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beyond ArtLess
“Beyond ArtLess" with Chris Gleason, Peter Haberman & Phil Ostrander is a podcast that explores the friendships and the community that exists in and outside of the arts and arts education. In each episode of Beyond ArtLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What comes next is a fun-filled conversation revealing the joy of friendship and the artlessness of the hosts. Unlike most successful classrooms, this show is not well planned and probably not worth your time.
beyond ArtLess
Nobuyoshi Yasuda
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It’s only fitting that our longest episode is dedicated to our beloved friend, mentor, and colleague, Nobuyoshi Yasuda. We spend time exploring his childhood in Japan, his journey to UW–Eau Claire, Peter’s unrelenting bowing, the infamous crashing trombone dinner story, Moomers, and, of course, his upcoming retirement and return to Japan.
Join us as we say goodbye to a dear friend—and if you don’t yet know Nobu, you’re in for a treat.
Learn more about Nobu here: https://www.uwec.edu/profiles/yasudan
Get ticket's to Nobu's final concert with the Chippewa Valley Symphony here: https://www.pablocenter.org/events/detail/cvso-maestros-finale-conductor-nobuyoshi-yasudas-farewell-concert-964236
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Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project (Marie Douglas “Yellow Birds”)
https://dpi.wi.gov/fine-arts/wisconsin-arts-celebration-project-0
You know, the obviously the podcast is a little form you know formula based. Every once in a while to do something that breaks that is really uh it's is refreshing.
SPEAKER_03Good morning, good morning, good morning. Oh, say that again. It's a listening art form. Jesus, listen. Nothing great. Look, we don't have our problems. Peter, you look snazzy. What's going on here? I just got done with the uh 910 MBDA Minnesota Allstate band. Oh, you did? So I was screaming at the last second. And where are you now? I'm at my sister's place. It's a nice pad. So but I was uh I broke a few laws on the drive back here. And I had Waze on so I knew where the police were, and I was going just eight miles an hour over the speed limit until they were out of sight, and then I was back to 20 miles an hour over the speed limit. It was great. But I made it back, and my electric car was passing all these fancy cars. Yeah, I bet you're feeling good about that electric car right now. I am, because it's like 390 a gallon for all you people buying gas. Dumbasses. How are you feeling about that, Phil? Driving to E'Clair and back every day. Oh my God. It was great. We had a wonderful time. It's so interesting that you hear people's comments in a very good way after the event. Um, just how different people feel tech feel you have a text, just letting you know. Um I said you have a text and went in my bedroom. But it was it was a wonderful weekend. Oh my gosh. Minnesota Band Directors Association is such a good group of humans for kids. You know, they do these regional honor bands and jazz bands, and they do the state jazz bands and honor bands, and they find ways to connect kids to music outside their, you know, their district. And these are all volunteers. They're like an army of band directors that just show up and do the right thing for kids on a Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, multiple weekends out of the year, and I am just like, wow. I mean, I just made me honored to be part of that group. And I I they are so good at honor bands that I forgot to ask all the questions that I've learned to ask about honor bands to make sure I don't get into trouble to the point where it was Thursday and I was like, uh, pencils, name tags, percussion? I I should have asked these like months ago. I'm a bad maestro, and then they were like, it's all taken care of. Well, and I got to work with Justin Shram. He was my percussion tech from Prior Lake. Yeah, he was there all day yesterday and today. He was literally just like, we're playing, and he just takes sticks out of kids' hands and puts different sticks in their hands. He takes a triangle out of the hand and puts a different triangle. He just, I I give a weird look to the bass drummer. They've got new mouths and he's pointing at where to hit. I was like, and he was on top of it. Oh my god. And he was one of three people in my room at all times solving problems. Wow. Yeah. I mean, what an organization. Sorry, I I'm just like on high from that. But and then it was like, wow, you make that band sound good. Yeah, because it's the way it should be in every school district every day for every kid's education, having four people of that level in the room just making music education work. Anyway, that's why I was late. It was awesome. I'm so excited. I'm still on the high. I need a drink. Let's move on.
SPEAKER_04Phil, how are you doing? You've had a busy couple days. Yeah, you had V-ball and Jazz Concert Band Festival.
SPEAKER_07Uh, concert band festival was on Tuesday. Also yeah. Uh also had Clara Howard visiting. That was great. Uh great. I mean, like wonderful composer.
SPEAKER_03Uh of course. So how was engagements with the students was good and all that. Fabulous. Fabulous.
SPEAKER_07Does she conduct? Um she did conduct the band. Um uh we sort of tag teamed, and it was it was as uh it was great, absolutely wonderful. But then yes, uh straight into uh Stillwater Middle School band on Friday on campus, and then uh V-Ball Friday night, V-Ball Saturday night. I had a guest drive over with me last night to sit in with a Tremone choir. And that guest was my son.
SPEAKER_08Oh my goodness, inside my tummy is so good.
SPEAKER_07And so that was really special to have him just sit in and play. Made all the difference. Did he like it or did he like it because his dad liked it?
SPEAKER_03Um, he's just a good kid. Like, okay, so but like my daughter will do something because it's with college kids and uh it's me. But then when she's done, like, she's like more a college kid than her peers and like likes that. Did you get that vibe from him or is he just boy and that doesn't come out?
SPEAKER_07Um he's just curious about all of it. You know, watching what how people are playing, we're playing it. We got done and he what did he say? He said, Hey, well, what's the story with that guy on the end? And it was somebody who could really, really play. I mean, this guy can really play. Sure. And he's like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, well, he can play. Yeah, he can. He noticed. But like think about that. Was he a sophomore? Yeah. Yeah, that's good. So I mean, all those experiences build up to something good for you. Um, Chris, other than um migrating choral scores, um, what have you done in the in the world this week?
SPEAKER_04Uh let's see. Hey, I had a gig, had a gig today. Non-paying gig. Of this.
SPEAKER_03Um called Lederhosen.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. With uh three trombone players and and me. And we were not playing excerpts. We were playing uh theme from Rocky. Uh we also played uh Bare Necessities. That's a good tune for Tubas intro modes. Washington Post March. I mean, these were great hits. We followed a Woodwin Quintet, and I gotta say, they loved us. They loved us. It was a nice, it was a nice switch up, you know. So outdoor gig or indoor gig? Uh it's called the Back Row Brass. Um, and it was an indoor in a church today. And uh Andy Parks, remember Andy Parks? I know. Horn player, yep. Andy, Andy was there, met him in the parking lot. I'm like, what are you doing here? He's like, I'm here to hear some good music.
SPEAKER_03And I go, Well, the wood-wind quintess almost done, so you better hurry in there.
SPEAKER_04You might want to get them and then leave. Yeah, go get the cookies. But no, that was fun. Hey, um, I had a question for you. Artemis, right? Yeah. Here's my thought. Turns out it's not flat after all.
SPEAKER_07I've been thinking, I've been thinking all week. I need to know Chris's take on Artemis.
SPEAKER_04I here's my take. Please go ahead. My take is every morning they woke up to some music, right? And that got me thinking, if you were going around the dark side of the moon, which hasn't happened since Apollo 8, but if you were floating around the dark side of the moon, what would the piece be that you would want to listen to while you're looking out at the dark side of the moon? Isn't that the name of the tune? Is that just that that's on the nose? You gotta what what piece do you want to listen to? What would match the visual that you are seeing?
SPEAKER_07We probably gotta do some holst planets. Moonlight Sonata? No, no.
SPEAKER_03Those are all in the nose, too. Uh I'm thinking of Blue Moon. Blue Moon. Oh my god, dear word. I can't take you too. Hang on, hang on, hang tight. I got started. Please interrupt me with those. It's gotta be something that sounds a little bit like Hearts of Space, but how high the moon? But is um men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Um that are that's not a tune. Um but it's gotta be something like that, so that as all darkness appears, and can you imagine what the stars look like on that side of the moon? Right. Right. Can you imagine the clarity with which you could see something we'll never see without this? What when I wish upon a star? I it's gotta be something epic and spacious and reflective. Well, I just gave you nine of my choices. John Luther Adams. Something John Luther Adams.
