthday.
My favorite moment(2) When an Elementary Student asked a flute player to play “I’m Sexy and I know it”
My favorite moment(3) The percussions made the little girl cry in Fanfare for the Common Man
My favorite moment(4) (Holding an oboe) “What is this Instrument” “CLARINET!!!!!”
My favorite moment(5) Usually the young audience ask for my signature in their book. One boy decided to give me HIS signature for me to keep. Hilarious.

先週『モンテッソーリ・イン・ザ・パーク』に行きました。モンテッソーリ教育についてはこちらをご覧下さい。

I brought my saxophone and demonstrated how the instrument works. I played for the students different genres of music.

楽器を持っていって子供たちにたくさんのジャンルの音楽を演奏しました。

The students were studying the PYS Music Memory Book in preparation for the performance the following week. I spoke with the older students about the music the orchestra will be performing and we did some walking exercises using “Promenade” from Pictures at an Exhibition.

年上の生徒さん達は、今週私のオーケストラの教育コンサートへ来る予定だったので、そのコンサートの音楽について話しました。とても楽しかったです。

Thank you Polly for inviting me. Here are some photos from that day.

What do you do with your left over sticky rice?
あまったご飯？焼きおにぎりでしょーーー！

Don’t throw it away!! Make YAKI-ONIGIRI.
It’s a Japanese comfort food. Panfried Rice Balls.

You can just use plain rice with a little salt or in my example I have mixed Sesame Seed, Umeboshi (fermented sour plum) and Salmon pieces.
Mix Mix Mix.

Use your hands and make them into triangle shape.

Cook all sides with sesame oil.

Once you get some crust, dress it with soy sauce using a brush.
Get all sides.

Get more crust!! Burn it a little bit!!!

Accompany it with Miso Soup. Yum.

KH – forming the triangle shape
Michael Mortarotti – painting soy sauce
Erika Tazawa - crusting

Congratulations on your successful audition. I’m extremely excited to work with all of you in February! I wanted to post some recordings and notes for your reference as you prepare your music.

La Mer Movement III: Dialogue du vent et de la mer
It will be conducted in 2.
The half note is at 96. Practice it slow and gradually bring it up to this tempo.
When you practice, please be extra careful with the different dynamics.
What makes this music so rewarding is achieving the different colors.

String Players, make sure you observe the dynamics at reh 45.
There we be a slight pause before reh 46, so anticipate that.

Horns – Make sure your “stopped horn (+)” sound is loud going into Reh 48

Key Change after reh 52. It may feel uncomfortable practicing this section when you are alone because of the flats, but please make sure you are in tune.

Harps – lots of push and pull at your section in reh 54. Be ready!!

Reh 61 to the end flies!!!!

Mussorgsky – Night On Bald Mountain
Brass Measure 14 – Louder. If it’s too loud I’ll let you know. But practice with a metronome so you don’t lose time. It must be absolutely steady.

Violin 2 – Measure 61, grace notes are super important. Bring that out as much as you can.

Tutti – ms106 is a subito PPP. Please make sure you get soft.

Celli/Bass – ms134 you have a LONG crescendo. Please pace it. Don’t get excited too soon.

Horns and Trumpet 2 – more of YOU at ms 156. Trumpet 1 will be heard just fine, the other 5 parts must be prominent.

Viola – 174 poco rit. Not MOLTO rit.

Winds – reh I (ms 194–) is a killer for intonation. Please be solid before coming to rehearsal.

Percussion – Reh K (ms 210) you may explode on those crescendo. I allow.

Tutti – Reh O (ms250) Sosutenuto PULL BACK. STEP ON THE BRAKES. This particular recording doesn’t do it much but I will pull back more.

Cymbals – Reh S (ms317) I really want an annoying clashing sound. Be ready to demonstrate me different colors at rehearsal.

Tutti – RehT (ms 333) add “piu mosso” We will fly for 4 measures. Don’t be left behind. (this recording doesn’t do it)

If you don’t know much about “Night On Bald Mountain”… enjoy!!

Johann Strauss : Unter Donner und Blitz, Polka schnell
This is going to be so much fun!!! Can’t wait!!!!

Looking forward to the collaboration!!! See you soon!!!

Beethoven – Fidelio Overture

Eric Chasalow – Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (World Premiere)
Bruno Schneider

Haydn – Concerto for Two Horns and Orchestra
Bruno Schneider – Rose French

Schumann – Konzertstück – Concerto for Four Horns and Orchestra
JD Shaw – Laurence Lowe – John Ericson – Daniel Katzen

thoughts…
French Horn is such a beautiful instrument to look at and to listen to.
ホルンはとても美しい音色をもった楽器ですね。それだけではなく、楽器がすごくきれいです！

I’ve always wanted to conduct the Schumann!! That totally made my day. The rich harmonies of the orchestra mixed with a quartet of horns. What more can you possibly ask for??

