this week i met film music composer SHIGERU UMEBAYASHI for the first time. i was very glad to realize that Ume-san and i have a similar way of thinking and similar opinions about many things.
i like Ume's music very much, and he has written music for some really great movies, such as HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and last year's A SINGLE MAN.
as i am composing songs for a musical now - and i want to use japanese instruments such as shakuhachi, koto and taiko drums, and the chinese erhu - Ume pointed out a very important thing:
many musicians of these traditional instruments have a strictly traditional way of playing (intonation, feeling, etc) and may therefore not be suited to play on recordings where a "western" type of melody and feeling is required - such as in my musical.
we joked about finding a "punk koto player" who is not bound to tradition. Ume knows some of the best shakuhachi players in the world, and promised to introduce me to them at a later point, for the future recording of my musical (next year?).
Ume-san, i am really happy to make your aquaintance, and look forward to seeing you again.
yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
some of UME's music works:
shigeru-umebayashi.com
=)
[ add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink
