Nerd alert! In weighing the options between a life in Japan and a life in the States, one thing that I was really upset to give up was being in choirs in the US. As a small child I sang at school and at church, and in Jr. High I joined the adult choir at church and got solos in school concerts. By high school I was considered one of the better singers in our small school and though I never recieved high honors outside of school, I felt confident and at home singing.
In college joining the Liturgical Choir was a key point in making friends and fitting in on campus. After all, Bud and Bram were choir friends (I technically met Bud through Lisa but we bonded at a choir party). And going to Ireland to sing was amazing.
In Japan I have karaoke which is a whole other love altogether, but I still missed singing in choir. I guess what I really missed was harmony. Again, nerd alert. Peopl think I am all over the mic at karaoke because I want attention, but they don't realize that I went from singing almost everyday with a group to being cut off cold turkey.
Then last year, while I was meeting with my "old lady English conversation class" at Espace (a community center that contains a concert hall, a library, a cafe, and office rooms) I ran into a bunch of students who said they were there for a choir practice. Then at the end of my lesson I noticed the kids walking out and adults with folders walking in. Here was a choir! But how to join?
Luckily, fate was on my side. A teacher in the area asked me to dinner at her house. I had taught her daughter for three years in Tsuyama and the family was happy to reconnect with me. Anyway, the teacher asked to meet me at Espace. This made sense since it is next to my house and it has a large parking area. When I met her there she was coming out of the building and I saw a lot of people milling about. I asked her if she had been to see a show but she told me that she was in the show- that she was a member of the adult choir. Finally, I had my in. All that night I asked her with questions about how or if I could join. I assumed that there would some sort of audition process, but she told me that it was a lot more casual than that and that I could just show up.
So last year in January I did and I was welcomed, to my surprise, without a lot of fuss. A lot of times people can go overboard with how non-Japanese I am, but this group just had me stand up, say my name, and get to work. Of course everything was all in Japanese but thankfully I had experience singing foreign songs in all of my old choirs. Also, the notes were not F A C E or E G B D F like we learn in America, but rather Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. But because I am an alto and just harmonize, I was able to just "hear my part." I of course also can read music and so have a vague idea of where to go.
The group is mostly made up of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, and like church choirs at home, there are a lot of degrees of talent. They were actually surprised at how quickly I picked out harmonies, but I explained to them that I had a lot of practice. Japanese school children sing but in our area there aren't choirs at school. Brass band is much more popular and because you can only pick one club activity to belong to, most people choose sports. I am so lucky to have gone to WCV and have been able to be in choir, band, dance, golf, etc
We had a concert last March but unfortunately it was when I was at home for my mom's funeral. I had looked forward to getting to perform and to being able to hear the children's choir. I had actually written this in an email to my mom last February,
"On Monday they had me try on one of the concert gowns and they have to make a new one for me. At first I misunderstood and I thought they said that I would have to sew one myself. But they were just asking if I could pay (it is like $30). No problem. Funny when they were measuring the height one lady kept saying I was so tall. And then, after they had measured from my neck to the floor on my back, the one lady said in Japanese (people forget that I understand because I can't say as much) "Better measure the height on the front side- her chest is big and that will take up fabric." But they are really very nice to me and keep saying that I am soooo good. But that is because one song we are singing is from sister act (already know the song just had to learn the Japanese words) and the others are all pretty simple harmony. It is very much like church choir. I have to sit next to the Caroline Harvey of the group (Teacher, I think it would be a lot better if the altos sang an uuuuuu instead of an aaaaa. Teacher, I think it would be better if we changed that note to a D.) but she seems to like me. And another alto used to live in Pittsburgh (her husband works for a car company) so she is excited to talk about America."
After coming back to Japan work was busy and I was a little unorganized, so I actually didn't go back to choir until this past Monday (June 6). I was really nervous about having been gone so long, but again nothing big was made about it and I was accepted back in naturally. I mean, people asked how I was and what not, but no one made a fuss that I had been gone. And, I was extremely relieved to see that the music they had been working on was a slow song and the Japanese version of "The Wandering Gypsy," or Zigeunerleben (Gypsy Life) by Robert Schumann , a song I sang in high school. That was funny because we spent a long time just working on words and doing a back section, but when we finally sang the whole thing through from the beginning, I realized right away that I knew the song- it is one of the ones I sing when cleaning or walking. Again, they were amazed at how fast I had learned it and I had to confess that I knew it.
I was also excited to notice that one of the kindergarten teachers I started working with last April is in the choir. It is little things like that help me settle into the community. The choir is great for the singing, but it is also a big step in becoming someone who truly belongs here.
Here is Zigeunerleben (Gypsy Life) by Robert Schumann
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU6Xrrugt9Y&feature=related
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