Bravi to the orchestra and soloists. And a standing ovation to the host, ROSE FRENCH!!!
オーケストラ、ソリストのみなさんお疲れ様でした。

and then took the shuttle to Newman Center; Lamont School of Music. Lawrence Golan was doing his Dress Rehearsal of Strauss Also Sprach. The Newman Center is one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen on a University Campus. Wonderful acoustics and a warm architecture.

I had a quick dress rehearsal of the Tchaikovsky and then ate lunch with the orchestra.

To read the review of the concert, click HERE

After the concert we took the bus back to the hotel. I thought we had 30 minutes to get ready for dinner… It turned out to be more than 1 hour. (see.. at this point, I was OUT!!!!) So I took advantage of the extra time in the lobby.

I also participated in a game of SPOONS. Since we didn’t have spoons, we used cell phones. The loser had to spell their name with their butt. That was hilarious.

Dinner and night time activity was at DAVE & BUSTER’S. My first time ever. Fun place. The PYS musicians combined their tokens to give a gift to Lawrence’s daughter and niece. That was super nice.

Late night, I met up with former Tucson Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinet, Jeremy Reynolds. He is now on faculty at University of Denver.

(p.s. that is not a soft drink)

Before I went to sleep, I set my alarm to 9:15AM on my iPhone. But, to my surprise, I woke up to the hotel phone ringing at …. who know what time…..  I was in total PANIC MODE!!! I thought, “SHOOT!!! I overslept, everyone is on the bus!!!!” Well, it happened to be a friendly wake-up-call. Not so friendly at that point (7:30am). Went back to sleep.

Woke up, showered, and changed.. I had some down time so I flipping through scores on the sofa.(9:58am ish) On the printed schedule, loading was 10:30am. So I thought I had lots of time. At 10:02am the hotel phone rings, it was like déjà vu, so Panic Attack #2.
Me: hello?
Front Desk: Your party is waiting outside on the bus.
Me: what!???!
PSY Staff in the background: we are just loading!!!
Me: okay, I’ll be there!!!!

Sure enough, when I got down to the lobby, everyone was on the bus!!!!!!
Me: did I misread the schedule?
Staff: nope, but the musicians were all ready and clogging the lobby so we decided to leave early.
Me: ah….

At the airport I checked-in on FourSquare at the restaurant. They had a check-in deal so I got 40% off my meal! SCORE!!!

Flight back to Phoenix was quiet. Majority, including myself slept. I got home, ate dinner around 4pm. Took a nap which lasted 6 hours. Woke up, had a rice cracker, brushed my teeth and went back to sleep.

Congrats PYS on a wonderful tour to Denver. It was a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Following are random pictures from the tour.. It’s okay if you don’t get it… most of them are inside jokes.

“WASHOKU” – Japanese Dining

Let me first start by expressing the reason behind this post. I visit a new town and I search “Japanese Food” on Yelp, and this is what I see.

JAPANESE RESTAURANT A
Reviewer-Japanese name: this is an okay restaurant, the sushi meat was frozen.
Reviewer-Non-Japanese name: this place is the bomb!! The best sushi in the city, a must go!!!!

I am not saying that a Japanese tongue is better equipped for rating Japanese food. But what I cannot accept is when people review a Washoku restaurant based on their Spider-Ninja-Godzilla-Kamikaze-In-Your-Face-Karate-Special-Rolls. I’m sorry but those rolls were invented in the United States. When my non-Japanese friends say, “I love Japanese food” and all they order is cream-cheese-stuffed-deep-fried-ridiculousness, I just simply put on my ninja face and say “That’s nice, would you like some eel sauce?”

This blog in intended to introduce you with “washoku” (traditional Japanese style) restaurants recommended by me and my friends. Please avoid ordering the rolls and try the food us Japanese would love for you to experience. Just FYI, not all Japanese food is raw!!! Wrong stereotype people. The only correct stereotype is, Japanese people always take pictures.