SPEAKER_07Maybe uh 2001 Space Odyssey. You know? Some of the also Spock?
SPEAKER_03Something John Luther Adams.
SPEAKER_04And if you don't know John Luther Adams, you gotta go check it out. That guy's crazy good. I'm surprised you didn't say Fly Me to the Moon.
SPEAKER_03Where are you at, Phil? Oh, Frank Sunacci.
SPEAKER_04Good one, Chris. It is a good one, right? Fly me to the moon. Man, they swing on that. I love that recording. Great one. Oh it's good. Um hey, and speaking of That's right. Oh, it's a good one. Uh speaking of Fly Me to the Moon, our guest tonight is at that kind of elevation. That's right, from the very beginning, starting violin at just three years old. What were you doing, Phil, at three? Certainly was not playing trombone. Today's guest has followed a path shaped by both discipline and curiosity. That journey led to advanced study in Japan and the United States and a career spanning performance, conducting, and education. As a soloist and chamber musician, he's performed across the United States and Japan, but desire to share music more broadly led him to the podium. Since then, he has held leadership roles at a major university, regional symphonies, and nationally recognized music festivals and performance broadcasts on national radio and appearances on international stages. Alongside his conducting career, he's become a highly respected educator, working with students across the country and leading honor orchestras at state and national levels. Today, we are joined by a conductor, educator, and passionate advocate for music education who has decided after conducting not just one but two Gleason Tuba players that it was time to retire. Nobu!
SPEAKER_08Oh my god, you said Japan.
SPEAKER_00This is the best I could do.
SPEAKER_03Oh, no boo. We that's all we have fun. We're low-brass players. That's what we do. We have fun. That's all we do. That's right.
SPEAKER_04Oh, nobu. So good to have you with us. How how you've had a busy couple days too. How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00I'm fine. I'm actually last week uh I finished my last uh concert with the university orchestra. And the past weekend, oh well, this weekend, I didn't finish my last uh Venice Ball. And actually next week I'm flying to Virginia to do uh my last All-State Orchestra. So I'm packing up everything. So they're coming back and I'm gonna do my last uh Chippe Vari Symphony concert with the Mara, Ninth Symphony, just third fourth movement, but was my dream piece to conduct.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'm doing fine. What's the emotion right now? What's it like, you know, after all these years? You know, what how many years?
SPEAKER_0035 years.
SPEAKER_04Wow, 35.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because I, you know, this is my first job and last job, basically. So 1991, I came here. Uh obviously didn't expect, you know, I'm gonna be here this long. And then uh especially, you know, uh, I mean, Chris Chris, I mean, he kind of knows that how awkward scene was. University was wonderful, but uh city, I mean, town was really, I don't know, it was nothing. There was nothing really going on. I mean, Peter, you know that. But I mean, now we have this Pablo Center, and then uh uh the level of especially the Chippiaverie Symphony, you know, became really high. And I I have been really enjoying, but uh at the same time though, uh you know, I I kind of compare myself to uh the captain of the ship. And then now, well, maybe a couple of years ago, I I felt like okay, I think I took this you know ship to my destination. And then you know me, I don't wanna be, you know, hovering around in the same you know, kind of bay. So it's just I think okay, this is the time I'm gonna get on get get off board and then give my phone to the next person. It's the perfect time. So I mean, many people ask me like how do you feel? Do you feel emotional? I mean, I feel a little bit more feeling of accomplishment, like uh 35 years, and then uh I mean, you know, we came this far. And especially uh last I mean last week, you know, how the orchestra performed, and also the last night, uh how the orchestra performed after Venice Bor. It was very strong. So I feel very, very comfortable passing on a good orchestra program to the next person. This is exactly how I was planning my retirement. Excellent.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's good. That's good. So Nobu, uh, how about we we let's get into the origin story a little bit, you know. I I'm curious to know a little bit more about growing up in Japan, you know, and and who were some of your biggest mentors, you know, how you know, obviously starting violin at three, you know, mom and dad real involved in music and and what was that like?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so basically my parents are not musicians at all. However, my mother played piano a little bit, and my father actually really loved music. So I basically grew up uh at home listening to classical music all the time. So then, you know, then my mother kind of noticed that when I was a you know little baby, uh I was so fascinated about sound and music, and so they were already thinking about oh, maybe you know, some someday, you know, we should get him some instrument. Then my mother was actually when I was three years old, and my mother was at a beauty salon. So then she found a flyer on the wall. It says, uh, we have a son named Hiroki, so we are looking for some friends who can take less value lessons, you know, together. So that's how it happened. So then uh so it was not really like my parents wanted me to become a professional musician, it was just purely, you know, just yeah, my mother is still saying that, you know, you you made uh too much progress as I I couldn't even enjoy, you know, playing piano with you for a long time. So she was her dream was uh, you know, she played piano, so she she she wanted to enjoy playing you know piano with me. Right, me with me, but with my violin performance. Uh, but anyway, kind of my playing kind of uh uh developed significantly kind of fast. So then uh they basically I joined the youth orchestra type of thing. It was only strings that I got at the age of 10 and started really enjoying playing music with you know friends. So then at the time I must I was still practicing maybe 30 minutes or something like that. So I mean I was in a Boy Scout and doing many other stuff, so I was not completely just music, but uh when I actually became a high school student, somehow my love of music really growed suddenly, you know, much higher level. And I wanted to become a professional musician. So then I tried to convince my parents. I want to do that. And my parents said, no, no, no, you don't you don't understand how difficult it is to you know make a living as a musician. I mean as a as a boy, I didn't care. I didn't care, but I I couldn't really convince my parents. Then what I did was that uh in in Japan, so I was in high school, I think I was in junior, junior, or junior in high school. So one summer, vacation time. So we have 40 days of uh vacation. Every single day I practice between 12 and 15 hours, every single day. I know, I know. Now I know it's a stupid thing to do because there's no efficiency of practicing anything. But I mean, you know, back then, back then, actually, even the athletes, we try to try to, you know, you know, run fast, just just fast, you run fast, fast until you you pass out. I want to drink water. No, no, drink just keep running. That was the time, right? So I I had to show my passion for practicing. I mean, luckily, I didn't get tenets or anything. But um, after I'm doing that, then my parents kind of gave up. Okay, okay, you are really serious about this. And we'll let you let you do that, but uh no turning back. We just support you, but you really have to find a way to do it because they don't they don't have any clue.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right. So then uh I took uh one year after I graduated from high school, one year off, because I needed to prepare to go to a musical school. In Japan, it's a little bit more difficult actually to get into the music school because you have to be able to play piano at a certain level. Like uh, for example, all the music, I mean the major, minor scales and the arpeggies, three three octaves, I guess.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And also I had to practice like uh bach, you know, like uh invention, two-voice invention. And I had to be able to play like an easy mozzar piano sonata type of thing. To just right, pass the piano proficiency. Yeah. Wow. So then anyway, so I did that. So then I took one year off. Then I got went to the uh music school in Osaka. And I spent four years, then uh yeah, I I think I met an incredible writing teacher. She actually studied at the Julie Ridd and also Indiana University. So then she uh you know, upon my graduating from the college, she's the one who encouraged me to go to Indiana University, studying writing. And I came to uh America, I saw to IU 1986.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_00And I did my master's degree two two years there. And then I got a fellowship from uh University of Minnesota because I I took another audition to uh uh another really, really famous teacher in Chicago, uh Almita Vemos. And then so she basically gave me the fellowship and she admitted me, and she said, Oh, by the way, you know, we are gonna move into Minneapolis. So then uh is it okay to move to Minneapolis with her? I I don't care. I don't care. I want to study with you. And then she said, Oh, it's convenient to you, I'm finishing a master's degree, and if you come to uh you know University of Minnesota and then pursue the doctorate degree program, I can recommend you to do the fellowship. Of course, and I I I I gotta yeah, I needed the money, so great. That's uh how I moved to Minneapolis. So I'm getting closer to O'Clay, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03You passed it, but you are closer, yes.
SPEAKER_00I drove by, but I didn't even know how to how to call you you call I mean you you cannot pronounce the name.
