Hey Bachido community!
One thing that is great about Bachido is the way we can all share our life stories as they occur. Naturally for us, our stories connect with our love for music, for expanding its horizons and how we all get such a kick out of how much of it all can be focused and expressed through the simple three strings of the Shamisen.
I’m always grateful to this community for the opportunities it has given me to share so many moments which otherwise might just become personal memories or just some forgotten clip on YouTube etc.
Looking back on the past year 2012… I guess it’s only natural to feel a kind of need to put it into perspective and reflect on the good , the bad and the somewhere-in-between-good or bad (Ok, ok…ugly, as the say in Sweden right Anne? Hahah)
Well for me this year started out as a total bummer with my plans for marriage crumbling before my eyes and a rather unpleasant split from my fiancé which left me pretty emotionally devastated. Fortunately this also indirectly lead me to participating more and more in bachido discussions and related activities. After getting back in regular contact with Kyle, Grant, Masahiro (Nitta) and others I began to reconnect with my instrument and by the end of the year I even found myself discovering new techniques and phrasing possibilities that I had never noticed before. Sometimes things like the bouncing pinky wah wah effect which I have dubbed “Kmetzerization” actually were influenced by a video post by Karl Hedlund. This is an awesome reminder that we are all influencing each other. No matter what level or how many years we have been playing, it is our Creative minds working together that really makes bachido a magical place.
Well I had thought about posting a bunch of links to videos that would include things like meeting Norm Nakamura, Jamie Low (unfortunately I didn’t get video of Kyoko San and the others) at the Tokyo Bachido gathering, running into Paco R. In Tokyo, playing the B H Taxi song with Shmoolik Kalabasa and later with Kyle and Grant, the awesome trio sessions with Anne and Grant in Japan, the Hokkaido days with Masahiro and Kyle (and my love affair with Hikaru…hmmmm, maybe I shouldn’t include her name… Ah well, too late now) And other significant moments. But then it occurred to me that if I went ahead with that plan I would literally end up flooding this with videos. (pls visit YouTube channels shamikami and shamisendemon to watch the full story)
So instead of including a ton of video links I decided to find just “one” video that would sum up the whole year of 2012 and all that it’s meant for me.
It was tough to choose but I finally think that this original tune would have to be the one. . .
I chose this clip primarily because I really like how I sculpted the tune so I guess its because I’m kinda proud of this piece, I think it summerizes my feelings for this past year, and also because the video features a reunion with my superstar deshi (student) Mike Penny and my old bandmate Adam Stacey who played with me in estradasphere as well as several other musical projects throughout my life.
My November visit to California lead me into a series of shamanic healing sessions which eventually helped to re-activate the pineal gland inside my brain resulting in a life transforming experience that has literally turned my life upside down in the last month before the new year.
As 2012 becomes 2013 I find myself Rejoicing with renewed energy and focus. For the first time in what seems like decades I feel completely free of addictions and am genuinely looking forward to hanging out with Kyle, Grant, Anne and everyone from my past without having to deal with the taunting whispers of that green devil on my shoulder (yeah, you guys know what I’m talking about … West Coast Mutha F&@こ%$R!) Incredibly that guy is finally gone. It took almost half of my life to get rid of him (or her if you want to be more metaphysically accurate ) but I finally feel free and clear headed. It’s like waking up into my own life for the first time.
I look forward to this next year with all of you Bachido guys and gals, or as Kyoko San likes…Ladies and Gentlemen! 笑! My new years resolution is to start learning how to sing and play Shamisen (surprised Kyle? Haha) I am actually schedualed to do just that this Sunday at a local bar here in Misawa, Japan! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Playing and singing at the same time is an amazing new challenge for me!
BACHI ON, BACHIDO! ,
Kevin
I mean, not just learning how to sing while playing shamisen (which I have a hard time doing anyway), but just learning to SING! That is truly a sign of a new leaf turning!
My jaw literally dropped! There’s so much you can do which you don’t give yourself credit for.