皆さんはアメリカのお寿司を召し上がった事ありますか? つまり太巻きです。具はなんとアボガド 海老フライ クリームチーズ ハーブ　鮪　鮭　鰻 蟹　キュウリ等々。ここでアメリカの太巻きレポートが終了だと思ったら大間違い。。なんと太巻きにパン粉をまぶして油で揚げる。太巻きフライ?こりゃあヘルシーなお寿司でもアメリカ人が「お寿司」を食べて太る訳ですよね。

この数年「私　和食大好き」とつぶやくアメリカ人の知り合いが増えています。彼らと一緒に寿司屋に行って注文するのがすべてロール。そう最初に説明した沢山変な具がはいってる太巻きフライ

「おいおい　それって　和食じゃねーー」って江戸っ子育ちの私は叫びたいところ

しかし彼らは喜んで美味しいって言っているので　まーぁ何も言わずに渋いお茶を飲み干してあがりおかわりぃーっじゃない、グリーンティーおかわりぃ。。日本も若者向けに
アメリカ風の太巻きも渋谷の回転寿司などで見かける様になりましたが、アメリカでの
スベシャル・ロールをメニューに入れたら日本の若者に受けるんじゃないかな。
しかし、これを「お寿司」とは言ってほしくないですね。

私は仕事上、初めて訪ねる町に行く度にまずは「和食レストラン」をインターネットで
調べます。ネットで検索しますとお客様の評価(レビュー) が載っています。評価を読むと
毎回爆笑

Aレストランの評価
(日本人の名前) このお店はあまり美味しくなかった。
(外国人の名前) この町一番　最高のお寿司屋は　ここ!!!!!

さぁー貴方はどちらを信じますか?

このブログの目的は私と日本人の友達がお薦めする和食の店のご紹介です。これからも私が立ち寄ったお薦めしたいお店の情報をお伝え致しますね。皆様のお薦めの店とか、
どのお料理が美味しかったか等是非教えて下さい!!

美味しいお料理に出会った時、初めて入った店のカウンターで話が弾んだ板前さんとの
出逢い、食事はただお腹いっぱいになるだけでなく人との出逢い、食の感性を豊かにそして一瞬一瞬の喜びと、楽しさ、幸せを胃だけの満足でなく、心も満足させてくれますね。

LAST UPDATED JANUARY 5, 2012

ARIZONA: Phoenix | Tucson
CALIFORNIA: San Diego | Los Angeles
HAWAII: Waikiki-Honolulu
ILLINOIS: Chicago
NEW YORK: New York

CANADA: Vancouver

ITALY: Milano

United Kingdom: London

Chicago

GYU-KAKU – website
210 East Ohio St. Chicago, IL 60611 – Google Map
*Japanese BBQ

London

ABENO TOO – website
17 Great Newport St Leicester Square London WC2H 7JE – Google Map
*Okonomiyaki

ATARI-YA – website
Sushi Bar 1 Station Parade, Uxbridge Road Ealing, London W5 3LD – Google Map
Sushi Bar 75 Fairfax Road, London NW6 4EE – Google Map
Sushi Bar 31 Vivian Avenue, Hendon, London NW4 3UX – Google Map

NOBU – website
19 Old Park Lane London W1K 1LB – Google Map
*The restaurant owned by the famous chef, Nobu Matsuhisa.

SATSUMA – website
56 Wardour Street London W1D 4JG – Google Map

TOKYO DINER – website
2 Newport Place Leicester Square London, WC2H 7JJ – Google Map

YUMENOKI – website
204 Fulham Road, London SW10 9PJ – Google Map

Los Angeles

FUAKAGAWA
1630 West Redondo Beach Blvd Gardena, CA 90247 – Google Map
*Authentic Japanese Breakfast. Try some “natto” fermented soy beans!

O UDON – website
17870 Newhope Street #102 Fountain Valler, CA 92708 – Google Map
*Udon – a type of thick wheat-flour noodle.

SANUKI NO SATO – website
18206 South Western Avenue Gardena, CA 90248 – Google Map
*An amazing washoku restaurant, it’s a must go!!

Milano

HIGUMA – website
Via Adda angolo Via Bordoni, 12, 20124 Milano – Google Map

MIZU – website
Corso Sempione, 10, 20154, Milano – Google Map

O-ma.ca.sé – website
Via San Fermo, 1, 20121 Milano – Google Map

POPOROYA
Via Bartolomeo Eustachi, 17, 20129 Milano – Google Map

TOMOYOSHI ENDO – website
Via Fabio Filzi, 8, 20124 Milano – Google Map

YOJI
Via Timavo, 78, 20099 Sesto San Giovanni Milano – Google Map

YOSHI – website
Via Giuseppe Parini, 7, 20121 Milano – Google Map

New York

BOZU – website
296 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY – Google Map