SPEAKER_03Yao. Youow.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, something like that. So anyway, so then I got to Minneapolis, uh at the University of Minnesota, and I was still a body performance major. I always wanted to become a conductor, that was my passion. And then uh I just realized that when I got to the university, there was no conducting program. Then I talked to the dean. No, no, I know, I know, you made a face, I know. There is a conducting program. I'm a kind of initiate, I initiated that program in a way. So I was I never conducted orchestra at this point. Then during my third year, my last year at the university with Minnesota, so Maureen Student came to the university to prepare the program, conducting program. So they approached him, but I really want to study conducting. So yeah, then he said, Oh, well, I'm not really teaching anything this semester, so uh this year. And I asked him, but is there any way you can kind of create some kind of seminar thing? He's like, Well, yeah, it's possible if you get three or four other people. Why don't we just meet like once a week? So then I gathered other, you know, friends and so then we met like a one once uh you know a week, so it became a kind of a seminar without a credit anyway. So then this teacher went to the college fair. It was hosted by I think the University of Minnesota. And Paul Casawar, uh, at the time he was uh our cello professor at the time here. So he was wandering around on the booth or something. Murray Siddharth met Paul Casawar, and Paul Cassower basically told him that well, we are now looking for a violent professor and then conducting conductor of the orchestra. If you know anybody, could you just kind of give this business card? So then he he basically thought about me. Maurice Sidden thought about me. So then he he gave me the business card. Oh no, but by the way, I met this person. You should you should you should call him. And I just told him, I basically told Mr. Uh Sidon, but you you never seen me conduct, I never conducted it before. You never know. Yeah, so then seriously, that part doesn't matter. You'll be fine. That's what I called, I called Paul, called Paul Castle, or it was Tuesday. I clearly remember 10:30, sometime in October. Why I remember? Because he said, Well, the deadline of applications tomorrow, Wednesday. And then at the time it was nothing you can send online. Yeah, do you understand? Yeah, 1991. There was no computer in my office or anything. I didn't have anything. I was still typing. Anyway, so then uh he said, Okay, you need to send us the uh application letter, but your resume, three recommendation letters, and your cassette tape providing performance. Are you hearing? Cassette tape. Yeah, that's right. Not even CD.
SPEAKER_03Oh, clear as cutting edge in 91. Cutting edge. That's right.
SPEAKER_00I know. And he said, video tape of your conducting. And I said, Oh, Mr. Customer, I I can prepare everything now, but uh I I don't have access to that. I didn't, I couldn't tell him I never conducted before, right? So I said I don't have access to the video right now. And he said, Wow. So if you send everything by tomorrow, but he said, Well, this is already 10:30 Tuesday, you better send everything by FedEx Express by like two o'clock today. That's why I clearly remember that. He said, Well, 10:30 Tuesday now. So then, anyway, so then I told him that. So, what should I do with the video video thing? I mean, yeah, video of the conducting. Well, you send everything by tomorrow. Then I we can wait until Friday to receive that video. Okay, I said, okay. Thank you very much. And I hung up the phone. I ran to the university. Of course, I went to the three professors. Okay, I need your recommendation. Right now. Yes, right now. One hour. I'll be back in one hour, one hour. And I went to the office, uh, music office to reserve the rehearsal room for tomorrow, the next day. And I started asking my friends, can you play in my orchestra tomorrow? And I gathered orchestra. Yeah, so then now I studied the uh basically the entire Beethoven Symphony number one. And then however, though, I only had a one flute, no oboe, one clarinet, one bassoon, no horn, no, no trumpet, timpani, and then I was things actually. We had a two first body and two seconds two second body, pro body, one viola, one cherub, one bass. But you can you can narrow the video so they can't see anything.
SPEAKER_03But they can hear, but you know, yeah, but I mean it's a bad quality videotape. That's true, that's true.
SPEAKER_00You you might hear you never remember.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, I remember those days, okay.
SPEAKER_00But anyway, uh I had to sing the oboe melody. I mean, Beethoven Simply, you cannot really find anything without the oboe melody.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, that's it.
SPEAKER_00So anyway, I sang and everything. And even worse, what happened was that they while I was recording the video, it was there's no rehearsal, it was like one take, right? I I started actually conducting. This teacher, Mary Sealing, heard about oh, nobody's now gathering orchestra. And he came in and he stood behind me. The camera is facing this way. He stood behind me. Dang, even worse, he started correcting my position. He he he came and he corrected my aidable. I'm like, I couldn't say anything, I couldn't stop anything. And he touched my in the neck, and I'm like, but anyway, I I I couldn't edit anything, it's a video tip, right? So then I sent the whole thing. Then then February, suddenly I got a phone call from the university. I mean, you over you have a little clear. I was a Friday, February sometimes. I why I remember Friday, because oh, by the way, can you count on this Monday for the audition? I said, oh, sure.
SPEAKER_03So you had to turn it in in October and you didn't hear it until February.
SPEAKER_00Right. So maybe they didn't do an audition that your favorites anyway. Just clarifying. I showed up on Monday. I showed up on Monday, right? Oh, I mean, basically to be precise, I mean, uh Sunday, you know, like after midnight, because I I drove to a hotel, they really worried because I was not texting, I was not checking in the hotel. Because I didn't I couldn't come here until one o'clock or something. But anyway, next morning, Ivan Langi picked me up at the hotel and then I conducted the orchestra. Seriously, it was like that. Beethoven Second Symphony. Yeah, oh yeah, Friday, Friday, I have to go back to the Friday story because I'm like, okay, so then Berton Johnson was a chair at the time. So he said, okay, would you like what would you like to conduct on Mondays? Well, I think the question is mine. What what piece in your orchestra can play? I want to know that. He's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. And we're doing Beethoven's Second Symphony and World 40s. Okay, I take the Second Symphony. So then I studied the school overnight. And also, of course, you know, I had I had to give me a recital. And he's like, okay, what would you like to play? And of course at the time I was already preparing for you know competition and stuff like that. So I had a repertoire. So that was not a problem. But anyway, so then it was like, right, I got a phone call on Friday. They didn't ask me because later I started serving in a search committee. Yeah. Don't we usually ask them when can you come? Now I kind of realized that they didn't give me any option. Well, by the way, can you come this Monday? I mean, I was able to come because I was in Minneapolis. Then I was hired on the spot. But anyway, another story was that interview, search committee, dean, and provost three levels of interview, right? So then one question was asked from those three uh committees was the so what your previous experience makes you feel you can do a good job here. I said, Well, I didn't lie anything. I said, I'm sure you read my resume. I'm still a student, I don't have any experience, but I have a strong person of music, and I feel I can do a good job. That was it. That's it. And they hired you.
SPEAKER_03You got the job?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I woke up on the same day.
SPEAKER_03And and I had I had the same answer in 2008, and they still hired me. I've never done this job, but I'm ready. And they were like, okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, what about the important? They can see you, right?
SPEAKER_03They can.
SPEAKER_00What kind of person?
SPEAKER_03That's true. I mean, so no boo no boo, no boo. I have a question for you. I I'm so glad you got to Eau Claire. My question is who have been the most significant influences? Because most of our listeners are from the United States. And so, like, who are these? I mean, you mentioned a few people, your young teacher, and then in Osaka, and then in Indiana. So uh maybe maybe their names or if are there others? And then the other thing I want to know is why Japan to Eau Claire. Like, like, why didn't you stay in Japan? They've got amazing orchestras there. So maybe let's just do that question. Let's just do that question.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. There's a there's a big reason, actually. I I'm from Osaka area. Okay, and so I I grew up in uh not outside of Osaka. So yeah. When you become like a high school and if you really play really well, basically everybody goes to Tokyo to study. I didn't do that. And I also told you that I took one year off. So I was a little bit behind from those really seriously trained kids. So I was technically speaking, I was behind. I still actually have to admit that even though I went to Indiana University, I was not one of the top students or anything like that. And I mean, even at the University of Minnesota, you know, because I studied with an incredible teacher, I was not even top or anything. However, so since I stayed in Osaka, so all the uh opportunity came to me as a student. So then I started playing as a professional musician in Osaka, including uh Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. I was sobbing for the orchestra a few times and also other also small smaller orchestras. Then what I learned was that uh you know, I'm really passionate about music. I have a little passion. You heard it. So then I I lost a lot of passion by now, but uh back then I had a lot of.
