From dan.for@tiscali.cz Fri Dec 28 20:07:33 2012
Subject:Re: Newest video for Roland Combo

Not only yours opinion...

As I live in Japan since 2003, I know well Japanese music life and
their music education, and play often with Japanese musicians, so I
can say something to this theme.

They can be pretty good technically, but that's all. They play well or
perfectly individual notes, but don't understand and don't feel
connection between them, that means music in its context and style.
Not only "soul" is missing, but emotions, passion, drive, balls and
power as well. It's very mechanical, sterile, cool and emotionless
performing. Besides 95% of Japanese musicians can't improvise at all,
despite they have this word in Japanese vocabulary. I'm afraid it has
something to do with their mentality which is used to pattern
thinking, and also with their music education system which is rather
poor despite the excellent equipment their music schools and
universities have. That's the reason why so many Japanese musicians go
abroad and study music outside the Japan. Unfortunately they often
stay in foreign countries and don't return to Japan to improve local
situation in music. It's a pity because usually those are the best.

And this is not dependent on music style. I perform in many styles
from classical music (since Gregorian chant to experimental
electronic, computer and microtonal music), all pop, rock, jazz,
fusion, world, folklore... and Japanese traditional music, too, so I
can judge this. All of them have this problem. They study music from
the scores, where even solos (choruses) are exactly notated, and then
just repeat it. They also try to copy famous performers on the base of
record. I feel here big lack of originality and creative attitude.
Which is true also for Japanese rock, pop and jazz - it's just a copy
of American and other world music, not so much originality. But
exactly this Confucianism attitude is a ground for many traditional
arts (haiku writing, tea ceremony, ikebana, bonsai...), crafts,
martial art and more... Just to repeat old patterns and copy exactly
what teacher shows, and be a member of collective, not to differ from
the others. Despite big changes in the thinking of younger generations
this mentality prevails here and reflects also in very conservative
attitude to music.

Lot of lovers of classical music, but only 18th-19th century, the most
popular composers (from Bach to Ravel), and the most popular works of
them. Lot of lovers of jazz (this was surprising for me) but only from
swing to bebop. Lot of lovers of opera, but only Verdi, Puccini...

Of course there must be some exceptions. I'd like to meet them, still
waiting :-)

Happy New Year!

Daniel Forro