DECIBEL – website
240 East 9th Street New York, NY 10003 – Google Map
*sake bar

SAKE BAR HAGI
152 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 – Google Map

HAKATA TONTON – website
61 Grove St New York, NY 10014 – Google Map

KATSU-HAMA – website
45 West 55th Street #2 New York, NY – Google Map
11 East 47th Street New York, NY – Google Map
*tonkatsu

MINCA – website
536 East 5th Street New York, NY 10009 – Google Map
*Ramen

NATORI
58 Saint Marks Pl #1 New York, NY 10003 – Google Map
*izakaya (a place to drink and have some appetizers – popular after work place)

ROBATAYA – website
231 East 9th Street New York, NY – Google Map
*Kamameshi – literally “kettle rice” – traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot.

SOBA TOTTO – website
211 East 43rd Street #A New York, NY – Google Map
*thin noodle made of buckwheat flour – super healthy!

TOMOE SUSHI – website
172 Thompson Street New York, NY 10012 – Google Map
*You cannot make a reservation here and be prepared to wait in line. But the wait is worth it. (recommended by pianist, Makiko Hirata)
『絶対予約を取らず、狭い店構えで雰囲気とかは問題にならないけれど、ねたは最高に新鮮でしかもたっぷり。すし飯も甘くなく、しっかりとしていて、最高！クリエイティブとか言うのじゃないけれど、しっかり漁村のすしをやってる、っていう感じ！問題は６ｐｍ前に行かなければ、毎日物凄い行列だ、ということ。1時間は待つ覚悟で行かなければ行けない。でも、美味しい!』(ピアニスト　平田真希子おすすめ）

TOTTO RAMEN – website
366 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 – Google Map

USHIWAKAMARU
136 West Houston Street New York, NY – Google Map
*sushi

YAKINIKU WEST
218 East 9th Street New York, NY – Google Map
*Japanese BBQ

YAKITORI TOTTO – website
251 West 55th Street New York, NY – Google Map
*Yakitori = literally “grilled chicken”. Restaurant of skewered food

Phoenix

SUSHI KEN JAPANESE RESTAURANT
4206 E. CHandler Blvd #7, Phoenix, AZ 85048 – Google Map
*Order the Ramen here. If the only Ramen you’ve ever had in your life is the chicken/beef flavor Ramen you can buy at the grocery store…This will be a life changing experience for you.

San Diego

RAKU
3739 6th Avenue Ste B San Diego, CA 92103 – Google Map
*This place is in Hillcrest. Yakitori place. Their beef tongue skewer is fantastic!

WA DINING OKAN – website
3860 Convoy Street San Diego, CA 92111 – Google Map
*Their healthy lunch set is only $6.50. Amazing food, this picture is what we got. 

Tucson

SUSHI YUKARI – website
5655 E. River Rd. #151, Tucson, AZ 85750 – Google Map
*When you walk in, the owner Yukari-san will greet you. Get to know her. This is a great place to order traditional Japanese cuisine. If the menu looks intimidating, just ask Yukari-san for recommendation.
オーナー、片山ゆかりさんのブログはこちら
ツーソン日本人会のホームページはこちら

YAMATO JAPANESE RESTAURANT
857 East Grant Road Tucson, AZ 85719 – Google Map
*The best way to eat here is to sit at the counter. Meet Noboru-san, the chef and ask him for the recommendation. Do not order rolls here, it will be an insult.

Vancouver

GYU-KAKU – website
G3-888 Beksib St. Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2H1 – Google Map
*Japanese BBQ

SANPACHI
3132 W. Broadway Vancouver, BC V6K 2G9 – Google Maps
*try their Ramen!

Waikiki-Honolulu

GOMA TEI Ramen
1200 Ala Moana Blvd #429, Honolulu, HI 96814 – Google Map

GYU-KAKU – website
307 Lewers St. Honolulu, HI 96815 – Google Map
*Japanese BBQ

ICHIRIKI JAPANESE NABE RESTAURANT – website
510 Piikoi St. Honolulu, HI 96814 – Google Map
*Nabe – a healthy Hot Pot with vegetables, seafood, meat and broth. Eating together from a shared pot is considered as an important in Japanese culture. The act of sitting around a table, sharing nabe will create warm relations between the diners who eat together.

KIMUKATSU
This is a famous TONKATSU (deep-fried pork cutlet) restaurant in Ebisu, Tokyo. It will open soon at Aston Waikiki Joy Hotel
320 Lewers St. Honolulu, HI 96815 – Google Map

MENCHANKO-TEI
2255 Kuhio Ave #S19 Honolulu, HI 96815 – Google Map

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