SPEAKER_03But then you were passionate. I mean, now you're just like normal, but then just normal.
SPEAKER_00Then can you imagine? But anyway, so I had a passion. So I was playing in the orchestra, you know, the you know, Osaka Phil Harmony, and the last chair of the first vining. And the music director of the Osaka Phil was like, who is this guy? And in the back of the seat, and so he loved it. Yeah, he was the music director for like for 60 years, uh, Takashi Asahina. It was an incredible conductor. But anyway, but other musicians around me were not happy. They actually liked me because I'm this kind of a person. So they liked me, and then they told me basically, okay, after you graduate from college, you don't have to take audition. You are a funny guy, and we like you, and you play well, so it's fine. And I still actually I was playing like a Thaikuski 5, like the Byrin's like high up here. I was like, yes. And then they're like, okay, okay, don't work too hard. Well, I don't think I really enjoy, you know, just doing okay for the rest of my life. And initially I thought about going to Tokyo, but ah, Tokyo is still Japan. Yeah, I was thinking about it is still Japan. Tokyo is still Japan. Then I was thinking, then I already actually, then I uh I mailed to request the uh uh application for the IU. So again, you cannot get get the application online. I have to mail it, and to receive it, it takes two months. Oh so it's so you have to mail out to request, and so they have to send it to you. It takes two months at least. So then I was already doing that. Then my teacher in Japan, also who actually studied at the jury and in Vienna, asked me, by the way, when you graduate, so you what do you want to do? You wanna go uh study, study abroad, something? I mean, I'll uh yeah, I'm thinking about it. How about uh America? Well, I'm thinking about it. How about IU? Yes, I'm thinking about it. I already have an application in my hand, kind of thing. But she's why you didn't tell me, well, I I I thought you're gonna say, oh no, no, no, you are not the level. No, no, no, she said, no, no, no, no. You should you should do it, you should go, you should go. And you know, with her kind of encouragement, and then so I came to IU. Right. So then I told you that I in I in I actually uh auditioned for this teacher in Chicago. Then I moved to Minneapolis. Then this conducting teacher right got the business card from Paul Casaur, gave me the business card, and I called and it came. Anyway, wow. And there you go. And 35 years later, here you are.
SPEAKER_07I'm leaving, but anyway. And now a message from our sponsors. Concert night. You've studied your scores, you've thoughtfully chosen your baton and outfit. The value of the instruments on stage is nearly priceless. You represent the composer, the musicians, and your institution. Behind you in the audience are your peers, proud family members, community, and even potential donors.
SPEAKER_04My question is this: Are you standing on a squeaky, mass-produced podium that was bought long before you arrived? I know I've stood on that podium. A conductor's foundation should match their artistry.
SPEAKER_03Well, I can tell you I'm not on that podium because I have two of these silent stage podiums, which are gracefully designed to complement the instruments but not distract from the music. They're built with American oak, elegant brass railings, sound dampening rubber-backed carpet and velvet red, and steps on both sides, which fold in easily for a smaller footprint when needed. Each podium is delivered in a straight rolling case for the podium to survive backstage bumps, dust, or even like we take these long ensemble tours.
SPEAKER_04Commuter, elevate your presence with silent stage podiums. Say it with me, Silent Stage Podiums. Find out more at Silent StagePodiums.com. Now back to our show. Phil, ask your question.
SPEAKER_07I just have to say I'm delighted to have one of my favorite colleagues here on this podcast. How special is it that you were found time to join us? Thank you for doing this. Yay, he's fun. Um I've never played in your orchestra full-time, but I've certainly been playing and you've been up there conducting. And I have to say, even though I'm not a regular member of your group, you're one of my favorite conductors. Indeed. Yeah. Yeah, thank you. And and I want to tell you why, which I think is important because everybody says, Oh, you're one of the things that you're just gonna just complete power button and just mute it. Oh, he does. Warms up to it. So the reason why you're one of my favorite conductors is that when I look at the score and when I look at my part, and when I try and play my part, you look like the music. That's exactly right. And I and I've always thought that about your connection. I'm like, this guy looks like the music. And I'm wondering if uh how you do that. I, you know, I have my suspicions why I think it is, but uh, I'm wondering if that if there's a way that you do it, or think about that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, when I study scores, of course, first I study the scores that uh to understand uh how composers, right? Put the notations, everything. Yeah. And of course, harmonic analysis, I mean, so yeah, I have to hear everything the composer wrote and the dynamics, articulation, everything. I mean, you know that. After those things, I actually rehearse rehearsal in my mind. What I mean is that I have musicians in mind. So where, like, for example, right now I'm studying uh okay, next week I'm going to uh Virginia, right, to work with uh high school students. It's all state, so their level is high. However, I have to be able to really help them, right? Right. So like uh while right now I'm studying the uh uh Revueltas, like a sense maya, and then don't uh Rehard Strauss don't want. So I'm singing, I'm playing every notes on the piano. So how how how how actually they play? I mean, yeah, so I have to be able to sing every passage basically. So then uh basically, you know, many many students actually ask me, how do you study uh okay, how do you study conducting? And I say, I don't study conducting because uh you know my conducting property skill came from my experience being a chamber music musician. Like I did play strength croquette a lot. So those movements, gestures, how you I mean, communicate, interact, how you breathe. So right now I'm talking to my I mean telling my students actually, one thing is breathe together, play together. Okay, note grouping, because we have like a right, node. Note grouping, yeah, right? Yeah, 1670 people play together. We have to understand this note grouping concept, right? Right. So note grouping, and there wasn't a tone, it's but uh not just a tone, not just intonation, overtones.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Overtone.
SPEAKER_03But that's a whole nother level. But I mean, yeah, it does but like I just worked at the 910 All State, and I'm like, you gotta, it's two bars, it's four bars. Stop looking at each note, look at the group, say the sentence. And yeah, good for you. Sorry.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that that's authentic. That's a you so I I'm already doing the basic thing though for that. However, as Phil says, uh, I I'm I'm I'm happy to hear that you you said I look like a music because I tried to show the music. Like a couple of days ago, my one of my cello students actually, he needed to observe uh my conducting for conducting class. And then she she she actually uh altered my dress rehearsal for Bean's Ball. And she came back to me after the rehearsal. Well, you know, this is one of those I thought it's in one, in one, up and down. But you were making a lot of circles, and sometimes I mean, what are you doing? Well, I just try I I draw draw the line of music and I just communicate with the music, what kind of a dish you need to breathe together. I mean, you you know, I have to give them, give you guys the not just a tempo, but rhythmic kind of uh I don't know how to rhythmic kind of a component or whatever. I mean, I don't know. It's just that you have to enjoy what you're doing. However, though, I do study scores a lot. This is my one message I'm telling my students that I keep still studying until I get on the plane. I they're like, but are you leaving? You don't have to study anything. No, no, no, no, no. This is the thing. I want you to learn. You do your best. Every time you do anything, right now, right here, if you develop the attitude, you're gonna be successful. Yeah, because some people are like, oh, this is not a really significant, and so they don't really do their job. I mean, no, no, but I I I'm not just kind of doing this for other people because I just want to feel comfortable what I'm doing, right? So after you study enough, then you know I study enough. Then you you have a confidence on that, in that.
SPEAKER_03So Nobu, that's I mean, that's the secret to great conductors. If you watch them, they all look different, but they all know the score. And uh I appreciate that. I want to ask you more, only because I'm in a sabbatical that's talking about how we move. Do you think a conductor's job is to look like the music? But of course, we have to like give a right downbeat, and we have to there's moments of clarity and technique in what we do, but right um uh I I'm starting to think that we more need to be about 70% of the time, we just need to be the music. So circles, ones and threes, and whatever, it depends on what the music says to me that makes me do something. And okay, well, now there's a tempo change. Okay, well, now there's a formata. So now I have to be a technician and very clear. And then after that, I go back to like 70% be the essence of what I want them to do that's beyond the music. Do you think that's true for you, or how do you think about that?
