Thanks to the hard work of my management team and the support of many partners overseas, the August 2014 tour in Asia was a whirlwind of productive performance and educational activities, building on longstanding relationships and beginning exciting new ones with artists, students, teachers, presenters, institutions, and other partners.
My touring continues to take shape in the form of a combination of educational residencies/workshops (at schools, studios, colleges, etc.) and collaborative performances. This tour included several incredible collaborations with ensembles in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Tokyo, and Singapore. Perhaps one of the most exciting and challenging was a three-day residency at the Australian National University, incorporating my original extended works with big band, string orchestra, rhythm section, including faculty and student performers. It was a real thrill and I look forward to more like this.
Working with top Australian jazz musicians in Melbourne and Sydney at hot spot jazz clubs was a treat, as was the summit with Japanese jazz violinist Shiro Sadamura in Tokyo, and the deep dive into a concert of ambitious material with the Singapore-based rhythm section of Chok Kerong and So Wen Mei. A cross section of many Japanese professional string players joined me for a long intensive workshop at the Yamaha headquarters in Tokyo’s Ginza district, where I also enjoyed some incredible Sushi and Ramen!
Meeting string players around the world who share enthusiasm for expanding on their classical foundation by incorporating creativity into their art and careers in different ways continues to inspire me and helps me stay committed, whether through the annual “Creative Strings Workshop”, online “Creative Strings Academy”, an upcoming podcast series, or the creation of other resources.
Music education is truly changing around the world, with classically trained musicians everywhere discovering more opportunity for diversifying and becoming creatively expressed.
Several students in all these countries have attended the summer workshop in Columbus and developed their skills and knowledge through the online course, so this is all very encouraging; our movement of classically trained “creative musicians” and teachers is truly growing.
Support for this tour was made possible from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the city of Columbus.
With so much activity, I figured the easiest way to share would be through a slideshow. I hope you enjoy it!
[slideshow_deploy id=’10485′]
