By Iris Shiraishi, Mu Daiko Artistic Director Mu Daiko is three weeks from the opening of its 15th anniversary concert at the Ordway’s McKnight Theatre!  Rehearsals are in full swing – we’re premiering three new works and are in the process of resurrecting and polishing long-standing audience favorites. And, we’re commemorating this milestone concert with the production of our first-ever DVD concert recording.  Part of the DVD will include interviews with Rick Shiomi, Mu’s Artistic and Mu Daiko’s Founding Director; myself; and current Mu Daiko members.

What does it take to launch a taiko concert?  The first and most exciting part is deciding on a vision for the production. I’ve always been interested in creating an evening’s work that goes beyond a recital of single compositions.  This year, it’s a combination of featuring our best compositions of the last 15 years with an exciting theme: Fire and Flow.  It’s a puzzle, figuring out which of our compositions, old and new, will realize and amplify both.  Some of the puzzle pieces include how a particular piece might look on this particular stage, deciding if I have the right players to make a piece sing, balancing energy levels of different pieces, and balancing the melodies and rhythms between pieces.

I hand over these ideas to the production staff and they make artistic choices in lighting and set design that will help communicate the essence of each song as well as the entire production.  We’re all set with brand-new costumes from the last concert.  Our Mu marketing machine is in place and kicking in nicely – we’re all looking forward to playing for audiences old and new.  Some of them have been to every single one of our 14 previous mainstage concerts!

Rick started the tradition of presenting stellar taiko guest artists and we’re at an apex this year not only with Hanayui and Yoshikazu Fujimoto of Kodo, but Tiffany Tamaribuchi and Megan Chao Smith.  We’re also featuring local artists Alex Lubet (composer/guitar), Maja Radovanlija (guitar), and vocalists/Mu artists Katie Bradley and Sheena Janson.  We are surrounded by such a wealth of talent – locally, nationally, and internationally – and we’re fortunate that they are all willing to be a part of our concert celebrations.

We just finished taping a segment for tpt’s MN Original series and we’re getting ready for our DVD interviews.  There’s a production meeting scheduled with the Ordway on Thursday.  We’re working not only on our pieces but also the transitions between pieces.   And I’m planning a shabu shabu dinner for Mu Daiko folks before the wonderful madness begins.  Taiko, delicious food, and sake – what could be better?