SPEAKER_00Okay, interesting thing about yeah, that that's actually it's a very good question because now to me, everything is actually to me, okay, it's my my idea. Because I observed a lot of rehearsals of major orchestra, you know, with the major, major conductors. Like, for example, like uh Charles Dutois. Charles Dutois, the very famous conductor for French music. When he came to rehearse the Minnesota Orchestra, I expected he's gonna work on lots of French style, you know, during the rehearsal. No, he was more German. Okay, the piece was uh Ravel Ravels.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And for example, there's a passage of uh the aura section, the merely like this No no no no no he went like this with the 16th note. Yeah, I he was like, I went, what? So he what he did was like a dictation of the all the notes. He he can actually sing every note, like then he he just basically tightened up all the bolt naps like a German. I mean, he never talked about any French music, anything. Then at the performance, oh my goodness was also another same kind of experience with Edivard, another conductor. I really, really wanted to know his secret of his sound. And I went to him actually after the rehearsal because I I I went to Minister Orchestra many times. I mean the Minister Orchestra, different conductors comes, they they produce different sounds, right? So that's right. And then Ed Oliva comes, especially he has amazing kind of sound. So then I was always curious about you know how he does it. So I went to his rehearsal. He again, he never talked about anything like that, just notes, ensemble, dynamics. I'm like, really? So then I went to his room after the rehearsal. So excuse me, Master. I always you know one wondered about you know how you create your sound from different orchestra. Because I saw your performances with many different orchestras, but you get your sound here. But then I said, but you didn't rehearse anything, he's like everything here. That means he he he he hears it. He can actually bring the gesture. So answering your question, I told my students that observing those in rehearsal. So during the rehearsal, that my rehearsal with the Chippy Symphony or University Orchestra, same thing not grouping, not grouping, dynamics, and then also I'm very severe about you. Have to be able to do at least you see in the in the parts. If you have a crescendo, do it. If you have a stack out, somehow do it. How to do it, I will tell you. But if you have a stuck out, if you put it ah, it's wrong. But if you put it, then maybe I can suggest you, however. So the back concerts, forget about it.
SPEAKER_03Just be the music.
SPEAKER_00So, in a way, you know, when you hear a little bit from Carian's Burningfield performance, it's a little, it's not necessarily really together, but music is really amazing.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that's the difference. If you at the musicians also of the Beringfield also told me that because I was crazy. I think about 10 years ago, I snuck into the rehearsal. Good for you. And I got but I got kicked out. Well, worth it. First day.
SPEAKER_03Worth it.
SPEAKER_00First day, second day, again, I snuck in. I snuck in. And I was hiding behind behind the okay until they started rehearsing. And then came out. Third day, they didn't even let me in at the gate. Then what happened? One of the best players, double-based players, kind of came almost late, and I just introduced myself. He said, Oh, come with me. He didn't have time to talk to anybody. And I was like, Hello! He walked into the rehearsal. Then after that, I I met him officially, so then he arranged me to go to rehearsals. So, anyway, my story is that then I started talking to musicians of the Burrinian film. They said, Claudio Abado. No, so he became the conductor, uh musical director after Karayan. So he they said or said that okay, Karayan's rehearsal is not like uh he couldn't do anything. I mean, he hears everything he demands. This is a way at the concert. At the concert, he just he almost doesn't even care. However, the musician feels like a wow, Karayan let us play.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Then they said Abado is shy. So during the rehearsal, he doesn't really say anything. Then during the concert, he's suddenly chewing everything. Really? Yeah, it's interesting. So anyway, my approach is a little bit I'm not crying on anything, but my approach is now do this drill during the rehearsal. Not even 70% of uh music, no 100% of Shango Symphony. And then shape at the concert. But don't be like a Shango Symphony during the concert. I'm sorry to tell you.
SPEAKER_03They also say that about Toscanini. He was super expressive and knew everything he wanted, but then he got to the concert and he would he would flip that. He would say what he wanted, and then he would be super small so the audience would pay attention to the musicians because they already knew what he wanted, and then he just sat there and did almost nothing. So no boo.
SPEAKER_07Back to Nobu, who is just finishing at Minnesota and getting ready to start at Eau Claire. What would you tell that Nobu about the beginning of uh your conducting and teaching? What have you learned? What would you go back and tell them now?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, okay, I think the 35 years ago, I was about uh moving. I mean, I I had a same kind of option and I I studied the score a lot because I didn't know how to study scores. So I my first concert, I remember that I was writing a Beethoven Fifth Symphony score. I mean, I wrote out the score because I didn't know how to study score. I need nobody told me, taught me. So I'm like, okay, I have to go through the composer, I have to go through. I wrote out, then I figured immediately there's a clarinet at the beginning. I'm like, what? I mean, there's a clarinet in the beginning of the Beethoven But somehow Beethoven heard that. But anyway, so this is the story. So I was doing what I was I'm doing, the study scores like that, but I probably I was not that I was hearing what I wanted to hear, but I probably I could not hear how the orchestra is sounded.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you're trying to hear the stuff.
SPEAKER_00You know, it's a difficult skill, right? It's a difficult skill because I studied the score, I knew exactly what I wanted. But uh until maybe third or fourth year, because I uh yeah, I remember that. I went to Aspen Music Festival. Yeah, because I wanted to study conducting. So I became a student actually after I got a job. So first thing was 92, I went to tech and studied there. Then 93 I went to Aspen. So then I realized that oh some teacher told me that are you really hearing this? Are you really hearing this? And then I just basically I started uh, you know, the uh rehearsal and then I stopped conducting almost when I just started listening. And I'm like, wow, I can hear much more. Because I before I was obsessed with my idea, but then you just kind of back off a little bit from that, and then you started to, I mean, I started hearing many things. So that became an incredible experience to me. So then I came back to Eau Claire, so then I started really applying that. Then my conducting significantly changed.
SPEAKER_04Really? Listening. That's cool. Great story. Um, I need one more story for me. Listen. Yep. Listen, yeah, and or open torso. Uh let's talk about bone dinner. Did you or did you not? Oh no, we can make it. Into a bone dinner.
SPEAKER_03I cannot do that. Wait, no boo. Only you and I are the only two people that are not trombones that have ever been to trombone dinner. Do you know that?
SPEAKER_00Oh, you you well, what are you initially too? Yes.
SPEAKER_03What are you invited? Uh a little bit of both, I think, actually. I don't think these are the words we use anymore, but that's correct, yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Well.
SPEAKER_00I crushed the party. Yes, you did.
SPEAKER_03That's how you got in, you just went.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I mean, you don't know, you don't know the story.
SPEAKER_07Can we tell the story? This was this is before my time. But you should tell it, do yeah.
SPEAKER_00Basically, you know, the the trombone studio had a traditional bone dinner. It was like, uh, I don't know if told the stuff.
SPEAKER_03We're not talking about that anymore, but keep keep going. Yeah, it was a unique Thanksgiving thing.
SPEAKER_00Then, you know, then yeah, dude, before that, probably. But anyway, during during the Thanksgiving, right? So they anyway, they were having a bone dinner. So then, you know, it has been an annual, you know, event. And then uh so then other students like were kind of jealous about that. So then we we they they created an anti-born party. So then so they created an anti-bone dinner party. So then somehow I was invited. Well, you're not a Trump owner, so that's good. Uh yeah, yeah. So this is a bunch of actually, I mean Paul Booty, you know, Paul Booty. Yeah, I know Paul Booty was in the party, Kim Kikri, and his wife was in the party. Oh, she she hosted it actually. So, anyway, many, many uh basically great students at the time now became incredible.
