Well, the first show is out of the way. And what a show it was! A standing ovation from a sold out crowd at Weill Hall in the Green Music Center. After 5 days of intense rehearsals and only 2 hours to rehearse with the orchestra it was a little daunting, but the show went extremely well. The legend himself, Kitaro, is an incredible musician and performer and his audiences are deeply connected with his music, it's quite a thing to be involved with.
Weill Hall at the Green Music Center - Sonoma County CA
The rehearsals were a lot of fun. We have an excellent crew for the tour and the song learning/rehearsing process went really smoothly. Kitaro's music is challenging in a different way than I've really encountered before - completely focused on the delivery and feeling of very simple ideas and rhythms. Sometimes playing very little can be a lot more difficult than firing out a complicated solo! The end result though is completely rewarding....the best type of musical experience - one that is captivating and moving and just a heck of a lot of fun! Although I'm running in-ear monitors, I find I'm taking them out often just to listen to the orchestra playing. It's pretty hard to beat!
Soundcheck with the Santa Rosa Symphony
Tomorrow we all fly to St Petersburg (by way of Amsterdam) and will be getting into the European shows a few days after that. If this first show is anything to go by, it really will be a special tour that's going to make it's way around the world over the coming months. Can't wait.