SPEAKER_05They are phenomenal humans, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so they are uh they were at the party, but suddenly we decided to actually crush the party. Of course, yeah. So then somehow Scott Pingo, uh he's now the uh principal, uh not principal double bass of San Francisco Symphony. I met Scott he and it was Aaron Doddy, he's now the uh executive director and CEO of Reno Symphony, and it ended up high, the three of us crushing the party. The reason what happened was that Kim Ku Kikli, you know Kim Kikli? Yeah, she she took out the uh her uh panty holes. Oh no, you're supposed to wear where this way, but we need to cut this.
SPEAKER_08This is gonna be the best. Keep going, keep going.
SPEAKER_03So she had pantyhose on her head, yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, so anyway, Kim Kikli brought three of her panty holes and for all of you, yeah.
SPEAKER_03What for how long I was for all of you, so you had pantyhose on your head as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but okay, but the story was I didn't I didn't want to do it initially, but anyway, so so Kim actually gave it to Scott Pingle, and Scott Pingle gave it to Aaron Dodi, and Scott Pingle had a one extra, and he put the one on my head and I I was already in it.
SPEAKER_03Because nobody can tell who you are if you have pantyhose on your head because no boo doesn't look.
SPEAKER_00No, have you been in that pantyhose though? The thing's like you can't see anything in pantyhose. No, you can't see anything, but at the same time, you feel like you are invisible, man. Do you know what I mean? You are in there, you feel like you are invisible, man. I'm like, okay, let's go.
unknownLet's go.
SPEAKER_00Get going, get going, get going, get going. But do you know the old house?
SPEAKER_08I do I've been in the house, I've been in the basement, I know all these things keep going. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The house. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Basically, we we snuck into the house from the second floor. We we somehow had a you know emergency rather thing. We climbed the thing actually. It was so difficult. Then we we went to the second floor, and then somehow the timing was perfect. We got there during the initiation. So they only had one candle, small candle. It was pitch dark almost. So they were saying, Oh, you kind of know that. Yeah, I do know this. So, anyway, so then we we went to what wanted to basically steal the mascot, their mascot called the t. We came down the staircases, they were like screaming, we were running and running around. We couldn't find anything, but anyway, now we are in the in the room with that bone throne bones, no students and arumai, Rodney Hudson in in the middle. We needed to now get out of the house, you did. So I didn't, I that was my first time I was in the house. I only with the pantyhose, I couldn't see anything. There's some people grabbing me like so then somebody was able to open the door and I jumped off the off the right the house, and then I started running. And later I heard that I was really do you do you understand? This is a tool. I understand everything.
SPEAKER_03The problem is anybody listening will have no idea what's going on right now. But sadly, I know everything you're saying, but it doesn't try. But keep going, keep going.
SPEAKER_00So the pantyhose is going like this. Yes, yeah. Bind your head when you saw. Because I didn't see it because I was the one running. Yes. So they told me he was so funny when nobody's running the pantyhose and the necklaces going like this.
SPEAKER_03And the guy with the Japanese accent in Eau Claire, nobody knew who you were because of the pantyhost. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's the thing. The next day, Rodney Hudson came to my office and he grabbed my shoulder like this. He's like, you have you, right? And he grabbed my shoulder. What are you talking about? You was you, right? I have no idea what he was talking about. I mean, obviously, after you said that, I mean I'm sure I was screaming in Japanese accents.
SPEAKER_03Nobu, I can't believe I have never heard that story because that is really so I have to share one more thing, and we're gonna skip all the other things we do. Uh my favorite thing about you, Nobu, as we go to the end of this, is you are so authentically you. You care about humans, you're an amazing musician, and you just ooze, you ooze your energy. And I was so mystified by you in your Japanese behavior that my first year, do you remember this? My first year, I went to um a national conference and I met this woman. She was very Japanese, and I really wanted to get to know you better. And the way she bowed, I noticed, I was like, You're Japanese, you have the you have the bow, the essence. And I said, tell me all about the culture and the tradition behind how Japanese people bow. And she told me everything. Like her hands are on her thighs, yours are on your side. When you bow, you can't speak. With the the bowing happens about the deeper you bow, the more important the other person is, right? All these things, right? And and so she I practiced and she helped me bow more authentically because I was like, I wanna, I wanna give nobu, I wanna, I wanna appreciate nobu in an authentically, I mean, I'm just a white American guy, but I want to be authentically appreciative of your Japanese culture. And then I heard you down the hall at Eau Claire. And I said, Oh, and you looked at me and I started bowing. And of course, when one person bows in Japan, the other person has to bow back. Like that, you you have to reciprocate the honor of uh I am respecting you, you respect me. So, but so you went, oh, and you pointed at me like, oh, you've learned how to bow, but you couldn't speak because I was bowing, and you had to bow and you can't speak. So then, so then I bowed and then you bowed, and then you wanted to speak to me, but I kept bowing a little deeper, so you had to keep bowing because otherwise you'd be and so it sounded like this. Oh you you are oh you I I know you oh this oh I got you and then finally I just did the emperor bow, which is like 90 degrees, and then you go, oh no, no, no, no, no. And that was the moment where I think Nobu's relationship and mine took a turn. He's like, you know, this band guy's not so bad. My favorite story. And the reason is it's because you're so you, you still write in Japanese, but you are fully immersed in making any student amazing, and you are your own human, and I love that about you. And you will be sorely missed. I hear you are you moving back to Japan? I hear this is true.
SPEAKER_00It is true. Actually, I already have uh airplane tickets, May 21st.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, this is our loss in Japan's game.
SPEAKER_00And we love Japan's game, no, not there's no game in Japan, but my mother is 92 years old, so I want to be with my mother.
SPEAKER_07Of course, that's that.
unknownOf course.
SPEAKER_07So, Nobu, I I think there's going to be an one more orchestra that you may conduct on May 10th. Is this true?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, basically I'm conducting uh right, so next week, uh Virginia, then May 9th with the Chippeavori Symphony. Right. Then 10th is the some kind of uh right retirement uh party. So I mean it's not a big piece, it's uh just just a nimoroto.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00So any anybody who who has an instrument can join. At Eau Claire. Yes.
SPEAKER_07Yes. Yeah, yeah. On May 10th. But uh Yeah, but uh you know, for all those listeners who are in the Eau Claire area on May 9th, please you you must come to see Nobu's Last Concert with Triple Valley Symphony. And then May 10th, if you want to join him and play along on Nimrod, uh that'll that'll be a concert in the afternoon.
SPEAKER_00And uh it's really not the concert though. It's I I don't know, but it's two crocus starting happening. Then maybe we do have a short rehearsal and then we play something, and then we're gathering in a lobby. Just the time to visit, play a little bit. Yeah, I mean, you know, I I really feel that my life has been, especially, you know, in this uh country, uh, has been blessed with music and people, really. I mean, like I even, you know, I told you about my career, how how everything kind of ended up, but it's always somebody help me. I didn't really do anything. I was just studying and I was, yeah, people watching me, and oh yeah, I want I want to help this guy, kind of thing. Yeah, happen. So yeah, this is my also message to my students. Yeah, you know, if you do really well and you you you treat other people really well, and people, people will wanna people wanna help you. So, you know, you don't have to really sh try to shmooth. No, no, no. Right, be be yourself and then just work hard and be positive and respect other people, and your life is gonna be successful. This is exactly I'm really feel that I mean, yeah, incredible blessed with uh people and also music and through music, but uh, I mean, I really, really like this community because people are really nice, American people.
SPEAKER_07Other than Chris, there are hundreds and hundreds of musicians that have thrived uh having played in your orchestra. Minus Chris. Um, you know, minus Chris, yeah. Everybody all these musicians owe so much uh uh uh to the experience of getting a chance to work with you, not just as a conductor, but just as a wonderful, caring human being.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you.
SPEAKER_03And a great musician and mentor, and it's not by chance that all those things happened, you shared you I'm saying it again, I know I'm repeating myself, but you ooze authenticity in your musicianship, in your humanity, and people respond to that. And that's why you got the job, and that's why people want us come and say thank you for all you've done.
SPEAKER_07Wait, wait, wait, that's what hold on. Wasn't there one time, nobody you kept a tuba in your office?
SPEAKER_00No, I was practicing. The tuba? Yes. That doesn't keep the tuba. I was practicing too. I mean, okay, I wanted to learn many instruments in the orchestra. Okay, so then I wanted to learn about brass instruments. And then I also I also uh notice I'm a violinist, right? So when you do uh like a note dictation, so then the lowest string of violence, the G, right? So then when you do a note dictation, like uh when you dictate any higher notes, some some of my finger goes like this, I can easily dictate the notes. But below G, I hear it, but I lose confidence significantly. Oh, so then okay, I want to learn brass, but also maybe why don't I why don't I just do the low brass? Then I picked up two bars.
SPEAKER_04It's a choice. Yes, good choice. No, that's a choice. Yeah, not good. And you just you just spent uh time with Jerry Young over in Travis City.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was there two weeks ago. It was wonderful. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we shared a lot of uh memories together.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I bet you did. And moomers. Moomers, what'd you get at what'd you get at Moomers?
SPEAKER_00You know the banana split.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's right, banana. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, although also another thing actually, what I did was the uh the moomers, there's a map of the United States and also map of the world. So then every visitor is actually from those big cities, they can put the pin. Yeah, like obviously Chicago, I mean many places. I mean, pin's already there. When I went to the you know, the world world map, yeah, nobody put the pin on the in a Japan. So I was I had an honor to put the pin on the wall of the world.
SPEAKER_03Did you do Osaka or Tokyo?
SPEAKER_00No, no, it's just it's uh Osaka, Osaka, Osaka. Yeah.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_04Going there this summer. And uh when I do go there, I'll put a little piece of pantyhose right on that end. Um boo. I gotta say, you know, uh one of the it's it's just a kind of a strange thing, you know. Uh wanting having kids, but then seeing them go back to the place that you went to school. And it's this kind of full circle moment. And I've talked to Eric Songer and I've talked to Hugh Gaston and all these, I mean, we all have our own kids going back, and our hope, our greatest hope is that they can find the magic that we did. Um, because as I recall and as I think back, you mentioned all these people, Kim Keekly and Paul Booty and Paul Kyle and and Scott Pingle, Aaron Dody. Scott Pingle and Aaron Doty and Kyle Newmaster and Matt Mealey, and and I apologize for all the other people I just didn't mention, but it's like it was a magical place. And it was magical uh because it was such an amazing people that were there, and you were part of that. I mean, it was Hogwarts. I just tell people, where'd you go to school? I'm like Hogwarts. I mean, it was amazing professors, great musicians, and just this huge heart and passion. And it's really fun to see Miles find that same experience. Thank you so much for the countless, count, I mean, thousands of people, Nobu, that you've impacted um over your career. Uh, we're just grateful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you very much. Yeah, but I mean, I'm actually really happy to be able to actually work with uh Miles. He played in a you know spring concert, and also he played for the Viennance Board, too. So I I had an actual time to work with him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, he practices. There's a different thing. You're like Grandpa Nobu now, because you've got all these little babies and then they're babies.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Grandpa Yosu is pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_00You're gonna you're gonna be like that too. You're gonna be like that.
SPEAKER_03No, no, I'm gonna I'm gonna be much earlier.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna No no he's gonna be like that. That's totally true.
SPEAKER_07You're right, you're right, you're right, you're right. Peter Peter's kind of an inebriated uncle. I like to think of that. Yeah, I'm the drunk uncle. Yeah, that's me. That's true.
SPEAKER_03Nobu, congratulations. And best of luck. Oh, yeah, thank you. We will miss you and we love you forever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, thank you very much.
SPEAKER_03Christopher, well done. I feel like hundreds of people just met Nobu Yasuda for the very first time, and it is an authentic experience even over just audio. It's there is only one there's only one no boo. There is only one no boo. And I have to say, I mean, I used to try to make everybody like me because I was just like, you gotta, what what are and I've learned about strength finder, right? There are people if you put people in their strengths, they they do better. And if I could go back and work with Noboob again, I would have so much more fun. Because he is so amazing at some of the just the essences of what matter. And he just played blows off other things like meetings or things that are not important to him. And and what I love about that now is like that's right, that's who Nobu is, and he's great. And uh, yeah, I love that guy. Good stuff, yeah. Dishonor. Phil, oh my god. That's why I well, I can't say that on the scale stuff, but that's that's why I use I have so many phrases. I mean, I love Phil, and I'm so friends with Phil, but I have so many phrases from Nobu whose Japanese English was just perfect enough to make up words that we don't have in English that I was like, that is the exact right word that we don't have. I love that.
SPEAKER_04Well, here's a word they do not have in Japanese, and that's boozler. Um Okay, so we're Oh wait, no, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
SPEAKER_07I have one more nobu story. One more nobu story. My it was, I think my first year I was working at Eau Claire. Uh Mr. Hudson and I somehow ended up on a Chippewa Valley Symphony concert. And it was the old state theater. Now, the old state theater was like a renovated movie theater, you know, big hall, and it was just dead. Like no ring. The sound would just plop out of the bell, and that was the end of it right there. And so we were doing, oh man, I want to say, and Mark, I think Mark Heidel's playing trumpet, too. Kelly House playing trumpet. Wow. Yeah, this goes back. Um, and I think we were doing something big, like pictures or something like that. And we're we're in the rehearsal in the hall, and I look at Rodney and I'm like, Rodney, this sound doesn't go anywhere in here. He's like, Oh yeah, never has, never will. And I said, Okay, get ready. And I came in on first trombone, and I just appealed some pain. Like a fullback. You just made a Rodney, Rodney heard this, and he upped the ante and he played it a little more. I was like, all right, here we go. And Josh Becker was playing third trombone. Oh, and he was like, I want to say he was like a first-year student and he heard what was happening. He was like, Well, okay, I guess we're gonna do this. I guess if they're gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. And all of a sudden, everybody in the orchestra starts to turn around and look at what's happening. And Nobu, Nobu's eyes started to like moon. He's so excited, you know, or overwhelmed. I don't know, one or the other. We're playing, and you know, so we we get through it, and you know, we get to the end of the rehearsal, and and Nobu immediately comes back to read Iran. He's like, now I know what they were talking about with the the wall of sound by Chicago Symphony. The it's the wall of sound. Now I know.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. That is good stuff.
SPEAKER_03Such an institution, it's just beautiful. No, and uh, I'm so glad you had, I'm so glad you had no boo on. My favorite thing about Nobu, uh, besides that story I shared, was that I felt like when we were getting to know each other, he was trying to kind of explain who he was. And you've all now heard his Japanese American accent. And he would in about every paragraph that he spoke to me, which there are a lot of paragraphs, would say he was from Japan, just to make sure I knew. And I was like This is the one thing you don't have to say, Nobu. Like I I'm fully aware. I'm fully aware. And I I love you, and you don't have to qualify anything about your English because you just you are so you and I was just loving it. Good stuff. Yeah. No, you just came to the book. Okay. Sorry, bamboozler.
SPEAKER_04Bamboozler. You were saying. Oh, you would like one? Okay, great. I have one. Bamboozler. Bamboozler. This just in. Um dear fellas, what are the most effective rehearsal strategies for developing ensemble cohesion, specifically balance, blend, and time, when you have wide disparities in skill level across sections?
SPEAKER_03That's actually an easy answer. If those are the three things you want to do. I mean, to for a guy that just worked with the 910 honor band that had a wide disparity of I mean not levels, but they didn't know each other. And all those things can be solved by the kids listening louder than they play. I mean, that's it's not a cheat, but you it's the trick is how you as a conductor get them not to watch you, but get them to listen to each other. And if you can do that, you'll solve that. Now downbeats and not rushing tempo and like great sound, those are other ensemble things. But if you want that balance, you want that. Yeah, that's that's all listening skills.
SPEAKER_07I'd agree. I think even with young ensembles, sometimes I'll I'll play dumb and I'll be like, hey, can we just do this without me? Is that possible? And instantly. Yeah, and uh it always helps. And then I'll ask them to so why did we do that? Then and then they look at you like you're dumb and like, because we just listened. But getting them to realize why they did something sometimes can slot it all into place.
SPEAKER_04Yep. Yep. I love it. In fact, I remember uh we were preparing for uh a performance at the state music convention, and I had Ken Paris. This is the first time, 2006, and my colleague Ken Paris came from over from the other middle school and he was watching me. He said, Why are you conducting so hard? And I'm like, I'm really trying to keep them together. And he goes, That's the problem. And he said, Don't conduct. And I'm I remember I was a young teacher, I'm like, What? That's not smart. And he goes, No, it's the best thing you'll do all day. And so I sat down and I'm like, play it, kids. And exactly that's what happened. They were listening, started listening more, and yeah.
SPEAKER_03We we just uh were struggling all slowing down together. It's a molta writ over a short time from a fast to a really slow tempo this weekend. And we were working, working, and I was like, this and this, and I said, you know what, just do it without me. And then we did three times and they decided how it was gonna go. And I said, now let me add into that and change that a little bit. But once they listened and decided to make it theirs, like that's 90% of the job. Yep. And they did it. Well, and 90% of not make it theirs, but make it the trombones, right? Oh, Phil, you gotta hear this. So the six eight uh this is a true story, it just happened today. So the trombones from the 6'8 honor band gave a plastic fork to their guest conductor, who's Quincy Hilliard, by the way. Oh, yeah. And they all signed it and they said, We would like you to conduct the last piece with this fork as a joke. And he did it. He had it in his pocket, he told the story, he pulled out the signed fork, he flipped it around, and the trombones in the back of that six, eight hour bands were like their chests could not have been more puffed out. They were so excited, and they played. And I didn't say this because I'm sitting in the audience and then I forgot when I was up there. But our last piece was Don Ricardo, the uh Musella band, and it ends it's in a minor into trombones and horns just eat. They just like gone, gon, gone, go, go, go, go, go, go. Right. And I was like, come on, trombone. It's like you gotta like, this is this is why you play trombone, you just don't know it yet. Like, you gotta like go get that. And finally, uh, I wanted to say, even though I forgot to, I was like, I don't have a fork, but I got a spoon, and the trombones are gonna eat at the end of Don Ricardo, and you're gonna love it. And I didn't say it because I forgot to, but people came up to me and they were like, the trombones and the horns at the end of that passadole were amazing. Because they were playing, and I was like, you can play as loud as you want as long as it's good sound, and you sound like one trombone and not a bunch of you know, ninth and tenth graders trying to outwin each other. You gotta sound like, and I'm telling you, they like sighted in and it was epic. And I just let them eat. I let them eat, they were eaten away, and the rest of us were accompanying them, and they were so proud. I wish you could have seen their faces. That's all I got. That's good. That's good.
SPEAKER_06Um, hey, gentlemen, when you hear this voice, you're not as funny as what you think you are. I know it's that's right.
SPEAKER_04The coach. Coach maybe one more time for the season. I don't know. We're getting close here. This is uh what people are asking for.
SPEAKER_03I need you twice. I need you twice.
SPEAKER_07End of the season approaching the playoffs in a hurry. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06Here's the deal, guys. You're on a heater. What? Like I'm telling you, the last couple episodes, amazing. The Sam Keone's episode.
SPEAKER_03Yes. I had six people come up to me today and be like, I don't know who that guy was, but I gotta read that book.
SPEAKER_06Paul Kyle even thought it was like his uh social media post comp complimenting you all, was I I thought epic.
SPEAKER_03I uh social media, what is this?
SPEAKER_07What is this? My sister, my sister listened to every episode. She said best podcast ever. No. And there was no banter. Connect. There's no banter. That's why.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_06You know what you guys are getting better at? You're letting the guests kind of dictate your questions. Like you're letting them lead the take you on the path, and then you guys are just kind of moving with the guests. You're better at that than you used to be.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because we're bumping the guests instead of driving it.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Even even with Nobu here, well, you don't have to give Nobu much, and you go, No. I asked him one question.
SPEAKER_08We were 12 minutes in. You asked 20 minutes. And then I asked a question and it was 37 minutes. It was awesome.
SPEAKER_04That's it. Show over. So that's Nobu, though. Oh my god. So it was just so good. Yeah. It's been it's been wonderful. Uh what uh did you either of you guys know in the introduction that that was Snowboo?
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Yeah. Oh, did you actually I I I was yeah, it was pretty quick. He smiled.
SPEAKER_04You said Japan.
SPEAKER_03I kind of thought for a while and I was like, wait.
SPEAKER_04And then I knew right. Okay. I was trying to be, I wrote rewrote that a couple times. I'm like, how can I do this? Uh forget it. It's over. Yeah. Nope. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03But we also know the guy, and what a great guest to have on. Because those that don't know him need to at least know the legend. And now when they hear him, they'll know.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I think when you if you just go to watch him conduct at a concert, he he won't speak at length on the microphone or anything like that. You this is the auth they got the whole window into what he's like.
SPEAKER_03The one thing I'll say is I played for him too, as a trumpet player when I was there. And he isn't but to the audience, he doesn't look because he's pretty stoic, he's pretty Japanese from the back, but from the front, man, his torso, speaking of Chris, and his face and his energy is just like pointed at his musicians, and he is just I don't think he wants he doesn't want to distract the audience.
SPEAKER_07I So I think this is all purposefully done.
SPEAKER_04All of it. Right. Totally agree. For the right reasons. I get I just try to be as showy as I can. I flip my baton around and stuff. I've tried to, you know, put on a good show. Usually you sort of wink at the audience about halfway through each tune, too.
SPEAKER_03I wink at him, I turn to t-shirts, points at him with his guns, gives them two fingerprints cannon and all kinds of stuff.
SPEAKER_06The college Disneyland experience that has been so influential.
SPEAKER_04Well, that's right. I found that not only does the band not watch me, but the audience doesn't either. So and that's fitting. Hey, uh uh coach, we've got five, yes, that's it, five uh more of these left. And uh so give us give us a directive here. What can we do? All tuba players, I hope. Oh, the year of the tuba.
SPEAKER_03This has been season four.
SPEAKER_06For the year of the tuba, they all better be tuba players.
SPEAKER_03That's not gonna be true. That's not true. No, my guests, that's not true. But I got two good guests left. You do. You got two left.
SPEAKER_06I think you should keep letting your guests determine the path of the interview. Because it's been masterful the last two episodes. It's just been so much fun to listen to. And you know, the the no banter, and you know, just kind of um, you know, the obviously the podcast is a little form, you know, formula based. Every once in a while to do something that breaks that is really uh is is refreshing. Can I leave you with this tonight?
SPEAKER_03Only if you show me a picture of Louis. Where's Louie? Oh yeah, she's right there. Uh, everybody, Louie is sleeping on the couch, but Tim's sitting on the floor because Louis is sleeping on the couch. So there's no room for Tim to sit on the couch.
SPEAKER_06There's only one king. There's one king in this house. Yeah, that's right. In the spirit of of Nobu and where Nobo is in life, because it's something that you know I've thought about as kind of you edge closer to what happens after work. Um, and and having given up basketball this year, Tony Bennett is a is a was a former basketball coach from Wisconsin, coached at Virginia, University of Virginia, and I'm I'm gonna share some words that he had um in his retirement uh speech. He quoted a person, a missionary by the name of Jim Elliott, and he said, He is no fool who gives back what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
SPEAKER_05That's right. And as and as attached as we get to our positions um and the ownership that we have in what we do, we're just renting this. Someday we've gotta give it back. Look at that.
SPEAKER_03We were all quiet there for a second. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Jesus Christ. What the hell's wrong with you? What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you?
SPEAKER_03I got two quotes for you from that. Nothing like a brother to really bringing it back down to earth. A, you can't fix stupid. And B, the dumb will always be among us. These are two thoughts I've had in the last 15 seconds. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Peter, Peter, uh, take take us out on this podcast. What what what what's what's the last thing? What do we need to know on the way out here? I think this backlighting makes me look like an angel.
SPEAKER_04Beyond Artless is sponsored by Beyond the Notes Music Festival. Our mission is to create and provide profound learning and social experiences through music that go beyond the notes. Visit Btn Musicfestival dot com to learn more.
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